Many people with ADHD can't screen out sensory input. Sometimes this is related to only one sensory realm, such as hearing. In fact, the phenomenon is called hyperacusis (amplified hearing), even when the disruption comes from another of the five senses.
ADHD affects executive functioning, attention, and impulse control . This may make it more difficult for people to process sensory input, including sounds. It may be difficult or impossible for a person with ADHD to interpret sounds or distinguish one sound from another, particularly in distracting environments.
For adults with ADHD, listening can be a challenge. Inattention and being easily distracted are two of the symptoms of ADHD that make focusing on a conversation or a lecture doubly difficult. This can often manifest in several ways.
ADHD seems to exacerbate and exaggerate everything — especially our senses. If you taste, smell, or hear in extremes, you're not alone. Here are common ADHD hypersensitivities — and expert recommendations for dialing them down.
While not all people with ADHD have sound sensitivity and not all with sound sensitivity have ADHD, the sensory issue is often comorbid (ADHD doesn't cause sound sensitivity, but they are comorbid due to other conditions such as autism or misophonia).
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
Excessive talking is a common symptom for kids with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), who often have trouble inhibiting and controlling their responses. 1 They may blurt out whatever first comes to mind, whether appropriate or not, without thinking through how their words may be received.
For starters, not everyone with the hyperactive side of ADHD is loud and talkative. While talking non-stop is part of ADHD for some people, there are many other ways hyperactivity can express itself.
It is essential to realize that people with ADHD are generally emotionally sensitive and may have strong feelings of shame, preventing them from seeking the medical help they need. Aside from medications, allowing the person to process their emotions before a meltdown is a healthy way to help them cope with rejection.
ADHD may also be paired with other forms of psychosis, which may be caused by specific lifestyle factors. For instance, a 2015 study suggests that folks living with ADHD who experience hallucinations or hear voices may be linked to the use of illegal drugs, particularly at a young age.
People with ADHD have a hard time with conversation. They might get distracted and lose track of what the other person is saying. They might ramble, and monopolize the conversation, said psychotherapist Terry Matlen, ACSW. They might interrupt.
People with ADHD often exhibit such behaviors as blurting out answers, interrupting, oversharing, and speaking at too high a volume. These things break away from the social norms of interaction and conversation. This can cause difficulties when relating to and interacting with others.
Brown noise for ADHD is thought to be particularly beneficial. Brown noise, like white noise, plays sound at all frequencies. However, brown noise plays lower frequencies louder and high frequencies softer. It's thought to be a better color of noise to fall asleep to, because it can support sleep and relaxation.
As we've discussed, unfortunately, many people with ADHD tend to have a lack of empathy. This can be addressed, though, through identifying and communicating about each other's feelings.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
One type of ADHD masking — known as mirroring — involves intentionally or unintentionally mimicking the speech, movements, or behaviors of someone else. While ADHD mirroring and body doubling may seem similar at first glance, you can work alongside a body double without imitating them in any way.
Some introverts with ADHD may experience conflicting characteristics. For example, they may be cautious in some situations and highly impulsive in others. They may find it hard to focus in some situations and experience periods of hyper-focus at other times.
Sensitive to Rejection. People with ADHD are exquisitely sensitive to rejection and criticism. They can experience hopelessness and demoralization because they try to succeed by imitating the paths to success of people without ADHD, and then fail over and over again because the same paths don't work for them.
When a person has ADHD, it is common for her to engage in negative “self-talk,” a constant stream of thinking that is self-critical. This can lead to or aggravate depression, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness. Learning coping strategies like self-compassion can help to more effectively manage thoughts and emotions.
High-functioning ADHD could mean: you experience severe symptoms but have developed “work arounds” to carry on with daily tasks and responsibilities. your symptoms are mild, and you're able to function with minimal impairment. symptoms are greatly impairing in some areas but you're highly functional in others.
Atypical Presentation of ADHD Symptoms
Impaired sense of time (loses track of time, often late, hates waiting, avoids doing homework, etc.) Sleep disturbances (has trouble with sleep initiation, sleep deprived, can't wake up easily, etc.)
An ADHD “Brain dump” is a phrase used to describe the process of transferring information from your brain to another medium. You could write the contents down on paper, type them into your computer or speak them into an audio recording… whatever works for you.
Aim for soothing, medium-tempo music with simple rhythms. Consider listening to classical composers like Vivaldi and Chopin.” Schroeder says classical music can also help with other areas of brain functioning.