Take a Sensory Break
If you find yourself overstimulated, tell your friends or coworkers that you're going to step out for a break. Take 5–10 minutes to go somewhere that isn't overwhelming. While there, you can try some of these techniques to calm your overwhelmed brain: Listen to your favorite music.
When people with ADHD become overstimulated, they may be unable to focus as environmental factors or sensations crowd their brains. Moreover, people with ADHD and sensory overload may be unable to quickly “switch gears” in terms of the activity in which they are taking part.
It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair. Those experiencing ADHD burnout may find it even more challenging than usual to initiate and complete tasks, maintain focus and attention, and regulate their emotions.
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.
ADHD meltdowns are sudden outbursts of frustration and anger that seem to come out of nowhere. If your child is struggling to control their emotions, there are ways to help them. For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity can present in many ways.
People with ADHD tend to experience life more intensely than others. This means that even if you're hyper-focusing on a certain task or assignment in front of you, you can still have many other thoughts and ideas coursing through your brain. It can feel like there's always a lot going on, which may become overwhelming.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
“These cognitive symptoms seem to arise partly because people with ADHD have a more general deficit in being able to regulate their own brains. What the high rate of emotional dysregulation among [people with ADHD] suggests is that this inability to self-regulate carries over into self-regulating emotions as well.”
What are the symptoms of overstimulation? “Common symptoms of overstimulation include irritability, stress, agitation, insomnia, loss of focus, overwhelming feelings and thoughts, and anxiety,” Hoang says. “It may be difficult to block out or ignore sensory input. One may experience uncomfortable feelings in the body.”
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do.
For many adults living with ADHD, overwhelm can shut them down and keep them from moving forward. If you live with adult ADHD, as I do, feelings of overwhelm can engulf you and make you feel stuck. For adults with ADHD, it's challenging to get things accomplished when these feelings occur.
What Is ADHD Hyperfixation? Hyperfixation happens when you become fully immersed in something that interests you. This intense focus on a single subject may cause you to spend more time and energy on it than you intend to.
What is an ADHD shame spiral? ADHD shame spirals are negative feelings and thoughts around a perceived or real mistake spiraling out of control. These spirals feel like life is on an uncontrollable downward spiral and can increase anxiety and depression symptoms.
Spacing Out With ADHD
It's an involuntary process that happens even when you are actively trying to pay attention. If you've ever started reading a book, only to find yourself lost in thought or staring at the page without really seeing or comprehending the words, that was spacing out.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
If you hide your adult ADHD symptoms from other people, that's called masking. Basically, you're trying to seem more “normal” or “regular.” ADHD causes some people to act hyperactive or impulsive. It makes other folks have trouble paying attention. And still other adults have a combination of those symptoms.
Is ADHD considered a disability? Yes, ADHD is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). There are several types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disability.