Emotional Triggers With An ADHD Brain

Emotional Triggers with an ADHD
Brain: How to understand big

feelings and respond differently
Dr. Sharon Saline
When you live with ADHD, you live with the challenge
of managing strong emotions. Whether you are a
child, teen or adult, it can be tough to regulate how
you process your feelings–psychologically,
cognitively or behaviorally. The ADHD brain, with its
‘now/not now’ orientation, may not be attuned to
feelings that are simmering under the surface until
the pressure is too great, something brings them to
awareness and the dam bursts. Flooding, a common
experience for folks with ADHD, results from the
combination of intense and usually overwhelming
internal and external stimulation in a world that’s not
designed for neurodivergent brains. Learning how to
identify and respond to emotional triggers more
intentionally will help you feel better about yourself,
improve social relationships and increase
productivity.
Big emotions are part of being human
Experiencing big emotions is a part of life. The oldest

emotions—fear, anger, anxiety—developed to keep
us safe by cueing us that there is something
threatening our survival or social standing. Emotions
help us create and store memories, build social
networks and develop self-confidence. They are
fundamentally integrated with memory, action and
learning, and the brain attaches emotion to help us
prioritize what’s needed to stay safe. Strong
emotions highlight what’s important and cue us to
pay attention to what’s happening in real time. They
can also assist people with processing a painful past
event.
The amgydala and the fight, flight or freeze response
Let’s look briefly at how the trigger system work in

the brain and body. Reducing reactivity means
understanding the “amygdala hijack” as a gateway
for improving self-regulation (Goleman, D. (1995,
2005). Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more
than IQ.” New York: Bantam Books).
2
Inside the emotional center of our brains (the limbic
system) lies the amygdala. It acts as the brain’s
alarm system, setting off the ‘fight, flight or freeze’
response. When the amygdala senses danger, real or
imagined, it jumps into action and tells the rest of the
brain and the body to run from danger or fight it.
That’s when you feel a rush of adrenaline, a faster
heartbeat and shorter breaths–a knee-jerk reaction
within milliseconds of sensing a disturbance. When
the amygdala becomes activated, the thinking brain
(your prefrontal cortex) goes temporarily offline, and
feelings rule the day.
Calming down emotional responses: Neurotypical

brains vs. ADHD brains
In neurotypical brains, executive functioning skills

help the amygdala calm down by engaging language
to name the feelings instead of just experiencing
them. This also helps people step back to more
clearly assess the situation and find solutions. In
ADHD brains, however, the executive functioning
skills–that are already working hard to accomplish
and maintain daily life tasks–struggle with the extra
burden of effectively dealing with a rush of strong
3
emotions. This means that you’ll often react more
quickly and with volatility instead of responding with
consideration.
Managing emotional triggers with ADHD
1.Learn to recognize emotional triggers with body

awareness
Woman holding her hand on her head, looking upset

while on the phone outsideOne of the first steps
toward improving emotional regulation and taming
your triggers is to notice the physiological signs that
the amygdala is gearing up. What are the physical
symptoms that let you know something is askew?
Increased heart rate, tense muscles, shallow
breathing, perspiration or nausea are all signs that
you are entering a fight, fight or freeze zone.
It’s really important to distinguish if what’s setting

you off is a real emergency or a perceived but not
imminent danger. You may feel the pressing need to
act, but that urgency is usually a sign, a red flag that
you are into an amygdala takeover. It’s a signal to
address any actual dangers facing you or turn down
4
the noise in your head related to discomfort,
insecurity or agitation.
This is a huge task for many people, with and without

ADHD. Anxiety, anger or hurt can seem like pressing
dangers to our wellbeing and threaten our coping
strategies. Practicing your ability to notice what’s
going on in your body, in your mind and in your
environment requires patience, insight and self-
acceptance. These are skills which develop over
time, sometimes a lifetime, for so many of us. Being
compassionate with ourselves, our partners and our
children is what’s called for–not the expectation of
perfection. We want to foster a growth mindset, one
that understands stumbling and focuses on
regrouping instead of criticism or intolerance.
2.Pre-plan coping strategies for emotional triggers
When someone is triggered, they need to rely on a

pre-planned strategy to help them get through those
tough times. Try these tips:
1.Breathe:
5
Breathing sends a message to your amygdala to
slow down and cools off the body’s alarm system.
Try alternate nostril breathing, triangle breathing
(inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6, pause empty) or
belly breathing. Do any of these breathing
techniques about 5 times at a pace that feels best for
you.
2.Change your environment:
Sometimes you need to leave a situation to compose

yourself or assess what is going on. A quick trip to
the bathroom, stepping outside for a breath of fresh
air, opening a window, getting a glass of water,
taking a quick walk or breaking out some stretches
or yoga can assist you in recalibrating. Maybe even
consider giving or asking for a hug.
3.Create some go-to phrases to say to other

people:
It’s much better to articulate that you are feeling

distressed instead of blurting something out that you
will later regret. As you’re reading this, what words
6
come to mind that can summarize how you feel
without oversharing or dumping?
Here are some suggestions:
I’m not comfortable with the direction this is headed.

Can we start over?
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, let me get back to you.
Let’s pause for a moment and regroup.
I need to use the bathroom.
This is upsetting me. I’d like to settle for a minute

before we continue.
4.Brainstorm soothing statements you can say to

yourself:
When you talk back to the negative voices that

perpetuate anger, anxiety or shame, you offer
yourself compassion, reassurance and kindness.
This both acknowledges your feelings and helps you
settle down. Here are some examples:
7
It’s okay to feel unsure or uncomfortable.
I am rooting for me.
This feeling really hurts right now; it will pass if I can

tolerate it instead of ignoring it.
I can notice my (anger, disappointment, concern or

frustration) without acting on it.
I have been here before, and I have the skills and

resources to manage this.
Being human means making mistakes, regrouping

and learning from them.
I am calm; I am safe.
It’s okay to ask for help.
I can feel my physical sensations, give them

attention and allow them to change.
When you understand how strong emotions work in

ADHD brains, see how big feelings influence
thoughts and behaviors, and learn tools to comfort
yourself, you don’t just tame your triggers; you learn
to pivot from reacting to responding.
8
9

Emotional Triggers With An ADHD Brain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Emotional Triggers With An ADHD Brain

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Emotional Triggers With An ADHD Brain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Emotional Triggers with an ADHD

Brain: How to understand big

Dr. Sharon Saline

Experiencing big emotions is a part of life. The oldest

The amgydala and the fight, flight or freeze response

Let’s look briefly at how the trigger system work in

Calming down emotional responses: Neurotypical

In neurotypical brains, executive functioning skills

Managing emotional triggers with ADHD

1.Learn to recognize emotional triggers with body

Woman holding her hand on her head, looking upset

It’s really important to distinguish if what’s setting

This is a huge task for many people, with and without

2.Pre-plan coping strategies for emotional triggers

When someone is triggered, they need to rely on a

2.Change your environment:

Sometimes you need to leave a situation to compose

3.Create some go-to phrases to say to other

It’s much better to articulate that you are feeling

Here are some suggestions:

I’m not comfortable with the direction this is headed.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, let me get back to you.

Let’s pause for a moment and regroup.

I need to use the bathroom.

This is upsetting me. I’d like to settle for a minute

4.Brainstorm soothing statements you can say to

When you talk back to the negative voices that

I am rooting for me.

This feeling really hurts right now; it will pass if I can

I can notice my (anger, disappointment, concern or

I have been here before, and I have the skills and

Being human means making mistakes, regrouping

It’s okay to ask for help.

I can feel my physical sensations, give them

When you understand how strong emotions work in

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.