How Does Therapy Help With Emotional Regulation with ADHD?

One of the most common questions I get from potential new clients is “how will therapy help with my ADHD?” In this ongoing series, we will explore how psychotherapy can benefit people with ADHD.

This post focuses on how therapy can help people navigate the internal experience of ADHD. I often joke with clients that ADHD is diagnosed by the ways we confuse or inconvenience other people instead of by the ways we experience the world ourselves. Unfortunately, most diagnostic descriptions of ADHD focus more on how other people perceive ADHD instead of describing what it feels like for the person who actually has ADHD. As a result, people often make the mistake of focusing on the external ADHD behaviors instead of tuning into the internal experience they are having which only adds to their shame and confusion. An ADHD coach or therapist can help clients navigate the internal experience of ADHD so they can gain self insight and change the way they interact with the world. 

Here are the top 3 internal ADHD symptoms that come up with my clients in therapy.

Sensory Processing: This is how our brains take in sensory information about the world and process it. With ADHD, we may experience the world more intensely than a neurotypical person. Sounds, textures, lights and smells might be overwhelming or distracting. We may struggle to process either spoken or written words, particularly if there is other stuff going on around us. Conversely, some of us need more stimulation in order to concentrate and get distracted when things are too quiet. An ADHD therapist or coach can help you become aware of your sensory processing and can help you modulate your environment and expectations of how you operate instead of trying to fit into a neurotypical frame.

Emotional Dysregulation: This is the inability to modulate or regulate our emotions. Commonly known as emotional volatility, emotional dysregulation is punctuated by feelings that may be disproportionate to the situation at hand. ADHD means that we often feel things pretty deeply but can get overwhelmed easily. Emotional dysregulation can impact our relationships with others as well as ourselves as we may feel ashamed or confused about our emotions and the behaviors that result from them. An ADHD therapist or coach can help you learn more emotional regulation tools and understand your internal landscape to better express your emotions without shame.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Rejection sensitive dysphoria is the incredible pain and emotional sensitivity that is triggered by perceived or real rejection from someone in your life or even from yourself. Though neurotypical people experience this to a degree, it can be absolutely cripplingly painful for people with ADHD. It’s useful to know that RSD exists and that it does pass, just like all feelings do, but that it’s a very intense experience. An ADHD therapist or coach can help you gain insight into what RSD feels like for you so that you can better address how it might be affecting you and informing your outward behaviors.

If you think that therapy might help you with how ADHD shows up in your internal landscape, get in touch to schedule a free consultation with one of the wonderful therapists on our team. We are so excited to help you get to know your best self.