ADHD is characterized by a struggle of the sufferer to organize and make order of everything going on in his or her life. This sets the stage for habitual feelings of overwhelm. In the ADHD mind, the person is juggling several things at once, and each of these things carries its own weight of consequences if not followed through upon. For each of these things, the ADHD person experiences an emotional response if the ball is dropped on just one of these things.
An Example
For example, if Peter has an important report due at work at the end of the week, which he has procrastinated on for quite some time, the thought of not finishing the report on time weighs on his mind, which creates stress. What if Peter has the check engine light on his dashboard, which he has been procrastinating on for the past two weeks, that also weighs on his mind? What if Peter is due at his daughter’s school, for a parent-teacher conference on the day the report is due, and he realizes that it is important he be there, since he is divorced from his daughter’s mother? Add to this what if his supervisor just signed Peter up for another project, expecting Peter to be already done with the previous project. Peter is anxious about telling his supervisor that he is not yet done (in reality, he has not started) for fear of looking bad.
Overwhelm and Flooding
Now, considering this example, Peter is primed for an emotional meltdown. An emotional meltdown, if he doesn’t deliver his report on time, if he is not able to speak honestly with his supervisor, if his vehicle suddenly breaks down, or if he is not able to make it to his daughter’s school. This is an example of how the ADHD operates. Each priority has its own emotional weight, and if not mentally organized and categorized, all the emotional weights of these priorities have a tendency to merge together and create overwhelm and flooding in the mind of the ADHD person.
So, what is the neuroscience behind emotional flooding?
Emotional flooding in the ADHD brain is deeply rooted in the poor neurological wiring and functioning of how the ADHD brain works. There are two primary things to consider, impairment in the prefrontal cortex and hyperactivation of the amygdala.
In the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for executive functions, such as impulse control, planning, emotional regulation and attention switching, people with ADHD, experience marked immaturity in this area. They experience poor impulse control, difficulty controlling their emotions, delaying gratification and persevering through any difficulty. It is also important to note that people with ADHD, tend to be forgetful and that the prefrontal cortex also substitutes for working memory. With emotional flooding, the working memory becomes overloaded.
When it comes to the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain), the person with ADHD is particularly sensitive to small stressors, which can feel like major emergencies. People with ADHD can also show signs of rejection sensitivity and as a result have subconsciously developed beliefs around their lack of ability to cope with stress.
Rewiring Is Possible
However, there is good news. The brain can rewire itself for the better. By better, I mean that the brain can rewire itself to become more focused and organized. That is, if this is the intent of the ADHD person. It is important to be open-minded to changing your beliefs and putting in consistent effort. I have worked with several people with ADHD to improve their focus and organizational skills to accomplish their goals in academia and in their respective professions. An effect of this, I have noticed, is that as they become more focused and organized, they also improve their ability to manage difficult emotions. So yes, emotional regulation strategies can create calm after the internal storm, no matter how long the storm has been raging.
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