ADHD and anger

The slightest thing can make him angry, and his anger rises very quickly. Children with ADHD often have intense emotional reactions. These outbursts are not tantrums. Here is how to understand and calm them. With patience, outbursts often become less frequent and less intense.

Intense emotions

ADHD also affects the regulation of emotions. Frustration, annoyance or a sense of injustice can trigger a very strong anger, which then subsides quickly. These outbursts are not tantrums.

The article ADHD and executive functions looks at this question in detail.

Triggers

Tiredness, hunger, frustration, difficult transitions, a sense of injustice, an accumulation of remarks: identifying triggers helps you anticipate. A notebook can help you spot these moments.

This point is explained step by step in ADHD and tiredness.

Prevention

Announcing changes, offering choices, avoiding tiredness, praising: preventing outbursts is more effective than managing them. These precautions avoid many outbursts.

To go further, read our article ADHD and routines.

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During the anger

Stay calm, speak little, keep them safe, offer a place to calm down. Do not try to reason during the crisis. Your calm helps them recover more quickly.

We detail this point in ADHD and crises.

Learning to calm down

At a calm moment, train them to recognise the signs of anger and to use techniques: breathing, withdrawing, squeezing a cushion. These techniques are learnt over time.

This subject is developed on our page Exercises for a child with ADHD.

After the anger

Once they have calmed down, talk about what happened, without making them feel guilty. Help them make amends if needed. Making amends helps them feel responsible without feeling guilty.

You will find more details in the article Explaining ADHD to your child.