moods

[Zoe37]

is it normal to be so up and down please I’m either happy or can lose plot very easily and it dose my head in cuz I can’t control it its like Iv been pazsst at time and my brain doesn’t seem to want to switch off I properly over think things stops me sleeping all sorts I end up doing my own head in it’s mad like I could be quite happy doing something then my partners moans at me for making noise something then that’s it I can just get upset and lose it then makes it worse cuz can’t stop it

[STEM_Dad]

With ADHD, emotions can go up or down quickly.

Something that we find very interesting in the moment can make us feel very excited. Something that upsets us can make up get angry. When we mess something up, we can become very sad with ourselves (or angry with ourselves).

Having an overactive brain, with thoughts coming and going all over the place, is also very common for us.

Some people with ADHD are prescribed sleep medication that helps, but sometimes trying several different sleep medications so doesn't help.

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I know that I've heard from families that have kids with ADHD that use exercise before bed to wind down.

My kids take a melatonin supplement, which often helps them. (They haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, but they have ADHD-like traits.)

I take a supplement called GABA, which helps my brain to settle down so that I can sleep.

Your profile says that you are in the UK. I don't know if you can get those supplements there.

Using mindfulness meditation techniques often helps me when I'm feeling overwhelmed or very emotional. Sometimes mindfulness will help me settle down to sleep, but not always.

There are times that the only thing I can do is rest, doing some reading to pass the time, and it takes my mind off the busy brain thoughts.

At least a couple of night per week, I will listen to sleep sounds (so-called "white noise", like soft music, or waves, or rain, or wind).

[STEM_Dad]

Anxiety or depression are common with ADHD.

In my experience, anxiety can make my mood change very quickly from feeling good to feeling terrible. I've recently had struggles with depression. I am on a medication which treats both (just a low dose is all I need right now, to help keep me stable).

Keeping my ADHD under control (also with meds) helps me keep from becoming very anxious, like I often was before my ADHD diagnosis a couple of years ago.

If there is something that is stressing you out in your life right now, try to address the issue, or try to find acceptance of it.

Be accepting of yourself and your ADHD. You are who you are, you are uniquely made, and you should remind yourself of what your best qualities are. Whenever you get down on yourself, remind yourself if 3 or 4 things about yourself that you like.

At a time when you are calm and not upset, think about how you want to be able to respond when you do get upset. For instance, think about what you think would be a considerate, loving response when your partner says something about you making noise in the middle of the night. Picture the situation in your head, and rehearse on your mind how you want to respond.

Practicing in your head can be about as effective as if you did it in real life, making it easier to respond calmly when you need to

[Adhdpoobrains]

I 100000% can feel where you’re coming from on this end. Definitely something that myself, and other ADHDers I know struggle with is unstable mood. It’s super frustrating, but you’re definitely not alone on that!

[Wasted71years]

Hi Zoe37

The ADHD brain has difficulty shutting down, avoiding rabbit holes of rumination. It does that with me, so that to fall asleep I have to carefully read something unrelated to my real problems and life, until I get just sleepy enough that I can fall asleep before my brain runs off thinking about the day, or about tomorrow, or some issue I am worrying about. I might have to do this three of four times until I find that magic point where I can nod off fast enough.

What I don't have is the mood swings you mentioned. I do have flashes of anger or frustration - instant overreaction that goes away as fast as it came because of the emotional disregulation that comes with ADHD. My overall mood is pretty steady and generally happy although not ecstatic, just satisfied. Of course when disaster strikes or something goes wrong I can be unhappy about that, but I recover fairly quickly.

I only know what happens in my own head. I will be interested in reading what others say about this, because those fellow ADHD folks may have similar mood swings. We are all a bit different, but we don't know what anyone else's mental life is like. It is why I could not realize I was neurologically different for 71 years - I thought everyone's brain was the same and I was just careless, lazy, etc.

Mood disorders can, as far as I know, be conditions that occur to some with ADHD. There can even be mood disorders that cause ADHD like symptoms but are the actual condition the person faces. If this is really troublesome to you and you are not certain you had a high quality diagnosis, you might go to a professional to be sure there aren't comorbidities or other things going on.

What you report about the brain going full tilt and the brain not switching off is 100% like what I experience with ADHD. If others here report the mood swings as well, then there is nothing to worry about (other than dealing with ADHD which is quite a bit by itself).