27 Year Old Female with short fuse

This topic contains 2 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by jnew929 3 months ago.

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May 23, 2019 at 5:44 pm #117125

adhdgal25
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Does adhd and a bad temper go hand and hand? I was just curious. I have the combined hyperactive/inattentive type and my fuse can be very short at times. I’m not proud of it, but I have been arrested and had court dates because of my impulsive actions when I am angry. When I get angry,my first instinct is to hit and usually the urge overcomes me before I stop and think. Inside m brain, it is like there is a Ferrari in there with no brakes and no way to down shift. I have been working with my doctor on this. Can anyone else relate and any creative tips to help besides the usual breathe and count to ten (which doesn’t work)?
May 24, 2019 at 9:31 am #117153

Penny Williams
Keymaster

This certainly can be related to ADHD:

Why You Lash Out — Sometimes for No Good Reason

Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism
May 24, 2019 at 11:32 am #117169

jnew929
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Yes. I constantly got into fights in high school and early in college. I was diagnosed with bipolar first and found out 5 years later that criminal history and getting into trouble were also a symptom of ADD; but its not uncommon for the two to coexist, so could be worth looking into. I have the “blackout” thing too, but I noticed that right before I was about to hit someone I always felt some kind of physical energy in my left shoulder, probably from adrenaline. Noticing this was enough for me to pause and slow down. Not sure if you might experience the same thing.

For me it was less about what to do in the moment and more about learning to be aware of my emotions in general. Meditation never helped because I can’t pay attention, but yoga did. (The power yoga kind because it counted as a workout and didn’t feel like a waste of time, and I could keep moving).

I’ve noticed ADD stimulants can sometimes make the impulsivity worse, and being aware that they might cause me to overreact also has helped. I still haven’t totally fixed this part of myself so I don’t have a super clear checklist for you, but hope it helps.
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