When we list symptoms of ADHD, we often talk about things like difficulty concentrating and planning ahead. But ADHD symptoms also carry over into the way people experience emotions.

In particular, ADHD can make it harder to regulate your emotions. One way to think of it is that impulsivity is a core symptom of ADHD, and that includes impulsivity in feeling and acting on emotions.

Another way to think of it is that being able to take a step back and bring your emotions back into balance is an exercise in self-control. It involves recalibrating and telling your brain what to do rather than just going with whatever you feel in the spur of the moment. And these are all skills that ADHD can impact.

So, naturally, the question is: what treatment helps people with ADHD regulate their emotions?

Recently, a team of psychologists addressed this question, looking specifically at whether medication helps people with ADHD regulate their emotions more easily.

In their meta-analysis, the researchers found that common ADHD meds like methylphenidate and amphetamine did help people with ADHD regulate their emotional frame of mind more effectively.

However, the meds certainly didnt make up the difference between ADHDers and non-ADHDers altogether. The researchers described the size of the effect as “small to moderate.” In other words, meds do help with ADHD-related emotional regulation problems, but they leave something to be desired!

The authors of the study point out that although theyre better than nothing, meds dont seem to help with ADHDs emotional symptoms as much as they help with cognitive symptoms like inattention. That left them with the conclusion that researchers need to explore other treatment options because the medications currently being prescribed for ADHD dont seem to cut it as far as helping with emotion regulation.

In the meantime, though, where does that leave ADHDers? Well, meds do appear to help somewhat, even if theyre not a perfect solution. And non-pharmacological tactics like mindfulness, or just keeping in mind that you have a tendency to let your emotions get away from you in the first place, are worth a shot.

If you have any other techniques that work for you, please share them below!

Image: Flickr/Lucas