Does ADHD Cause Hypersensitivity?

As human beings we are innately emotional. Be it anger, happiness, sadness, or grief; we feel a variety of emotions depending on the situation we are in. But for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the emotional equation seems to slightly differ from people who don't have the disorder. In reality, coping with intense and disturbing emotions becomes greatly difficult for people with ADHD.

If we go by statistics, ADHD affects millions of kids and adults alike. While it's mostly diagnosed in childhood, most people tend to take the patterns right into their adulthood. If managing the various symptoms of ADHD, such as impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and lack of focus, become difficult to manage, a family doctor or in-patient care at a family clinic becomes a necessity.

ADHD and sensitivity

People with ADHD tend to feel everything in excess because of their ingrained perception of different life situations. Such people often show intense emotional reactions to certain triggers that people around them don’t often understand. They are mostly on an emotional roller-coaster, operating at heightened sensitivity to both positive and negative situations. Some may even resort to risky behaviors—something that calls for the attention of an urgent care clinic or a walk-in clinic.

Regular therapy at a family clinic providing same-day appointments becomes important for people with ADHD because emotional self-control becomes gravely challenging for them. They find it extremely painful to deal with negative feelings—something they feel very deeply at the same time. It feels almost impossible for them to control their response to these feelings, which in turn, makes them act out awkwardly in social situations. It can be a major outburst of rage or an incessant bout of crying.

Besides their emotional sensitivity, people with ADHD are also seen to be sensitive towards certain physical stimuli. They show hypersensitivity to sounds, touch, light, taste and certain physical objects. One of the major reasons people with ADHD are so distracted is their heightened sensitivity to physical stimuli. They are often unable to filter out these stimuli or integrating them, either making such people inattentive at the required job or hyper-focused on everything.

However, it is not completely established that hypersensitivity in people with ADHD is caused by the disorder itself. Experts are also trying to find different possibilities of comorbid psychological conditions these people often have along with ADHD. There’s also a possibility that past traumatic experiences, especially when one grows up listening to negative labels in a neglectful environment, makes people with ADHD more sensitive to such triggers as adults.

ADHD may be a difficult mental disorder to cope with—both for the person and those around them—but there’s always hope. Medical science has come up with several cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness exercises that can ground people with ADHD when they face emotionally challenging situations. A family doctor at a same-day clinic or a walk-in clinic can help patients cope with the condition.

If you have anyone in your family suffering from ADHD, you can consider Phoenix Family Medical Care as your family clinic. We have a team of experts and caregivers who helps people cope with the symptoms of ADHD. We even accept same-day appointments in case you need an urgent care clinic to cater to your needs.

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