ADHD

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A casual community for people with ADHD

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Relevant Lemmy communities:

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

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founded 2 years ago

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Handling overwhelming emotions? (szmer.info)

submitted 3 weeks ago by alexcleac@szmer.info to c/adhd@lemmy.world

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Hey everyone here 👋

I've been wondering: how do you handle cases, when you get overwhelmed with emotions to the state, that you simply cannot focus on anything but that emotion? I hate that feeling, because it really makes me to feel sick with just being emotional.

My take is that I usually just break from a situation, take an hour or two, and try to stim myself with something else: a game, a movie, something like that. Though, sometimes I don't have a time space to do it: I need to be gathered and focused here and now, with no space for wiggling.

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[–] gonzo-rand19@moist.catsweat.com 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I agree with the other commenters that distraction is, in the long term, not helpful. It's a survival tool or coping mechanism, it's not a real strategy.

You might want to look into DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) if you have the opportunity to see a therapist. Its main focus is helping people with intense emotions to handle their feelings as they happen, which was great to learn because CBT and other therapies I've tried feel antithetical to how my brain works and it was ~~hard~~ impossible to build the skills necessary to see much improvement because forming habits is so difficult for me. It's generally used to treat people with BPD and PTSD but I really like the approach for ADHD.

I have a DBT skills workbook now that I can't afford a therapist anymore and it's still helpful, so that could also be an option if you aren't able to go to therapy. These things should be talked about with a professional to get the most benefit in the shortest amount of time, but you can still do some self-help work on your own.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

In fact, I'm willing to loan OP a PDF of some DBT worksheets, etc. Drop me line, and good luck! Put in the work, trust the process, all that. You got this. 🤘🏼