I know that before I was diagnosed and began treatment for my ADD, I would not only get angry at times, but I would completely lose it. I’ve heard that ADDers feel things more. I think that may be true. And it’s not only the good emotions we fell more of – sure we can be exuberantly happy, extremely sensual and passionate, and we can laugh like there’s no tomorrow, but the other side of the coin that isn’t so pretty is when our anger gets out of control.
It’s no wonder that we feel angry at times. We live in a world that is extremely frustrating because it requires us to be very different from our nature. Sometimes this frustration comes out as anger. Most times we are angry or frustrated with ourselves, but often times our loved ones are affected by our angry emotions. And then, there’s a whole new emotion to deal with – guilt. We blame ourselves for losing it and we feel even more frustrated. If we’ve become angry with our children, many times we feel like we’re a bad or incompetent parent. You can see how the cycle can go on and on and never end.
How then do we cope with these negative feelings? Here are seven things we can do to deal with our feelings.
1. Remove yourself from the situation for a few minutes. Basically, put yourself in time-out. Go get a drink of water, take a bath, whatever it takes to get you out of the situation for a little while. 2. Exercise – sometimes this relieves some of the pent up energy and calms you down. 3. Think calm thoughts or imagine something that calms you – a mountain or river, for instance. 4. Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more cranky and more likely to get angry more easily. 5. Talk to someone you know is a positive person. Someone who always cheers you up and helps you to put things into perspective. 6. Try to make sure that you’re not overloaded with responsibilities. This one is easier said than done, but one person can only do so much. Learn to say no sometimes. 7. Cry. Sometimes just having a good cry is enough to relieve the stress and anxiety that you feel when you’re angry and frustrated.
