Emotional dysregulation is a defining characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which explains why so many children and teens with ADHD are easily swept away by intense emotions — resulting in explosive, aggressive, sometimes frightening reactions that disrupt the entire family.Reasoning with dysregulated, angry kids in the middle of a breakdown is practically impossible.
The best approach in the moment is to stop the meltdown from escalating. But what matters most is what’s done in between explosive reactions to reduce their severity and frequency over time.Children tend to mirror the behaviors they observe.
Try to reflect to your child a sense of calm, cooperation, and control. Avoid fueling your child’s explosive episode with shouts and flashes of anger.
The following techniques also help defuse intense situations:Your emotionally dysregulated child will likely try to suck you down an argument rabbit hole where they will defeat or deflect everything you say to get you as upset and overwhelmed as they are.