The ADHD Specialist

Since the pandemic, talk of burnout seems to have increased, but ADHD burnout hits a little different! Good to see ADDitude Magazine highlighting hyperfocus burnout because it's not something I see talked about very often.

"I wish I knew then what I know about extreme hyperfocus. I wish I knew that it could turn into a positive feedback cycle that gets harder to escape the longer you’re in it. I wish I knew that relentless hyperfocus would break me and result in a very long and painful recovery."
👉 https://www.additudemag.com/extreme-burnout-hyperfocus-adhd/

EMDR is an evidence-based intervention for trauma, recommended in the NICE guidelines. Research suggests it can be especially helpful for adults with ADHD, which is certainly what I find in my practice with ADHD clients.

“EMDR Therapy Helps People Heal From Experiences That Haunt Them” "EMDR therapy can help individuals with ADHD and comorbidities process and release the emotional pain and negative beliefs associated with traumatic experiences.”

Unfortunately, you can't overcome ADHD by simply adopting better organisation strategies - shame, anxiety and past trauma all play a part, as does the wonderful ADHD brain itself! That being said, this article has some really nice suggestions.

Through 20 Years of Coping With ADHD, Here’s What I’ve Found to Help ADHD can make life tough to manage. These are all the tools that have helped me — and others who struggle with ADHD — keep my life in order.

Shame really likes to follow ADHD around! Therapy can really help with this but if therapy isn't available to you, increasing your self-compassion can really help you to tackle ADHD related shame.

https://www.verywellmind.com/adhd-and-shame-20435 #:~:text=Shame%20is%20an%20emotion%20that%20plays%20a%20big,problems%2C%20including%20depression%2C%20anxiety%2C%20drug%20and%20alcohol%20problems.

Why People With ADHD Have Shame Shame is an emotion that plays a big part in the lives of people with ADHD. Here are the common reasons why people with ADHD would feel this way.