ADHD & overwhelm
When a little becomes a lot – and fast
For all the aspects of ADHD that do their best to trip us up daily, it would appear that there are some strengths to be leveraged from the (so called) condition, too. One of them, it’s said, is that people with ADHD are good in a crisis.
By ‘good’ I mean calm. And decisive. And solution-oriented. And that when everything hits the fan, it could well be the ADHDer in the room who steps up to take control and help navigate the storm.
One theory as to why this might be the case is that a sudden rush of adrenaline and dopamine rebalances previously deficient baseline levels of these important chemicals – allowing focus and clarity to descend at pace.
Another is that your typical ADHDer is so used to experiencing a whipped-up biochemistry that they’re relatively well placed to take a brutal onslaught of the stuff in their stride.
Whichever is true, it’s quite possible that this somewhat unexpected cool-headedness is one of the reasons there’s a disproportionately large representation of ADHDers in the emergency services. As well as the armed forces – and many a fast-moving, high-adrenaline role like news journalist or professional chef. The list goes on.
But… an unusual ability to hold strong under pressure doesn’t offer the whole picture. In fact, at a low-key, more everyday level of minor emergency, the opposite can be true – and, in something of a massive paradox, it’s just as likely that someone’s ADHD can at times encourage them to buckle and fold, tailspinning their way to a place that starts to resemble panic or despair.
A front-and-centre aspect of ADHD
To properly understand this contradiction, we need to look under the bonnet at an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. Situated directly behind the forehead, this vital bit of grey matter is chiefly responsible for our ‘executive functions’ – a set of mental skills that encompasses a variety of daily processes, broadly categorised into three primary areas:
Working memory (our ability to hold information in mind as we use it to perform actions or tasks)
Inhibitory control (the self-regulation that helps us filter out irrelevant information and pause before reacting)
Cognitive flexibility (our capacity for switching between tasks and adapting to unexpected changes)
Reaching full maturation in someone’s mid-twenties, the prefrontal cortex is one of the last parts of a person to fully develop. Add ADHD to the mix, however, and research has shown that a fully developed PFC might be even later to the party. Or never quite reach ‘full size’ at all.
For this reason, the official categorisation of attention defecit hyperactivity disorder is that of a ‘neurodevelopmental disorder’. But, size of the PFC aside, it’s an occasional ‘glitchiness’ in the way this area of the brain operates that’s of even more relevance.
Due to issues with how dopamine and other neurotransmitters are processed (more on that another time), the PFC of an ADHDer can, at times, fall short of perfectly performing all of the duties listed above. As a result, issues like procrastination, poor time management and prioritisation fails can arise – combining and conspiring to cause us to put off until later much of what could be attended to now.
Our list of to-do items quickly backs up. And our misery grows as we languish in the shadow of the ever-growing mountain of incomplete jobs and unattended to tasks that we know is there, but are trying desperately hard to ignore.
Cue the physical responses to the situation: restlessness; muscle tension; even a tight chest and racing heart. In extreme situations, the fight or flight response can be knocked aside by ‘freeze’. Decision paralysis has kicked in, and rational choices about which of our tasks to do and in what order are a thing of the past. As this study suggests, it feels as though everything is vying for our attention and energy all at once. And it doesn’t feel good.
Have. A. Plan.
It’s essential for many an ADHDer to beat these feelings of overwhelm, by remaining clear on what they intend to do when. In practical terms, that means…
Having a plan (a system of organisation that allows you to prioritise)
Breaking things down (into simple, individual tasks)
Working in sprints (to allow for cognitive rest & reset breaks)
And staying on top of wellbeing (through regular mild exercise and eating well)
Let’s take control now
At its most severe, repeated experience of overwhelm can lead to burnout. But with a decent coach on your side, you can learn how to build the daily habits of organisation, prioritisation and self care that will keep it in check more often.
If that sounds like the kind of positive change you could do with in your life, give me a shout. Together we can get you to a place where you feel like you’re out ahead of your task list – not simply running to keep up.
REFERENCES
Oroian BA, Nechita P, Szalontay A. ADHD and Decision Paralysis: Overwhelm in a World of Choices. Eur Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 26;68(Suppl 1):S161. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.406. PMCID: PMC12438291.
IMAGE: Zane Goga (Unsplash)
