Cold Sores, Chaos & Coping: What ADHD Burnout Looks Like in Real Life
It wasn’t just the wallpaper I was stripping.
It was my nervous system, overstimulated, overloaded, and screaming at me to stop.
But I didn’t. Because ADHD doesn’t always freeze. Sometimes it over-functions… right into burnout.
And in my case? It came out as cold sores, chaos, and a full-on “get it all done now” mode.
When ADHD Says “Rest” But You Keep Going Anyway
I could feel it coming.
The exhaustion. The emotional hangover. The internal ‘crash warning’ signs.
But instead of slowing down, my ADHD brain said:
➔ Start a new project.
➔ Rip wallpaper.
➔ Redecorate the whole room.
It sounds wild. But when you’re neurodivergent, doing feels safer than stopping.
So while my body begged for rest…
I planned out a hosting setup for international students.
I made a booking system.
I wrote a welcome pack.
All while nursing a growing cold sore and telling myself “I’m fine.”
AADHD Burnout Is Often Hidden in High Functioning
Here’s the thing.
We don’t always look burnt out.
Especially if you’re late diagnosed, high achieving, or the person everyone else comes to for help.
But burnout hides in plain sight when you’re ADHD:
➔ Over-decorating instead of sleeping
➔ Crying after a small mistake
➔ Catching every cold going
➔ Restlessness + shame loops + not knowing how to stop
The cold sores weren’t random.
They were my nervous system waving a red flag.
They were my body saying: “You’ve gone too far.”
The Battle Against Stillness
Cold Sores Are My Emotional Thermometer
I hadn’t had one in two years.
But the moment my kids moved out and the house went quiet? Boom, out they came.
For me, cold sores are often a delayed trauma response:
➔ A build-up of emotional overwhelm
➔ Too much masking, not enough space
➔ Deep fatigue I’ve ignored for too long
And when they show up, I now know:
It’s time to pause. Even if I don’t want to.
The Art of Slowing Down
Why My Brain Fights Rest (Even When I Need It Most)
I don’t thrive in stillness.
Stillness used to mean failure. Laziness. Guilt.
But that wasn’t true. That was conditioning.
➔ Rest doesn’t always give that dopamine
➔ Action feels productive (even when it’s masking pain)
So I try to self-soothe with movement, even if it’s self-destructive.
But recovery means learning when enough is enough.
Recognizing Burnout Early
What I’ve Learned About Slowing Down
Some of the most healing things I do now are the simplest:
-
Letting myself cry without shame
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Going for a slow walk instead of rushing
-
Letting my house be messy for a day
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Recognising the physical signs of burnout (before they scream at me)
This is what healing looks like.
It’s not clean. It’s not linear.
And it’s certainly not quiet.
Spotting Burnout Before It Escalates
Burnout Recovery Isn’t About Getting It Right, It’s About Catching It Sooner
I used to think I had to crash completely to take a break.
Now I’m learning to listen earlier.
So if your body is acting up…
If your skin is flaring…
If you’re crying over a spoon being in the wrong place…
➔ That’s not you being dramatic.
➔ That’s your nervous system calling for help.
Catch it sooner. That’s the practice.
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Becky Stone
Becky Stone is a qualified eating disorder therapist based in the UK, specialising in ADHD, trauma-informed care, and body image healing. As someone who lives with ADHD and works with neurodivergent clients every day, Becky knows how hard it can be to slow down, and how vital it is to rest without shame.
