emotional regulation for ADHD
Embrace Your Journey to Recovery
Recovery isn’t about perfection; it’s about learning to stay, soothe, and rebuild. This blog offers tools and compassion for when healing feels hard, but you’re still showing up.
The Power of Presence
You made it through.
You just got through something big. You made it through an experience that pushed every part of your emotional system to its edge, and even though you might feel like it nearly broke you, what it did was show you just how much strength you carry inside.
This isn’t about pretending it was easy. It wasn’t. You were in a place where conversations felt far from familiar, surrounded by people who didn’t quite understand how your brain works, and you weren’t able to use the self-soothing tools that usually help you regulate, and that matters.
What you went through wasn’t small. It wasn’t just “a hard week.” It was a full-body, full-brain challenge, and you faced it with rawness, courage, and truth. Even when it brought tears. Even when it brought thoughts you didn’t ask for. Even when the world felt like it was spinning too fast.
➔ You stayed.
➔ You showed up.
➔ And that matters more than words can say.
Understanding Your Brain
It's Not Your Fault: Your Brain's Response to Threat
This wasn’t your fault, this was your brain reacting to threat.
When things feel this intense, it’s easy to slip into the trap of blame. To turn all that pain inward and make it your fault. However, the truth is that what you felt makes perfect sense.
This is your brain doing what it’s wired to do when it feels unsafe, overwhelmed, or out of control. If you’ve ever felt emotions hit like a tidal wave, so fast you can’t stop them, so loud they drown out everything else, you’re not alone. That’s part of something called rejection sensitivity dysphoria, or RSD.
RSD means your brain processes rejection, criticism, or exclusion as danger, not just sadness, but a threat to survival. Your amygdala lights up like a fire alarm and tells your whole body:
➔ “Fix this. Now.”
And it’s not just actual rejection, it’s the fear of it. A pause in a conversation. A silence. A change in tone. These small things can feel like an emotional punch in the chest.
Not because you’re broken.
Because you feel deeply.
Because your nervous system is tuned into the world like a radio that can’t turn the volume down.
That’s not a flaw, it’s sensitivity. But when you’re already holding so much, it can feel like too much.
Building Resilience
Let’s talk about hormones, sensitivity, and mood.
There’s something else going on too — something your body might be trying to tell you. If you’ve been using a hormone-based pill, like the mini pill (progesterone-only), it’s worth knowing how it impacts your emotional regulation.
Progesterone affects your brain’s GABA system, which is like your internal calming dial. When that’s thrown off balance, it’s harder to feel settled. You might notice more anxiety, irritability, or emotional spirals, especially if you’re already sensitive.
It’s not “just hormones.” It’s neuroscience.
It’s chemistry.
And it’s real.
➔ If your brain feels harder to manage since starting or changing contraception, you are allowed to ask questions.
➔ You are allowed to notice patterns.
➔ You are allowed to make changes.
You didn’t fail. Your biology shifted without warning. And that matters.
emotional regulation for ADHD
What matters most: You got through
Even more than all of this is this truth:
You made it.
You may have cried.
You may have felt every cell of your body tighten with stress.
But you didn’t give up.
➔ You carried yourself through.
That’s not sugar-coating. That’s evidence.
You’ve done hard things.
You can do them again.
Let’s make a plan, so next time feels a little less lonely.
Guard Your Mental Space
What to do now: calm, ground, and name it.
We go slowly.
We soothe your system.
We remind your brain and body: you’re not in danger anymore.
Start by creating a safe structure around your emotions:
When rejection sensitivity hits:
➔ Pause.
➔ Breathe.
➔ Ask: “What story is my brain telling me?”
➔ Ask again: “Is there another possibility?”
Ground your body:
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5 things you can see
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4 things you can touch
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3 things you can hear
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2 things you can smell
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1 thing you can taste
Name the feeling out loud:
“This is rage.”
“This is sadness.”
“This is panic.”
Naming switches on your prefrontal cortex, it brings the light back on in a dark room.
Daily Affirmations for Resilience
You get to choose what comes in.
You don’t have to stay plugged into negativity.
If social media is overwhelming, step back.
If conversations drain you, create space.
Protect your energy like it’s gold.
Create a steady bubble around yourself:
➔ Warm blankets
➔ Gentle movement
➔ Comforting shows or books
➔ People who get it
➔ People who get you
You don’t have to explain your sensitivity.
You just have to honour it.
You Are Brave, Not Broken
Say this to yourself. Every day.
Speak gently to your brain. Speak the words you wish someone else had said:
→ “I’m allowed to have big feelings.”
→ “I did something really hard, and I got through.”
→ “I don’t have to feel okay to be okay.”
→ “My emotions make sense, even when they’re loud.”
→ “I can be sensitive and strong at the same time.”
→ “Each time I survive, I grow.”
Build rhythm into your day:
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A morning check-in
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A calm moment mid-afternoon
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A small win before bed
Let yourself rest.
Let yourself stim.
Let yourself feel.
You’re not broken. You’re brave.
At the heart of all this isn’t the question “How do I fix myself?”
It’s the truth: You were never broken.
You’re just someone who feels deeply, in a world that rarely makes room for that.
But now you have:
➔ Words
➔ Tools
➔ A voice that says:
“I matter. I’m trying. And I’m enough exactly as I am.”
You’ve faced the storm.
You didn’t let it take you.
You’re still here.
And that’s more than enough.
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Becky Stone
I’m Becky Stone, a qualified eating disorder therapist based in the UK. I work with both teens and adults, offering a calm, non-judgmental space to explore what recovery means, on your terms.
I specialise in trauma-informed and neurodivergent-friendly therapy, supporting those who feel emotions intensely and often feel misunderstood. Whether you’re navigating ADHD, anxiety, disordered eating, or deep-rooted self-worth struggles, you deserve a therapist who gets it, and who sees your strength, even on the hard days.
