At a Glance
Adult ADHD is a lifelong neurolodevelopmental condition that often remains undiagnosed and misunderstood as disorganisation or emotional sensitivity. It affects attention, executive functioning, and emotional regulation, shaped by early experiences and self-critical thought patterns. Compassion-focused therapy and schema therapy, supported by lifestyle regulation, offer an effective, holistic framework for stability and well-being.
Living With ADHD is an Internal Struggle That Affects Your External Well-Being
We all have those days when we are distracted, suffer from self-doubt or a general forgetfulness. Now, imagine someone going through these emotions every single day and being misunderstood for it; that’s what living with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) feels like. The emotional and psychological toll makes them constantly feel overwhelmed and on edge, affecting their professional and personal lives.
Adults with ADHD behaviour find it difficult to stay focused, manage time and meet deadlines, and are constantly distracted, which makes it challenging to communicate or form healthy relationships. The biggest challenge for adults with ADHD is that people often remain undiagnosed, simply being called out as being “disorganised” or “too sensitive”. The NHS reports that 2.5 million people have ADHD, as of November 2025. This number also includes those who haven’t had a formal diagnosis.
Adult ADHD starts in childhood, but can remain undiagnosed, and it is only recently that experts have realised that ADHD can continue beyond a person’s formative years.
I’m Dr Sonney Gullu-McPhee, a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with advanced postdoctoral training in Schema Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy. In this blog, I’ll explore how ADHD affects emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, and day-to-day wellbeing, and how a holistic, compassionate approach can support clarity, steadiness, and resilience. Together, we’ll look at psychological patterns, nervous-system needs, and the lifestyle foundations that help adults with ADHD thrive.
If you recognise yourself in this experience and want to overcome the effects of ADHD on adults, you are welcome to get in touch with me and book a session.
How Does ADHD Affect You Emotionally?
Living with ADHD as an adult often feels like moving through the world with both intensity and vulnerability. The mind is quick, intuitive, and imaginative, yet also easily overwhelmed, scattered, or exhausted. Many people describe a background “mental noise”: racing thoughts, difficulty initiating tasks, sensitivity to stress, and a nervous system that swings between hyperactivation and shutdown.
ADHD is not a lack of discipline or intelligence. It is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects and is affected by multiple domains:
- Executive functioning
- Working memory
- Emotional regulation
- Impulse control
- Attention shifting and sustaining
These cognitive processes are also shaped by early experiences, attachment patterns, and the schemas we develop across our lives. Adults with ADHD behaviour often carry long histories of being criticised, misunderstood, or dismissed, which reinforces schemas such as defectiveness, failure, emotional deprivation, or subjugation, all of which influence how they relate to themselves today.
Therapy offers a space to understand these patterns through a lens of compassion rather than self-blame.
A Psychological Lens on ADHD: Beyond Symptoms
In Schema Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), we explore not just the behavioural features of ADHD but the emotional architecture underneath them. These approaches help clients understand why they respond the way they do, instead of assuming their reactions reflect inadequacy or poor effort.
Schema Therapy helps clients:
- Recognise lifelong emotional and relational patterns
- Challenge internal criticism and negative self-beliefs
- Build structure, routines, and internal boundaries
- Understand their modes (e.g., Avoidant Protector, Detached Self-Soother)
- Strengthen the Healthy Adult mode
CFT helps regulate the emotional intensity of ADHD by:
- Reducing threat-system activation
- Cultivating self-soothing through breathwork and imagery
- Building compassionate motivation
- Helping individuals recover after overstimulation or shame-based crashes
Together, these therapeutic models create a foundation where the effects of ADHD on adults are not something to “fix,” but something to understand, support, and work with.
Lifestyle Foundations That Support Therapy
Many adults with ADHD behaviour find that psychological work becomes more effective when certain lifestyle foundations support the nervous system and cognitive functioning. These foundations do not replace therapy or medications prescribed by a Psychiatrist, but enhance emotional regulation, attention, and executive functioning, creating conditions where Schema Therapy and CFT can land more deeply.
1. Blood Sugar Regulation & Cognitive Stability
Balanced nutrition and stable blood sugar play an important role in attention and emotional steadiness for those living with ADHD. Research shows that fluctuations in glucose levels can impair working memory, increase irritability, and reduce cognitive performance (Benton & Stevens, 2008). For many adults with ADHD, stabilising blood sugar through regular meals helps create a steadier mental baseline, making it easier to initiate tasks and remain emotionally regulated.
2. Sleep Quality & ADHD Symptom Severity
To control the effects of ADHD on adults, sleep is one of the most powerful yet overlooked regulators of attention and mood. Neuroscientist Matthew Walker’s research highlights how insufficient sleep significantly reduces impulse control, emotional resilience, learning capacity, and focus (Walker, 2017). This aligns with ADHD-specific research showing common circadian rhythm disruptions and lighter, more fragmented sleep in adults with ADHD (Bijlenga et al., 2019). Improving sleep consistency even in small ways often produces noticeable shifts in clarity and emotional stability.
3. Nervous-System Regulation & Emotional Balance
A reactive threat system is a core feature of many ADHD experiences. When the nervous system remains in fight-or-flight, cognitive functions such as planning, organising, and emotional regulation become harder to access. Polyvagal Theory demonstrates that practices which activate the parasympathetic system, such as soothing rhythm breathing, compassionate imagery, gentle yoga, or rhythm-based movement, can improve emotional stability and attentional control (Porges, 2011). Compassion-based exercises have also been shown to increase heart-rate variability, an indicator of nervous-system flexibility and resilience (Kirby et al., 2017). These tools complement therapy by helping individuals shift into a calmer, safer internal state.
4. Movement & Executive Function
Movement is one of the most effective natural supports for ADHD. Physical activity increases dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters central to attention, motivation, and emotional regulation. Research consistently shows that exercise enhances working memory, sustained attention, and executive functioning (Pontifex et al., 2013; Den Heijer et al., 2017). If you are living with ADHD, even short bursts of movement can lessen overwhelm, reduce emotional reactivity, and support task initiation.
5. Mind–Body Connection & Gentle Nutritional Support
Some adults with ADHD behaviour choose to explore nutritional support alongside therapy or ADHD medication. Supplements do not treat ADHD, but early research suggests certain nutrients may assist with cognitive clarity, emotional steadiness, or stress resilience. For example, Bacopa monnieri has been associated with improved memory and processing speed (Stough et al., 2008), L-Theanine may support calm focus (Kakuda, 2011), Lion’s Mane mushroom shows emerging evidence for neuroplasticity and mental clarity (Cameron et al., 2023), and L-Tyrosine may improve cognitive performance under stress (Deijen et al., 1999). B-vitamins are essential for neurotransmitter synthesis and cellular energy (Bryan & Calvaresi, 2004), and Alpha-GPC supports acetylcholine pathways linked to attention and learning (Perry et al., 1999).
These findings do not imply these nutrients are treatments. Instead, they suggest that for some individuals, supporting the body’s broader biochemical environment can create a more stable backdrop for therapeutic work.
For individuals living with ADHD who are already considering supplementation and prefer a formula combining several of the ingredients mentioned above, one option available on the market is Prime Neuro by Prime Health Direct. It brings together nutrients that have been explored in research related to cognitive function and mental clarity. I do not endorse or recommend specific supplements, but those wishing to review the ingredient list can search on Prime Health Direct’s website.
If you are exploring supplementation, it is important to speak with a GP, psychiatrist, or pharmacist to discuss whether these ingredients are suitable for you and safe alongside any existing treatments or health conditions.
A Compassionate Path Forward
ADHD is not a character flaw, a lack of effort, or a sign of being “too much.” It is a neurobiological difference shaped by genetics, environment, early experiences, and nervous-system patterns. Supporting someone living with ADHD effectively requires compassion, structure, understanding, and a holistic approach.
Therapy provides the foundation. Lifestyle supports reinforce it, and for some, nutritional exploration offers an additional layer of steadiness.
If you would like support in understanding your ADHD patterns or exploring Schema Therapy or CFT, I offer online and in-person sessions in Hampshire.
Finding Support for ADHD and Emotional Regulation
If you’re living with ADHD and find yourself struggling with the emotional overwhelm, executive functioning difficulties, or shame-based patterns that often accompany ADHD, please know that support is available.
I am an HCPC & BPS Registered Chartered Clinical Psychologist and an ISST Certified Advanced Schema Therapist. I offer ADHD-informed psychological therapy in Hampshire, both online and in person.
Therapy can help you:
- Understand the emotional and cognitive patterns behind your ADHD
- Strengthen self-compassion instead of self-criticism
- Stabilise your nervous system
- Improve emotional regulation and task initiation
- Navigate overwhelm, burnout, or identity struggles
- Feel more grounded, capable, and connected
ADHD-related distress can be especially challenging for those also navigating trauma, grief, chronic shame, or complex family dynamics. These experiences can intensify emotional reactivity and make everyday demands feel unmanageable.
Through Schema Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy, we can work together to find clarity, steadiness, and a sense of control in the midst of emotional turbulence.
If you’d like to explore whether therapy might support you, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit. I offer in-person therapy in Petersfield, Hampshire, and online therapy across the UK.