ADHD and Emotional Dysregulation
Understand overwhelm, anger, rejection sensitivity, shame spirals and difficulty calming down.
Online ADHD therapy UK
ADHD and Relationships
Specialist online CBT for adults with ADHD who struggle with conflict, emotional overwhelm, rejection sensitivity, impulsive reactions or repeating relationship patterns.
Understanding relationship patterns
ADHD can affect relationships in ways that feel painful, confusing and easy to misread.
ADHD and relationships can become difficult when ADHD emotional dysregulation, impulsive reactions, forgetfulness, defensiveness, rejection sensitivity or communication difficulties start to repeat. You may care deeply about the people in your life but still find yourself shutting down, reacting quickly, over-explaining, avoiding conversations, or feeling flooded by shame after conflict.
These patterns are not about blame. ADHD relationship problems often make more sense when they are understood through emotional regulation, executive functioning, stress, attachment patterns and the nervous system's response to feeling criticised, rejected or misunderstood.
ADHD rejection sensitivity
Relationship stress can quickly become an emotional and behavioural cycle.
For some adults, a difficult conversation can trigger panic, anger, shutdown, shame or an urgent need to repair things immediately. For others, the same stress can lead to avoidance, substance use, gambling, compulsive spending, scrolling, binge eating or other dopamine-seeking behaviours as a way to escape the emotional intensity.
Feeling criticised, rejected or misunderstood
Emotion rises quickly
Impulsive response, shutdown or avoidance
Shame, defensiveness or overthinking afterwards
Urge to soothe through addictive or compulsive behaviour
CBT for ADHD relationships
CBT can help you recognise triggers, reduce impulsive reactions and communicate more clearly.
CBT can help you map what happens before, during and after relationship conflict. Together, we look at emotional triggers, body cues, thoughts, assumptions, urges, communication patterns, avoidance, reassurance-seeking and the moments where shame or rejection sensitivity tends to take over.
Therapy may focus on slowing down reactions, naming needs more clearly, managing emotional dysregulation, reducing defensiveness, repairing after difficult moments, and building practical strategies for conversations that otherwise escalate quickly.
Specialist online therapy
Support with Cally Farrer, BABCP-accredited CBT therapist.
Cally Farrer is a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist with 15 years experience in various clinical roles, including mental health and substance misuse services. Online CBT therapy is available across the UK for adults looking for specialist support with ADHD and relationships, ADHD emotional dysregulation, impulsive behaviour and overlapping addictive or compulsive patterns.
- ADHD and relationships
- ADHD relationship problems
- ADHD rejection sensitivity
- ADHD emotional dysregulation
- CBT for ADHD relationships
- online ADHD therapy UK
Free 15-minute consultation
A first conversation can help you decide what support might fit.
You are welcome to get in touch without pressure or judgement.