Do people with ADHD have poor impulse control?
Pierce Schmitt
2025-06-18 20:12:53
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I would speak without raising my hand, interrupt the class with emotional outbursts, and get out of my desk so often I’m surprised the use of duct tape was never bandied around the teacher’s lounge. I would get asked why I was doing any of it and I never had a clear answer — even to myself. I didn’t like drawing that bad sort of attention to myself. It was humiliating. I was an impulsive child and I am a slightly less impulsive adult. We all have our moments of it, but for me it can feel like a dozen controllers are all in charge of my brain at once and nobody is checking in with each other before they’re pushing buttons. Especially in stressful conditions, I find I tend to move first and then process and deal with my actions second. I’m not going to lie, impulse control is one of the trickiest parts of ADHD. Interrupt conversations, have distractions for your distractions, spend like you make money moves even when you’re broke as hell, find it hard to resist risky, self-destructive behavior like fighting or unsafe sex, want to Hulk out at the very thought of standing in a line that takes more than 5 minutes.
Pat Lehner
2025-06-18 19:17:36
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Impulsivity means reduced behavioral control. A person might act or speak without taking the time to think first. They might make hasty decisions or find it difficult to resist temptation. The impulse to act is faster than the thought process that might stop or change the action. Impulsive behaviors in people with ADHD may include calling out answers before the question is complete, speaking out of turn, interrupting other speakers, moving around when they may need to sit still, giving in to distraction, engaging in unsafe behavior, experiencing reduced emotional regulation, succumbing to impulses, such as spending money or eating treats. Not everyone living with ADHD experiences impulsivity, however. Impulsivity is a core ADHD symptom. It can appear in a variety of ways, such as talking out of turn, reckless spending, and risk-taking behaviors.
Clementine Mann
2025-06-18 19:02:11
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People with ADHD are often more impulsive than neurotypicals due to dopamine-seeking behaviors and lack of premeditation—or thoughtful planning. The simple definition of impulsivity is speaking, behaving, or making choices without taking the time to consider the consequences of the actions. Adults with ADHD are commonly impulsive with their decision-making, financial responsibility, and emotions. In children and adults with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, impulsivity shows up in a variety of behaviors. Examples of impulsivity include struggling to stay on important tasks after being struck with a brilliant idea, lack of self-control at checkout counters and buying all of the things, blurting out inappropriate, ill-timed, or even hurtful things in conversation, and making big – sometimes life-changing – decisions without thinking them through. To others, impulsive ADHDers might seem as if we're simply being rude or chaotic—but it’s not a lack of caring that leads to impulsivity. The signals that are supposed to tell us to “stop, evaluate, and make careful decisions” aren't as strong in ADHD brains.
Cecil Wolf
2025-06-18 17:44:38
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ADHD: Impulsivity and Inattention
One of the hardest things about parenting a child with ADHD is getting your child to do what you ask.
Children with ADHD may have difficulty in school.
Behavioural strategies are not meant to treat the symptoms of ADHD, such as inattention, overactivity, or impulsivity.
Some of the misconceptions about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) include the
ADHD: Impulsivity and Inattention
ADHD and Hyperactivity
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