According to this article on ADDitude, being hypersensitive is common among adults with ADHD.
Hypersensitivity — also known as being a “highly sensitive person” (HSP) — is not a disorder. It is an attribute common in people with ADHD. Symptoms of hypersensitivity include being highly sensitive to physical (via sound, sight, touch, or smell) and or emotional stimuli, and the tendency to be easily overwhelmed by too much information. ...
According to Elaine N. Aron, who wrote the book The Highly Sensitive Person, 15 to 20 percent of the population is born with a high level of sensitivity.
The article further says:
Psychologist and ADHD coach Michele Novotni, Ph.D., says she sees higher levels of physical sensitivities and emotional reactivity in her ADHD clients than in the general population. She told me about a client whose manager made an unkind, unfair remark at work. A person without ADHD may have let the words bounce off of him, but her client, who has a high level of sensitivity, ended up in tears.
The article has also listed simple but very good strategies to cope with hypersensitivity - I can recommend reading them!
As for me, I am a HSP and an Empath, and according to katieturnerpsychology on Instagram a majority of Empaths tend to also be HSP (but not all).
My sense of taste also usually isn't that good, I can't taste the difference between chicken and turkey, and I can't taste where and how a wine was grown, but I can taste the difference between water from different districts in my city or from different bottlers.
Today I am walking barefoot at home for the first time in decades. As a child, I only walked on tiptoes because though I love the feeling of carpets, I can't stand the feeling of wooden or stone floors.
At the same time, I am very helpful, sometimes absorb emotions, and have a strong energy sensitivity as well as intuitive awareness.
Looking back, my parents and my sister were toxic.
My dad was at work all day, and when he was not, he either read or watched the news or spent his time in his study. My mother was always in the kitchen. She cooked well, but none of the dishes explained why she was in the kitchen all the time.
My sister was always grumpy and constantly had anger fits. As a kid, she bruised herself and said the kids at school hit her to make our mom feel sorry for her. My mum saw her doing that in the rear window of the car, but never said anything and never thought of sending her to a doctor.
All doors in the far too big apartment were closed. Conversation, if they ever took place, always took place in private. When the whole family was together, we only talked about politics or where taught things. If my dad didn't tell a funny story from his job then we never talked about anything else. We never talked about school (going to school with ADHD in the 1980s and 1990s - yay!), fun things, boys, being in love, being love sick, clothes, make-up, movies etc. Being intellectual was THE thing, in my family, so when I was 12+ I read Hermann Hesse, Berthold Brecht, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and the like. We, as a family where only light hearted, at Christmas Eve but also this moment didn't last past that evening. When my mother cried because of my father, I brought her tea and a sandwich. When my grandma was in a coma, I was told to not show sadness and when she then died, no one cared, if I was sad.
When I started dressing like a punk-goth mix with 13 and got my first tattoo with 15, started drinking alcohol and smoking weed every day all day long and dropped out of school when I was 15, no one cared or bothered. My parents preferred that I just smoke weed and drink alcohol every day all day long rather than do vocational training, because for my "intellectual" parents a vocational training was primitive.
When my sister claimed that our dad sexually abused her as a child a few years ago, they became all kind and loving, gave her all their money and goods and spent all birthdays and holidays like Christmas with her. Most of my life, my mum was a typical Stepford Wife. All was good, nothing bad ever happened. All was hid in the back of her heart and mind and of course she broke.
I wasn't worth fake love, money, goods, even when I was almost homeless and couldn't afford food, because I was always the black sheep, rebellious, cheerful, caring, doing my own thing - even as a kid - and when I was 15, my mother told me she was jealous of me, because my father liked me so much.
When I started talking about it, I noticed no one believed me. Psychiatrists and former friends looked at me, as if I was making it all up. Of course it cannot be true. A man with that kind of job and his wife cannot be like that. All upper middle class families are of course perfect Stepford families!
But that no one believed me doesn't mean, the things never happened, and so I had to find my own way to overcome and heal. I started reading on psychological websites and became part of groups on FB. Some traumas are healed and some are still healing.
It costs so much energy, that I do not have enough energy to deal with the kindergarten that offices in my city often are. So while I am often struggeling job-wise, though I love working and want to work, I am healing psychologically.
So if you have also experienced same or similar: don't give up! Don't ever give up!
Be stubborn, don't let the abusers win!
There is no handbook for healing, but don't compare your (path to) healing with the (path to) healing of others. Some heal faster than others, some fully heal, some never fully heal. Others might not have experienced what you have experienced, others are not you!
Having ADHD and Trauma is a double burden and costs so much energy, but don't ever forget to pamper yourself and also have fun, because you are so worth it (and it also helps with healing)!
Traumatized people and people with ADHD also mask, that's why I am sharing these excellent articles:
Simply Psychology by Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc:
Autism & People-Pleasing As A Coping Mechanism
Many autistic people know the feeling of always saying “yes” – even when every part of them wants to say “no.”
You might go out of your way to keep others happy, or mask your true feelings just to avoid conflict. As one autistic person shared online, “My masking mostly comes from people-pleasing and wanting to be liked. In my mind as a child, not being liked by others = you are a bad person.”
What Is People-Pleasing (and How Does It Relate to Autism)?
People-pleasing is a behavior pattern where someone habitually prioritizes others’ happiness and approval above their own needs. It often means always agreeing, helping, or “being nice” to others, even at personal expense.
Psychologists sometimes call this the “fawn response,” a trauma-coping mechanism where a person appeases others to avoid conflict or harm.
...
Always Saying “Yes”
You reflexively agree to requests and demands. As Dr. Devon Price describes in Unmasking Autism, a masked autistic person may adopt a default script of always saying “yes” to avoid conflict.
This can happen even when you’re overloaded or really don’t want to do something. This constant compliance becomes second-nature.
Chronic Apologizing (something I still do)
You apologize frequently, even when something isn’t your fault. This can stem from a deep fear of upsetting others.
For example, autistic individuals who “fawn” might say sorry for things beyond their control, just to keep others calm.
Difficulty Saying No & Weak Boundaries (I used to do that, but have learned to kindly say "No!" and am still surprised that people actually don't get upset with me when I do.)
People-pleasers struggle to set boundaries. Autistic people prone to this may find it “a major hurdle” to say no, readily agreeing to things even when they feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed.
You might ignore your own sensory limits or mental health needs just to avoid disappointing someone else.
Masking True Feelings and Needs
To appear easy-going, you might hide signs of distress, refrain from stimming when you need to, or force yourself to endure situations that cause anxiety. You present a polite, accommodating facade at all times.
Over time, you may even lose touch with what you really feel, because you’re so used to pushing your needs aside.
Being a Social Chameleon (Neurotypicals also do that, but maybe not so extensively.)
Many autistic people who people-please become social chameleons, constantly changing their behavior or even appearance to match others’ expectations.
The goal is to fly under the radar socially – or, as Dr. Lee put it, “to gain neurotypical approval, or at least fly under the neurotypical radar.”
In practice, this might mean laughing along with jokes you don’t find funny, mirroring classmates or coworkers, or pretending to share opinions just to fit in.
Why Autistic People Are Prone to People-Pleasing
People-pleasing among autistic individuals typically stems from social conditioning, autistic traits, and trauma responses. Here are key motivations behind this behavior:
Masking to Gain Acceptance
From childhood, many autistic individuals learn that their natural behaviors are viewed as wrong or odd, leading them to mask their true selves.
Masking often involves becoming overly agreeable to avoid rejection or ridicule.
Psychologist Dr. Tasha Oswald explains that autistic girls, in particular, may mask heavily through people-pleasing to secure acceptance and safety.
Fear of Rejection & Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
Autistic individuals frequently experience intense fear of rejection. Those with co-occurring ADHD might also struggle with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), a heightened sensitivity to perceived criticism.
To minimize rejection risks, they may engage excessively in people-pleasing behaviors, tolerating unfair treatment and suppressing personal opinions.
This response temporarily reduces conflict but reinforces fears about expressing their true selves.
Trauma and “Fawn” Response
A history of trauma, such as bullying or abuse, can trigger people-pleasing as a protective strategy (fawning).
...
You don’t have to give a thousand excuses; a simple “I’m not able to do that” is enough. If direct communication is hard, you can use tools like texting your boundary or using “I” statements: “I really need some quiet time this weekend, so I won’t be able to join the outing, but I hope you all have fun.”
Each time you set a boundary and survive it, you’ll build confidence that you can respect yourself and still be loved.
...
As the saying goes, the only people who get upset when you set boundaries are the ones who benefited from you having none.
You can read the full article here.
Or:
7 Masks We Use to Hide Our Faults by ADDitude Magazine.
Why ADHD Masking Is a Form of Self-Sabotage by ADDitude Magazine.
10 Steps to Unmasking and Thriving with ADHD by ADDitude Magazine.
I've experienced exactly that! Then I broke off all contact, and most of the anxiety was gone! Now all I have to do is break the learned trauma patterns ^^
I can fully agree to this. My doctor told me to stop taking Concerta after an MRI showed white spots on my brain several years ago.
For several years, things went "well" because I focused on overcoming traumas that caused anxiety, but now that the anxiety has almost vanished, the ADHD symptoms show up as intense as ever, if not more intense. Since I am also getting older and the perimenopause exacerbates symptoms, it is now the time to retake Concerta, as things like Mindfulness, etc., do not work well for me. Also, there are no white spots on my brain anymore, according to a quite recent MRI.
I know I am - like many other people with ADHD, AuDHD, etc. - smarter, more capable, and therefore more worthy than what our liferealities might suggest!
...
ADHD does not happen in a vacuum, and its effects are far more impairing when the condition goes undiagnosed, untreated, or improperly treated.
Untreated ADHD Causes Feelings of Inadequacy
Undiagnosed and/or untreated ADHD makes children, teens, and adults who are otherwise bright and competent feel severely inadequate. It’s not difficult to see how; untreated symptoms of ADHD, from impulsivity and emotional instability to poor planning and execution skills compromise one’s ability to find success in school, work, relationships, and other parts of life. Ongoing challenges and failures, especially when the root cause is neither identified nor treated, makes these individuals feel like failures — like they aren’t trying hard enough. Self-esteem, as a result, plummets.
Other emotions — like anger, resentment, and feelings of worthlessness — often come up as a result of experiencing challenges related to undiagnosed and/or untreated ADHD. Emotional sensitivity and reactivity are not uncommon, especially strong emotional responses to failure. These emotions cause depression and anxiety to develop. Irritability and feelings of worthlessness, after all, are symptoms of depression.
You can read the full article on ADDitude.
Personally, I haven't found out what the trigger is. I don't think it's stress but tension and bright office light combined with people constantly talking, but probably mostly bright light, which is stupid because I can't stand dark and hygge rooms. Sometimes I even need high dose Ibuprofen and (about 1h later) an Aspirin (I am not a doctor, but according to a study both medications should not be taken together, as they both bind to the same receptors and therefore do not both work together.)
I found the best description on oxfordcbt:
... Imagine your brain as a computer with too many tabs open at once. Each tab represents a task, thought, or piece of information your brain is trying to process simultaneously.
For someone with ADHD, it’s like all those tabs are constantly refreshing and demanding attention, leading to mental fatigue. This mental strain can easily translate into physical discomfort, such as headaches. ...
So why are headaches more common in those with ADHD? Your mind is constantly sprinting between distractions and tasks without rest. This mental marathon wears out the brain, leading to the physical symptoms we recognise as headaches. The continuous effort to focus, manage distractions, and stay on track can leave your brain feeling drained and aching. ...
Hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life—such as during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause—can have a significant impact on both ADHD symptoms and migraine patterns.
Oestrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during these periods, plays a key role in how migraines develop. For example, during the menstrual cycle, drops in oestrogen levels can trigger what is known as “menstrual migraines,” which can be more severe and frequent in women with ADHD
The best article on that issue that I could find is from ADDitude:
... Though few connect the two, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and headaches can be linked in important ways. Research shows that people with ADHD are at greater risk for experiencing headaches (including migraines, a type of primary headache) compared to people without ADHD.1 2 3 What’s more, headaches are common in other psychiatric conditions, many of which co-occur with ADHD.
Though the underlying connections between ADHD and headaches are not fully understood, headaches cause undue pain and stress in patients as they attempt to manage existing ADHD symptoms and challenges. Still, the medical community largely overlooks or dismisses the association, to the disservice of patients. ...
One study estimates that migraines occur with ADHD about 35% of the time in adult patients. ...
The following are some examples of how symptoms, challenges, and other features of ADHD may lead to headaches:
- Time-management and self-regulation difficulties may lead to problems adhering to sleep-wake schedules. An irregular sleep schedule is a major factor behind headaches.
- Disorganization can cause irregular habits (poor eating, hydration, etc.), which may trigger headaches and migraines.
- ADHD is linked to increased risk for concussions and head injuries, which may lead to headaches as well. Post-concussion headaches are linked to lingering cognitive and concentration problems.
- Headaches are a common side effect of ADHD medications. Loss of appetite and trouble sleeping – common causes behind headaches – are also commonly reported side effects of medication.
Another very good article on psychologytoday.com says:
There are some interesting findings in the few studies that have been published, however. One is that dopamine is involved in migraines as well as in ADHD. Many people know that ADHD involves the dopaminergic pathways of the brain. Fewer people know that migraine symptoms can be provoked by the stimulation of dopamine receptors, and that some drugs that are active on dopamine receptors are effective migraine treatments. Additionally, compared to people without migraines, people who suffer from recurrent migraines may respond differently to some drugs affecting the brain’s dopamine system.
Moreover, the two conditions commonly overlap: Migraine seems to be a risk factor for ADHD, and ADHD seems to be a risk factor for migraines. To put it another way, people with migraines seem to have a higher-than-average incidence of ADHD, and people with ADHD seem to have a higher-than-average incidence of migraines. This holds true in both kids and adults. And it doesn’t seem to matter which “kind” of ADHD you have: Whether your ADHD is predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, or the combined type, you still have a higher risk of migraine headaches. Conversely, it doesn’t seem to matter (at least not much) whether you have migraine with aura or migraine without aura: Both seem to be associated with a higher risk for ADHD.
I can really recommend reading at least all three articles which also provide ideas on how to relieve the headache.
That's quite me - my ex-boss and company couldn't stand it and tbh no matter where I go neurotypical people do not seem to understand it!
Reviewed by Saul McLeod, PhD
Autism justice sensitivity refers to a heightened sense of fairness, equity, and inclusion, coupled with a strong need to address and correct injustices. In essence, it means being extremely attuned to when something is not fair or right.
Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that autistic (and other neurodivergent) people tend to have higher levels of justice sensitivity compared to neurotypicals, though of course, it varies by person.
Importantly, autism justice sensitivity isn’t only about distress – it also ties into social justice and inclusion in positive ways.
Autistic advocates point out that being keenly aware of unfairness often drives them to take action against it. The neurodiversity movement itself (which fights for autistic rights and acceptance) is rooted in Autistic people’s awareness of injustice and refusal to tolerate it.
You can find the full article on simplypsychology.org
