How to increase frustration tolerance with ADHD?

PostedNovember 3, 2025

UpdatedNovember 5, 2025

ByMy Patient Advice

Author: Harriet Winslow, BSc | Reviewed by: Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Feeling easily frustrated is a common but often misunderstood part of ADHD. Adults with ADHD may find themselves overwhelmed by small setbacks, quick to react emotionally, and slow to calm down. According to recent evidence from the NHS, NICE guidance and peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2025, this sensitivity to frustration is linked to challenges in executive functioning and emotional regulation. Fortunately, several psychological and behavioural strategies have been shown to strengthen frustration tolerance and improve emotional balance.

Understanding frustration and emotional regulation in ADHD

Low frustration tolerance in ADHD often results from the brain’s reduced ability to regulate emotional intensity. The NHS ADHD overview explains that impulsivity and emotional reactivity are core features of the condition. Research from Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that everyday annoyances such as waiting in queues or dealing with unexpected delays can quickly trigger emotional flooding, as ADHD brains struggle with inhibition and self-regulation. Similarly, ADDitude Magazine highlights that frustration often arises when individuals feel out of control or when plans don’t go as expected, leading to reactive behaviour and guilt afterwards.

How low frustration tolerance manifests

Many adults report experiencing emotional overwhelm, where frustration escalates quickly and feels difficult to manage. This pattern is closely tied to executive dysfunction, including difficulties with impulse control, working memory and flexible thinking. A 2023 study in PubMed confirmed that impaired executive functioning is directly linked to emotional dysregulation and low frustration tolerance in adults with ADHD. Over time, this emotional reactivity can strain relationships, affect work performance and heighten anxiety.

Evidence-based ways to build tolerance

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps adults recognise triggers and reframe negative thoughts before reacting. NICE guidance (NICE NG87) recommends ADHD-adapted CBT as an effective therapy for improving emotional regulation and problem-solving skills.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which includes techniques like distress tolerance and emotion regulation, has shown promising results in managing emotional outbursts and frustration sensitivity, according to JMIR Formative Research (2024).

Mindfulness-based approaches, as described by Psychology Today, help individuals pause and process emotions before reacting impulsively. Practices such as journaling, deep breathing and self-monitoring support patience and calmness during stressful moments.

ADHD coaching programmes, including those developed by Theara Change, use structured tools like emotional scaling, self-reflection and visualisation to improve tolerance and resilience. Coaching complements therapy by transforming insight into practical, everyday emotional control strategies.

Key takeaway

Low frustration tolerance in ADHD is not about poor self-control but about how the ADHD brain processes emotion. Evidence from the NHS, NICE and Frontiers in Psychiatry confirms that therapies such as CBT, DBT, mindfulness and structured coaching can build emotional resilience and stability. Learning to pause, reflect and respond rather than react helps adults with ADHD manage frustration more effectively, fostering calmer and more confident daily living.

Harriet Winslow, BSc

Author

Harriet Winslow is a clinical psychologist with a Bachelor’s in Clinical Psychology and extensive experience in behaviour therapy and developmental disorders. She has worked with children and adolescents with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, and behavioural challenges, providing individual and group therapy using evidence-based approaches such as CBT and DBT. Dr. Winslow has developed and implemented personalised treatment plans, conducted formal and informal assessments, and delivered crisis intervention for clients in need of urgent mental health care. Her expertise spans assessment, treatment planning, and behavioural intervention for both neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the author's privacy.

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez, MBBS

Reviewer

Dr. Rebecca Fernandez is a UK-trained physician with an MBBS and experience in general surgery, cardiology, internal medicine, gynecology, intensive care, and emergency medicine. She has managed critically ill patients, stabilised acute trauma cases, and provided comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. In psychiatry, Dr. Fernandez has worked with psychotic, mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, applying evidence-based approaches such as CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based therapies. Her skills span patient assessment, treatment planning, and the integration of digital health solutions to support mental well-being.

All qualifications and professional experience stated above are authentic and verified by our editorial team. However, pseudonym and image likeness are used to protect the reviewer's privacy.