S2 Episode 24: The High and the Crash: ADHD Emotional Cycles in Love
Your good days are very good: the weekend planned, every birthday remembered, the loudest laugh at dinner. Then, a few days later, you are lying very still, not answering texts, and ashamed of the week before. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who has been called “a lot,” and for the partner who loves both versions of them.
Blaze explains that in many adults with ADHD, feelings arrive faster, run larger and take longer to settle. Drawing on Shaw and colleagues’ review of emotion dysregulation, she notes this shows up in roughly a third to two-thirds of adults seen in clinics, and that it applies to joy as much as distress. The crash isn’t a punishment for being happy. It is what tired looks like after that much joy, and shame makes it last longer.
Wen once signed up for pottery, a half marathon and Portuguese in a single week. She doesn’t speak Portuguese. Rather than shrinking her highs, she learned to land them: noticing her tell, one yes per high, a Parking Lot of Brilliant Ideas, and one plain sentence in the low, “I’m in a low. It’s not about you. I’ll be back.”
One Emotional Takeaway: The high is real, and it’s you. The crash is tiredness, not a verdict.
#ADHDEmotionalDysregulation #ADHDShame #ADHDWomen #NeurodiverseCouples #ADHDAwarenessMonth #LoveOnTheAutismSpectrum
🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES
Start here — the free guide that gently names the pattern: ✨ You're Not Too Much. You're Just Alone in the Repair. → link.blazelazarony.com/youre-not-too-much
Ready to talk? Book a FREE 20-minute "Clarity & Connection" Zoom session: 📅 link.blazelazarony.com/Book-C-and-C-Zoom
Explore more tools, relationship guidance, and weekly blog posts at: 🌐 loveontheautismspectrum.com
Catch up on more episodes: 🎧 loveontheautismspectrum.com/podcast
Read deeper reflections and behind-the-scenes writing on Substack: ✉️ blazelazarony.substack.com
For behind-the-scenes reflections and bonus content, follow along on Instagram: 📸 @BlazeLazarony
The book — daily reflections for coming home to who you really are: 📚 Unmasked Self-Acceptance → amazon.com/dp/B0GLGX2HFK
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Listening does not create a therapeutic relationship or provide individualized advice.
Barbara (Blaze) Lazarony, MA, LMFT #151788, is licensed in California. All examples are fictional and used for illustration only.
If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 988 or contact local emergency services.
