How to Combat ADHD Fatigue

A pharmacist describes ADHD burnout and fatigue, while offering some actionable steps to help manage the challenges associated with the condition.

You might think of people with ADHD as having high energy levels, but did you know chronic fatigue is connected to ADHD?

This is true for two reasons. The first being the constant neurological firing happening in the nervous system, and also the emotions stuck in the body due to previous traumas incurred. Secondly, the person with ADHD is in a perpetual rush and has adrenal fatigue due to the high stress hormones present.

Does ADHD cause tiredness or burnout?

ADHD diagnosis does not cause people with ADHD to feel tired, but they are physiologically tired due to the reasons described above.

ADHD burnout is just like other forms of burnout (when everything feels too much for someone and they struggle to cope), but it is a more serious and ongoing issue, since much of the burnout is coming from neuronal imbalances.

How do you cope with ADHD fatigue?

I have ADHD myself, and I cope with fatigue by eating a well-balanced low-carb, high-protein, and high-fat diet that stabilizes my blood sugar levels. By having large quantities of brain-healthy fatty acids from nuts, seeds, and oils, I am keeping the gut clean and healthy.

Regular destressing, low-impact exercise, meditation, and massage also work well to ensure a calm and stable state.

Steps for combating fatigue, burnout, or brain fog with ADHD

Here are my top tips for helping others with ADHD combat feelings of tiredness, burnout, or brain fog. These are the only things that work for me!

• Meditation: reduces neurological firing and calms the system
• Journaling: brain dumping the thoughts that cause anxiety on paper and then finding solutions to the ones I can control
• Grief journaling and stress journaling
• Gut health probiotic-rich food
• Good sleep hygiene
• Stress management
• Spiritual and religious work
• Ashwagandha
• Massage, oil therapy
• Building and nurturing relationships with people who are understanding and supportive
• Reduce stress in the environment by building a stable, nurturing routine where the child feels taken care of and understood
• Remember, stress response from unrealistic expectations, and verbal/physical or other forms of pressure, do the opposite of helping the child!
• A clean, nutritious, and easily digestible diet (rich in nutrient-dense elements) that is home-prepared (preferably gluten/grain-free and dairy-free [except butter, ghee, and yogurt]) works wonders to remove the ongoing brain fog and improve focus. Probiotics and probiotic-rich food can help too.
• Regular massage with lavender essential oils in a sesame base (250ml sesame + 20ml lavender) can help release anxiety and bring about sleep. It can also reduce hyperactivity.
• The emotional and mental stability of parents is very important for the child to encourage feeling secure, understood, heard, and accepted without guilt, shame, and blame