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Emotional regulation has to be the of the greatest challenges ADDers face. Extreme bouts of frustration and frequent fits of anger seem to come with the territory. It seems to me that perfecting the art of the sincere apology should be one of the first skills ADDers acquire. Some years ago my daughter told me she thought I was bipolar. Not a theory without merit. In any event, ADD and Bipolar Disorder seem to be close neurological cousins. Perhaps it’s fair to say that bipolar tendencies are generally part of the AD(H)D package—they call it a “comorbidity”; maybe it’s really a standard accessory. Dunno. What I do know is everybody in my family who suffers from AD(H)D rides an emotional roller coaster. And sometimes it can scare the hell out of coworkers and loved ones.
STOP PRESS: Russell Barkley explains the neurological difference between AD(H)D and Bipolar Disorder here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cw8jHUkHiA
The behavio(u)r may seem the same, but the neurology is, in fact, different. (The clip is short.)