S1 E25 When Restlessness Turns Into Anger: ADHD Women & Activation

Why do so many ADHD women find themselves picking fights, creating conflict, or feeling pulled toward anger without understanding why?

In this episode of Angry on the Inside, Jess and Jeannine unpack the often-misunderstood link between ADHD restlessness and anger and why anger can temporarily feel like relief, clarity, or even motivation.

They explore how chronic under-stimulation in the ADHD brain can turn restlessness into irritation, conflict, or rage, and why anger creates a powerful surge of activation through dopamine and adrenaline. For many late-diagnosed women, that surge can feel grounding, productive, and regulating even though it often comes with real emotional and relational costs.

This conversation covers:

• Why ADHD restlessness is physical, emotional, and hard to tolerate

• How anger becomes a fast (but risky) form of activation

• Why conflict, doom scrolling, and rage can suddenly make things easier to do

• The shame cycle many ADHD women experience after anger passes

• How awareness helps interrupt the pattern without self-blame

This episode isn’t about excusing harmful behavior or turning anger into a strategy. It’s about understanding what’s happening in the ADHD nervous system, naming the pattern honestly, and finding safer ways to meet the brain’s need for stimulation without blowing up relationships.

If you’ve ever wondered “Why do I feel better after I snap?” or “Why does calm feel harder than chaos?” — this episode is for you.

Take what resonates. Leave the rest. And remember: you’re not the only one angry on the inside.