ADHD and Inner Demons

Growing up with ADHD and learning to fight yourself

Many people with ADHD grow up believing there is something inside them that needs controlling, such as their impulsivity, emotional intensity, anger, or self doubt. These traits are rarely framed as understandable responses or neutral differences. Instead, they are treated as flaws to manage, hide, or eliminate.

By adulthood, many ADHD adults are exhausted from fighting themselves.

Why “inner demons” develop in ADHD adults

The idea of inner demons often forms early. You learn that parts of you are inconvenient, embarrassing, or too much, so you suppress them. You mask, you overthink, and you try to be calmer, quieter, more acceptable, however the parts you fight hardest, often fight back.

Emotional intensity, anger, and self-criticism in ADHD

Traits that are constantly judged or pushed down do not disappear, instead they tend to show up in other ways. Anger often appears where boundaries were crossed repeatedly, restlessness can point to unmet needs or chronic pressure, and self criticism usually develops as a survival strategy, not a personality flaw.

Learning to work with ADHD traits, not against them

Embracing inner demons does not mean acting on every impulse or emotion; it means recognising that these parts carry information. They are signals from a nervous system that has spent a long time under pressure.

When those signals are understood rather than feared, they soften, and when they are met with curiosity instead of shame, they become easier to regulate.

Self-compassion and healing for adults with ADHD

Living well with ADHD is not about erasing parts of yourself to become more acceptable, it is about learning how to work with your full range, without constant self-monitoring or internal conflict.

Sometimes the work is not about getting rid of the demon at all, but about finally letting it be seen clearly.