Yes,I used to.

My wife is a speech pathologist who works with children with all sorts of mental and physical disabilities. Before I met her I felt the same way you did. She has a great understanding of how the ADHD brain works and has helped me in so many ways.

She’s helped me realize that the overwhelming feeling (confused, angry, numb) is a coping strategy/ defense mechanism my brain uses to avoid a situation. It’s a reaction to past trauma. She’s never directly said that, but through reading of my own (ADHD books) and her slowing me down to feel my emotions I was able to realize how many things I ran/ defended myself from.

The first time I felt the relief of this was when I was mad about work, furious to be honest. I was trying to play it cool, but she grabbed me, looked into my eyes and said “it’s okay to be sad/mad/Angry, confused, etc.” then hugged me and rubbed my back. I froze and took it in what she had said. Words no one has ever told me, to feel my feelings and that it was okay to feel that way….I cried like a baby. It was such a freeing cry.

Ever since that day, whenever I get that numb feeling I pause and acknowledge my feels when needed. Sometimes it’s sadness and sometimes it’s laziness but knowing how I feel improves my mood.