Overreacting and Dyslexia
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Have you ever had a moment when you're fully zoned into something, like playing FIFA, watching a show, or maybe doing a boring chore, and then...
“Hey, can you just?”
Bang. You snap. You flinch. You fire back without even thinking.
Then they’re annoyed. You’re annoyed. And now you’re stuck dealing with the mess.
Afterwards, you think why did I react like that?
It’s a weird overreaction, right? But it happens all the time. Especially if you’ve got dyslexia, maybe a bit of ADHD in the mix too.
Let’s unpack it a bit.
This Isn't Just a Mood Swing
This kind of stuff is super common with dyslexics. You're deep in what I call “dyslexia hyper-focus” that rare moment where your brain feels locked in, calm, everything else blocked out.
Then someone cuts in. Boom. You lose it.
It’s not about being rude or mean. It’s not about the other person even doing anything wrong.
It's that your brain's in a state of flow, of calm, and someone yanks you out of it without warning. Your nervous system reacts like you’re being attacked.
And it all goes downhill from there.
Hyperfocus Feels Like Safety
Most days, your brain is juggling 400 tabs and a few random playlists playing at once. It's chaos.
But when you're hyper-focused, it’s quiet.
It’s safe.
So when someone breaks that — even if it’s just asking a question, it feels like they’ve kicked open the door and let the chaos back in.
And your reaction? Pure defence mode.
You’re not mad at them. You’re trying to protect that little bit of peace your brain finally had.
Dopamine’s Got Something to Do With It Too
Let’s be honest. Most of us with dyslexia or ADHD aren’t running on consistent dopamine.
So when we finally get some, maybe through a game, a good convo, a task we enjoy, we grip it tight.
And when we’re interrupted? Our brain panics. “Don’t take this away!”
So we snap. Because the part of our brain that usually filters and reacts calmly is already overloaded.
What Can You Actually Do?
This isn’t about justifying bad behaviour. It’s about understanding why it happens so you can work with it, not against it.
Here’s what’s helped me:
1. Say it out loud
If you react, just say it. “I was deep in focus, I didn’t mean to snap.”
It helps take the heat out of the moment.
2. Set a buffer
Ask for a heads-up. A quick “can I talk to you in a minute?”
It gives your brain a second to come up for air.
3. Breathe before you answer
Even 3 seconds can stop a reaction turning into a blow-up.
4. Talk about it when things are calm
Let the people around you know your brain just works a bit differently. That you’re trying.
Because that’s the truth. You are.
You might also get some value from this article Dyslexia is a Learning Disability – True or False?
Final Thought
You’re not broken. You’re not rude. You’re not overreacting for no reason.
You’ve just never been taught how your brain actually works.
No one gave you the user manual and now you’re learning it the hard way.
But you’re learning it. And that’s huge.
Keep going.
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