Tantrums vs. Meltdowns: There is a HUGE difference- Emotional Regulation Series

Journey With Me Through ADHD: A podcast for kids · Feb 19, 2026 · 8m

Your body starts to tighten, your breath gets heavy, your mind is racing, senses are overwhelmed and your dysregulated emotions just burst... Sound familiar!? This is called a MELTDOWN...Your brain has had "too much" body is giving information that it needs HELP! It's when your brain is overloaded. This is not a misbehavior issue, it's a regulation struggle- a neurological response!

So what is a TANTRUM then?

"I want this...I don't like that...you need to do what I want... give me that...NOW"= Desire for control leading to emotional outburst...

It can be tricky to tell the difference as a…