Is it ADHD or Anxiety?
Is it ADHD or Anxiety?
ADHD and anxiety can look similar, especially for folks that have predominantly inattentive type ADHD. And nearly 50% of adults with ADHD will also have a co-occurring anxiety disorder. This matters because treatment for ADHD and anxiety look different and if we are only treating half the problem (or the wrong problem) then folks will continue to struggle.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The onset of ADHD is during childhood and impacts the way the brain develops, often leading to difficulty regulating attention, impulsivity, staying organized, and hyperactivity. It is important to note that hyperactivity may look like not being able to sit still or ‘bouncing off the walls,’ but it can also look like constant racing thoughts, overthinking, and inability to relax or ‘turn off the brain.’
When people talk about ADHD they often think about ADHD - primarily hyperactive type, but there are two other types. ADHD - primarily inattentive type and ADHD - combined type.
-
ADHD - primarily hyperactive type often looks like: fidgeting, running at inappropriate times (as children), unable to stay seated, constantly talking, interrupting, and impulsivity.
-
ADHD - primarily inattentive type often looks like: difficulty sustaining attention or following through with details, making careless mistakes, poor organization, losing things, and daydreaming.
These may be abundantly clear in some children, but there are many whose symptoms don’t become obvious until there is more demand (i.e. going to college) or have created systems to help them compensate for their symptoms. These are the folks often getting diagnosed as adults.
Research shows that for those who are diagnosed later in life, they are also more likely to experience anxiety.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety can manifest at all stages of life, unlike ADHD, which begins in childhood. It is more than occasionally becoming fixated on a worry or experiencing some fear around situational life events, it often shows up most days and impacts multiple areas of life.
People with an anxiety disorder experience consistent and excessive worry, dread, or fear for at least 6 consecutive months. Excessive meaning that, when we zoom out, the level of fear or worry isn’t in proportion to the situation.
Anxiety can look like:
- Constant worry thoughts
- Feeling on edge or keyed up
- Difficulty concentrating
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep issues
Again, many people develop strategies to cope with anxiety day to day, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t struggling.
Where do ADHD and Anxiety overlap?
ADHD inattentive type and anxiety can look very similar in regards to symptoms. This is because both can impact attention, mental energy, and the ability to stay present.
Symptoms that commonly overlap:
- Restlessness
- Sleep issues
- Trouble concentrating
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Trouble with short term memory
So what are the differences?
Even though ADHD and anxiety can look similar, the reason behind the behavior is different.
- ADHD is rooted in difficulty with regulation (attention, organization, follow-through)
- Anxiety is rooted in fear, worry, and trying to prevent something from going wrong
This could look or feel like:
ADHD - “I want to do this, but I just can’t get myself to start”
Anxiety - “I’m worried something will go wrong if I do this.”
ADHD - missed parts of the conversation because of poor focus
Anxiety - missed parts of the conversation because you were worried about how you were being perceived
ADHD - your mind feels busy, scattered, or hard to direct
Anxiety - your mind is constantly replaying worries or worst case scenarios
Furthermore, folks may also experience secondary anxiety due to ADHD. This looks like constantly worrying that they will drop the ball, miss a deadline, make a social mistake, be rejected, or mess-up. This anxiety is directly related to the ADHD symptoms and likely wouldn’t be present if those symptoms weren’t present.
If you have been trying to manage anxiety and feel like something isn’t clicking, it may be time to take a closer look at ADHD and work with a provider who has trained in diagnosing ADHD.