ADHD & Anxiety: The Overlaps & Differences

In expanding my studies and becoming an ADHD Clinical Services Provider, I have learned that ADHD rarely travels alone. I even remember one of my favorite graduate school instructors saying that ADHD isn’t the only thing in the mix, per se, for most teens and adults. Sometimes, when diagnoses travel along together, it may get confusing to make sense of what’s what. Here is a little breakdown about the overlaps and differences in ADHD and anxiety.

Symptom Overlap w/ ADHD & Anxiety:

• Difficulty concentrating

• Restlessness

• Sleep issues

• Procrastination/avoidance

• Social and interpersonal challenges

Now, I’m going to break this down symptom by symptom and explain the different presentations, because sometimes - it’s hard to identify what’s happening in the moment!

1. Difficulty Concentrating

• ADHD - difficulties with executive functioning make it challenging to focus on one thing at a time; lost in thoughts or topics that make it hard to concentrate on what the task is

• Anxiety - anxiety and worrying takes up mental space, making it difficult to focus or stay present in the moment

2. Restlessness

• ADHD - difficulty sitting still, feeling the impulse to move around in your seat/in the room, may feel the impulse to say something without thinking it through

• Anxiety - the body is in a consistent state of hyperarousal, meaning your body is preparing for what feels like danger; may feel restless or on edge and may feel the urge to be constantly “doing” to solve the issues

3. Sleep Issues

• ADHD - some people experience hyperactivity in evening, or revenge bedtime (focusing on preferred activities during free time at night and then delaying sleep)

• Anxiety - may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep due to racing thoughts or excessive worrying; being in a state of hyperarousal makes it difficult to relax, and the body may be hypervigilant throughout the night

4. Procrastination & Avoidance

• ADHD - struggles with organization, task initiation, and task completion; lack of motivation if the task is challenging, multiple steps, “boring”, or unpreferred tasks

• Anxiety - stress surrounding the task, worrying things won’t be “perfect”, what the implications of not being “perfect” may be can also cause anxiety-related avoidance

5. Social & Interpersonal Challenges

• ADHD - behavioral impulsivity may cause issues in interpersonal relationships, struggles with appropriate body language and other social cues; interrupting, talking over people can cause difficulty getting the point across; can dominate conversations and “zone out” in some moments, forgetting what was just said

• Anxiety - worrying about what others will think, hyperaware or hypercritical of self over the things said/done at social outings, sometimes too attuned to the emotions of others; reliving/reworking things that were said and done, can look like rumination in some folx

This blog only scratches the surfaces on the overlap of symptoms with these two different diagnoses. ADHD can also be seen frequently with depression, substance use, OCD, Autism, and more. As I mentioned earlier, ADHD rarely travels alone, and I hope this has provided some insight so that you can discern what’s happening for you! Any other overlaps you’d like to read about? Email me: jay@janickiholistichealing.com

With love from Raleigh to you,

Jay