I have dealt with anxiety for a long time. Nothing major or anything. Most days, I can manage my anxiety before it gets the better of me. But there have been times, when it did get the better of me. Recently, anxiety has gotten the better of me. One night, I just cried. I was just so anxious that I did need to cry a little. Then, a few nights, I cried a good part of the evening, felt so low, worried, and ended up having an anxiety attack. Yeah, my anxiety came back, and I couldn’t calm it down.
I won’t go into the details of what happened, why I was anxious, or any of that, as it is a bit of a story. But there it is.
Right now, you might be wondering if I have a point. There must be a point. You may also wonder what this has to do with ADHD/ADD. This is a blog about ADHD/ADD, right? Well, I do have a point. And yes, this is a blog about ADHD/ADD and my point does have to do with ADHD/ADD.
The point I would like to make is this: A lot of people who have ADHD/ADD also have anxiety problems. Yes, many ADHDers/ADDers do have anxiety issues. After doing some research, I found out that it is not uncommon for people with ADHD/ADD to have anxiety problems, and that I’m not the only ADHDer/ADDer to have anxiety issues.
There are different types of anxiety disorder, and sometimes the symptoms of anxiety can sometimes be confused or may appear as ADHD/ADD symptoms, or vice versa. Sometimes an ADHDer/ADDer is misdiagnosed as only having anxiety. However, it is possible to have both. For instance, someone with anxiety may have a difficult time focusing. Someone with ADHD/ADD will face the same difficulty. Another example for those with anxiety is the inability to sit still. Again, a problem that people with ADHD/ADD have as well.
This can make things difficult to diagnose and distinguish between ADHD/ADD and anxiety. However, they are still different, and in some cases, some individuals do have both. Research has found that between 30% and 50% of people with ADHD/ADD also have anxiety disorders. Numbers seem to vary, as to how many ADHDers/ADDers have anxiety as well, but this is the approximation that I have found between the articles that I have read. Bottom line is: many people with ADHD/ADD do have anxiety as well.
Having ADHD is not easy with or without anxiety. Sure, it is easy for ADHDers/ADDers to worry about remembering things and managing their symptoms. It’s just part of things that we know we struggle with and need to work on and maybe even worry about. However, sometimes people with ADHD/ADD will do so a lot more. Sometimes it goes a little further, and this is where anxiety may come in. It goes beyond just worrying a little. It becomes anxiety and worrying and being nervous all the time. Or most of the time.
For ADHDers/ADDers with anxiety, symptoms may present themselves a little differently. They do present themselves in a variety of ways. Excessive anxiety, worrying and fear are certainly present, among other symptoms. There are a variety of ways, and I won’t go into all the details. A doctor or mental health expert could go into all of it better than I could, at any rate.
There are ways for ADHDers/ADDers to manage their anxiety. Here are a few suggestions/examples:
– Exercise. Go for a walk, or a jog. When anxious, I do like to go for walks. It does help me relief the anxiety, for sure.
– Sleep. Getting a good night sleep can help manage anxiety and lower your stress levels. Plus, it can also help with your ADHD/ADD symptoms. It may help be able to focus a little better, or be less fidgety. So, win-win!
– Listen to music. Sometimes, listening to some calm and relaxing music can be beneficial. At least, it is for me. I do enjoy calming music, whenever stress or anxiety levels creeps up. But that’s just me. The choice of music is yours! Listen to whatever helps you!
These are a few suggestions, but there are a lot more out there. This is just to give you an idea of things that can help.
So, for those you with ADHD/ADD and anxiety, know that you’re not alone. Many people with ADHD/ADD also suffer with some anxiety disorder.
Here are a few articles that I have used for this post. Hopefully, they are useful for you as well.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/when-adhd-and-anxiety-occur-together/
https://www.verywellmind.com/anxiety-in-adults-with-adhd-20758
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1
https://adaa.org/tips-manage-anxiety-and-stress
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1 Comment
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