6 Signs You Have Anxiety, Not ADHD

Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. Please reach out to a qualified mental health professional if you are struggling.

Have you ever wondered, “How do I know if I have anxiety or ADHD?” The symptoms of ADHD can sometimes be confusing because they mask symptoms of other conditions. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention data, about 3 in 10 children with ADHD have anxiety. 

Let’s examine the following signs to get a better understanding of the difference between ADHD and anxiety:

1. You have poor focus because of worrying thoughts.

Have you ever felt so distracted by your worrying thoughts, causing you unable to focus on whatever task you are doing? Fear and apprehension dominate your thoughts, causing you to appear restless, have trouble sitting still, paying attention, or stay focussed in class. According to John Waldrup, M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College, when you experience anxiety, your pre-frontal cortex, your part of the brain which is essential for thinking, learning, and remembering, is shut down. Your brain is concentrated on staying safe.  In contrast, if you have ADHD, you may appear easily distracted, but your mind is quiet and not consumed by worrying thoughts. There is an imbalance in your hormones dopamine and norepinephrine, which causes you to appear distracted because you pay attention to too many things at once. 

2. You don’t tend to have as many problems with impulsivity.

Did you just speak out loud in the classroom without raising your hand? Perhaps you interrupt the class with your sudden emotional outburst? Maybe you are labelled as the troublemaker who gets out of your desk and runs around the class while your teacher teaches at the front? According to Dr. John, a person with ADHD may feel as if dozens of controllers are trying to control their brain at the same time without checking in with each other first. On the other hand, if you are that one shy kid who always feel that your speech is stuck in your throat and don’t appear to have as many problems with impulsivity, you may be having anxiety, rather than ADHD. 

3. You have trouble completing your schoolwork because of perfectionism. 

Have you ever had any trouble completing your schoolwork? You have one essay assignment due in another two days. However, you still find yourself procrastinating. There are just so many points you want to make and so many ways to phrase the words. It leaves you wanting to throw up your hands and ignore them. For you, the essay should never be less than perfect. If you can relate to the above points, you are more likely to have anxiety, not ADHD. Dr. John stated that people with ADHD may also experience difficulty completing their schoolwork or performing tasks, but it is due to trouble concentrating rather than perfectionism. 

4. You are generally more sensitive to social cues. 

Are you more sensitive to social cues and what other people are thinking and feeling? Do you find yourself extremely uncomfortable with your social environment and how you might come across to other people? Perhaps you find it challenging to eat in front of other people, avoid speaking in public because of an overwhelming fear that people will judge you so negatively? According to Dr. John, if your answers are “Yes” to the above questions, it is more likely that you have anxiety rather than ADHD. On the contrary, people with ADHD usually struggle with understanding or missing social cues. 

5. You experience a racing heart, clamminess, tense muscles, headaches, nausea, or dizziness.

Have you ever felt your heart beat faster, your hands turn clammy, or your muscles become tense? Do you ever experience headaches, nausea, or dizziness? If you can relate to this, you most likely experience anxiety symptoms. Dr John stated that anxiety comes from a tiny almond-shaped part at the back of the brain called the amygdala. As a watchman for your brain, it is constantly watching out for danger. Whenever it detects danger, it triggers a fight-or-flight response. In the anxious brain, the amygdala is large and hypersensitive. Because of this, the amygdala sends a lot of false alarms. You can think of a hypersensitive amygdala as a watchman who cries wolf too often. An overactive amygdala often sends false alarms that your brain senses threats even in non-threatening situations.

6. You are unlikely to show problem behaviours when you are feeling calm, safe, and doing things you enjoy

Remember that time you were sitting at a table in a pottery class and made your own pottery? You feel calm and safe while doing the thing that you genuinely enjoy. You are neither restless nor feeling a need to catch your breath. According to Dr. John, anxious individuals are unlikely to display problem behaviour when feeling calm, safe, and doing something they enjoy. On the contrary, people with ADHD can still experience problem behaviours when they are engaged in a particularly fun or exciting activity.   For example, a person with ADHD may become engrossed in painting a favourite picture that one tends to “tune out” or completely ignore everything else. This behaviour is known as hyperfocus.  

Final thoughts 

It is important to take note that both anxiety and ADHD can overlap. Many people with ADHD also suffer from anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, an anxiety disorder affects 50 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of children with ADHD. 

Can you or your loved ones relate to the above signs? If you do, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice to get the appropriate treatment.  It is essential to understand the differences between ADHD and anxiety to work on developing the best treatment plan possible together with the help of a professional. You can lead the fullest, most rewarding, and most productive life possible through the right type of treatment.

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5th Edition). Arlington, United States of America

Anxiety. Mental Health Foundation. (2022, February 21). Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/a/anxiety#:~:text=Anxiety%20can%20also%20affect%20your,you’re%20in%20the%20situation.

Ashinoff, B. K., &; Abu-Akel, A. (2019). Hyperfocus: The Forgotten Frontier of Attention. Psychological Research, 85(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8

Brice, R. (2019, November 19). Here’s what ADHD impulsivity is like. Healthline. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-impulsivity#5

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 23). Data and statistics about ADHD. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20national%202016%20parent%20survey%2C1%206%20in,children%20with%2n.d.HD%20had%20anxiety.

Drake, K. (2021, June 10). Living with ADHD: Tips to focus and stay on Task. Psych Central. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adults-adhd-tips-for-finishing-what-you-start#tips

Drillinger, M. (2019, October 18). 7 steps to breaking the ‘perfectionism, procrastination, paralysis’ cycle. Healthline. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/7-steps-to-breaking-the-perfectionism-procrastination-paralysis-cycle

Story, C. M. (2017, April 7). Relationship between ADHD and anxiety. Healthline. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd-and-anxiety#research