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Anxiety can often be part of the package if you have Attention Deficit Disorder. In fact, studies indicate that 25-40% of people with ADHD also have anxiety, and that includes children.
Anxiety often comes along with, or worsens, depression, which is another co-morbidity associated with ADHD.
Anxiety can make ADHD symptoms much worse and more difficult to manage. It can disrupt your sleep, which will make ADHD symptoms more prominent. Also, it is difficult to treat both anxiety and Attention Deficit Disorder with medications. Most ADHD medications are stimulants, which makes anxiety more pronounced. Most doctors and their patients choose to use medication for anxiety and learn to manage ADHD symptoms in other ways.
My youngest daughter, who is ADHD, also has anxiety. It can be very difficult for her at times, because the least little thing can trigger an anxiety attack. I think ADHD makes anxiety worse, too, because your mind tends to wander a lot. Anxiety can turn those wandering thoughts into worries in an instant.
Parents often don’t think of anxiety as a childhood condition, and even adults may not realize that they are overly anxious. With our daughter, we noticed early on that she would worry about everything. When she found out that she was supposed to use the lid of the thermos that came with her lunchbox as a cup, she panicked. She had been drinking directly from the thermos and was sure that there would be dire consequences to her health as a result.
I rarely take a stand one way or another when it comes to medication. It’s a personal choice, and everybody has their own reasons to medicate or not. However, when it comes to anxiety, I firmly believe that medication is often the wisest choice. There are herbal solutions that can be used, but I believe they are best used as supplemental aids, and only with a doctor’s approval. And of course, there are natural ways to treat ADHD.
If you think that you might have anxiety, please get it checked by your doctor. I have witnessed the pain that my daughter goes through and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
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Anxiety can truly be debilitating, I know first hand since I have suffered with it for 20 years. I have taken anti-anxiety medicines but they didn’t work as well as when I took a stimulant with it. There are days where my anxiety is high and I know it’s because I feel overwhelmed. It’s not easy to get out of your head when you have anxiety and ADHD, especially when you have insomnia from both. I have learned to meditate and breathe deeply when I feel overly anxious. I have also found that writing in my journal and running or doing high intensity exercise helps when my anxiety is extremely high.
I completely understand what you’re saying. I have seen firsthand how my daughter struggles with it at times. Sleep is a huge issue for her as well. I am embarrassed to say that it took me a long time to understand what she goes through; I often dismissed her worries as “drama”. I am so thankful that now I have a better idea of what life is like for her.
And it’s hard to tell if the ADD/ADHD causes the anxiety or if the anxiety exasperates the ADD/ADHD tendencies. My son takes meds for anxiety that calm him down and ADD that rev him up. Maybe they cancel each other out?!
That’s a really good point. I can see how ADHD could make anxiety worse and how anxiety would make you distracted, forgetful, etc.
I know that my daughter’s doctor chose to treat just the anxiety with medication and urged her to use other methods to treat her ADHD. He even told her that too much caffeine could make anxiety worse.
Great info here , i am looking forward for next posts , Great Blogs also.
Thanks
Roy
Anxiety attack can be lessened by learning relaxation techniques like those used in meditation. some food supplements like 5-HTP helps in easing the symptoms of anxiety attack.
Thank you for the information!
Often doctors are quick to prescribe medications for anxiety, which can really be helpful for some people. For people who are nervous about taking medications, there are many more natural treatments that can calm that uncomfortable feeling. For example…
Breath. We are constantly rushing. Between getting the kids off to school, traffic and meetings, we rarely “stop to smell the roses”. Perhaps this phrase is more than just a reminder to appreciate the beauty around us, but also a reminder to breath! Practice deep breathing for two minutes… in through your nose, and out though your mouth…
Turn off your electronics! Turn off your cell phone/email/blackberry/ computer for 15 minutes each day and enjoy the quiet. Don’t worry, your emails will be there when you come back.
Exercise. For at least 10 minutes a day. Go for a walk with your spouse, a friend, kids or pets. Park at the far side of the parking lot and walk to the building. While watching TV, get up and do jumping jacks or stretches, or get up and dance during the commercial breaks.
Practice these techniques for one week and email me with what kind of difference you notice! Email Amy at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.
Alright everybody – you’ve been challenged!
Thanks for the tips Amy!
My son is having a hard time with anxiety and he is ADHD. We are currently having trouble with test anxiety. He doesn’t want to put down an answer that he is not 100% sure about. This leads to the class moving on without him and this increases his anxiety. Any suggestions?
Because of his ADHD, your son is entitled to accommodations such as having him take his test in a different location and/or giving him extra time. Extra time is usually time and a half and the test would be given in a different location.
Is he on medication for his ADHD or anxiety? It’s often better to treat the anxiety rather than the ADHD because ADD meds will make anxiety worse.
I realize that his anxiety is centered around having the “right” answer and that’s what his concerns are, but you could try this technique: as soon as he gets his test, have him look over the whole thing without answering any questions. Then tell him to find one that he is sure he knows the answer to and answer that one. Repeat the process with all of the questions he is sure about or pretty sure about – I realize his anxiety is making him second guess everything.
If he can do this, it will increase his confidence and give him a better chance at a good grade.
Visualization is also a powerful tool and one that professional athletes use often. When your son is studying for a test, reinforce the fact that he does know the material.
Then work with him to visualize taking the test. Have him imagine it in as much detail as possible. Have him imagine sitting at his desk, how that feels. He has his pencil in his hand and he gets the test. He looks at it and feels confident that he knows the answers because he studied and worked hard. He answers each question confidently.
The more real that you can make this for him in his mind, the more effective it will be. He needs to close his eyes and really experience sitting at his desk in his classroom. what does it feel like? What does he hear? I would suggest doing this at least once a night.
What will eventually happen with repeated efforts is that when he takes a test, his subconscious mind will say “oh, we’ve been here before – this is easy” and his body will automatically relax.
Here’s a link to a site that explains it: http://www.telecollege.dcccd.edu/Services/studyhelp/StudySkills/sub/anxiety.htm
Hope this helps.
I am an adult suffering from adhd and anxiety. I am a firm believer in alternative medicine. However debilitating anxiety is much different than getting a little anxious and breathing deeply to get over it. Sometimes medication is absolutely necessary as well as natural things. It is very irresponsible and dangerous to encourage people to dismiss drugs completely as evil terrible things. They sometimes do serve a purpose.
Thanks for your comments, Toby. I hope it was clear to you that we are both in agreement on this. I also prefer natural alternatives if I can find them and they work, but there are times when modern medicine and prescription drugs are the best answer. For anxiety in particular, I think that is the best route.