Anxiety and ADHD, separately, are becoming more commonly recognized and more often diagnosed in children. Many people are familiar with the terms but may not realize just how similar the two are.
Unfortunately, they impact each other, often making each other worse. Each of these can influence a child’s life throughout adolescence and into adulthood. If unaddressed, additional problems can occur. This fact alone makes proper diagnosis and management key to living the fullest life.
ADHD Overview
ADHD is considered to be a neurodevelopment disorder. Onset for ADHD is generally during the early childhood years, regardless of when it is officially diagnosed. The areas of the brain that are most impacted are the ones that control focus, attention, and emotional regulation.
In order to receive an ADHD diagnosis, a child needs to demonstrate inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. All of these symptoms need to interfere with at least two components of daily functioning.
Anxiety Overview
Anxiety is a mental health disorder that is classified by excessive worrying. For generalized anxiety, it should be occurring for more than six months and in multiple components of daily life. This difficulty with function will significantly impact daily activity and responsibilities.
In addition to worry, anxiety can cause restlessness, fatigue, decreased concentration, and irritability. For a diagnosis, anxiety can’t be related to any substance use or another medical condition.
Co-Occurring Diagnoses
ADHD and anxiety are each their own specific condition, but there is a trend of co-occurrence. It is estimated that half of those with ADHD also suffer from anxiety.
Roughly 5-15% of children deal with anxiety. That number increases to 15-35% of children who have ADHD. Of those children with ADHD and anxiety, studies have shown that 27% had multiple anxiety disorders.
ADHD symptoms tend to become more exacerbated with anxiety. Stress, edginess, and fatigue can all become worse. Memory and sleep can also become more affected.
Co-occurring anxiety with ADHD may reduce impulsive behavior but make inattention more problematic. Children with both disorders are also less likely to demonstrate hyperactive and tangential
behaviors.
The Overlap of ADHD and Anxiety
Since ADHD and anxiety share some similarities, there are overlapping experiences and symptoms that can make them look alike. It also leads to missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses.
Difficulty with attention is a textbook sign of ADHD. Inattention can rise because excessive worrying can cause more trouble focusing. The brain places more importance on fear and takes away focus from attention to surrounding cues.
Sleep issues are also common among ADHD children, but this also applies to anxiety sufferers. This includes insomnia, disordered breathing, restless leg syndrome, and nightmares.
Intrusive thoughts are common with anxiety but also rank among the common symptoms of ADHD. Stomach issues are common with anxiety, and many ADHD children suffer from digestive issues.
Both ADHD and anxiety share concentration struggles, but the onset tends to be different. For a child with anxiety, their brain is likely to become so overwhelmed that their executive function skills start to shut down. For a child with ADHD, concentration is an uphill climb no matter what state they are in, relaxed or stressed.
Differentiating Between the Two
As you can see, the two disorders are very similar, and they can be difficult to identify in children. There’s a tease-out process to identify where the anxiety comes from. Is it the main problem, or is it a secondary issue to something bigger?
Another thing to take a look at is what the source of the inattention is. This one can be tricky. Is focus difficult due to the brain’s ability to process, or is your child too preoccupied by anxious feelings and worried thoughts?
If your child is showing signs and symptoms of either or both of these, it is worth getting screened by a professional. Contact us to learn more about the process. Check out our Anxiety Therapy page for more information.