While ADHD and anxiety are not the same condition could they be linked? Some experts believe the answer is yes. According to the AMA ADHD is defined as a mental illness characterized by difficulty paying attention and a high degree of restlessness and impulsive behavior. Symptoms begin before the age of 7, cause problems in at least two different environments, and last for at least six months.
According to the AMA Anxiety is defined as a general feeling of uneasiness, dread, uncertainty, and fear in response to or in anticipation of a real or imagined threat.
While it might be difficult to draw a comparison between ADHD and anxiety by simply comparing definitions there are two areas where some correlations and associations can be drawn; biological causes and secondary symptoms.
Biology: Both ADHD and anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder both are believed to have a biological component involving imbalances of two or more brain chemical messengers (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin). These brain chemicals, and the way they interact with each other, are responsible for self regulation and mood. Let's take each one individually.
Serotonin: Problems with serotonin are associated with anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, obsessive compulsive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and even violence.
Dopamine: Disruption in dopamine seems to be related to problems with attention, motivation, alertness, increased apathy, and difficulty in experiencing pleasure.
Norepinephrine: Disorder in norepinephrine are correlated with lack of energy, decreased alertness, and lethargy. It's interaction with dopamine is thought to be the primary driver in many ADHD symptoms.
Certainly these biological connections are somewhat speculative due to the every changing research but one cannot deny some correlation in the biology of ADHD and anxiety/anxiety disorders.
Our second connection between ADHD and anxiety revolves around secondary symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some of these would include anticipation of failure, worry, loss of motivation, frustration, low self esteem, sleep disruptions, and boredom. Virtually every one of these secondary symptoms can cause anxiety in varying degrees. For example a person with ADHD who is not sleeping well because of the fear of failure and is frustrated because of it will have a very high anxiety level. On the other hand if someone suffering with ADHD is simply not motivated they will have little to no anxiety.
Certainly real and potentially problematic association can be made between ADHD and anxiety. It is also important to point out the continual bouts of severe anxiety often lead to depression which is a condition that occasionally coexists with ADHD.
What Next? For those struggling with ADHD and anxiety associated with it finding a treatment option that can help them manage their symptoms should be one of their main priorities. The most common form of treatment for ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.
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