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- Hey, Psych2Goers.

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Do you have trouble paying attention?

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For example, zoning out
while watching this video?

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Do you think you have
ADHD because of this?

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Oftentimes, people mistake
symptoms of anxiety as ADHD

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because of some of the
similar traits they share.

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According to the Centers
for Disease Control

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and Prevention data,

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about 3 in 10 children
with ADHD have anxiety.

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So to help you get a better understanding

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of the difference
between ADHD and anxiety,

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here are six signs to look out for.

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Number one, you have poor focus

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because of worrying thoughts.

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Are you always distracted by your worries,

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so much so that you're unable to focus

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on the things you're doing?

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When fear and apprehension
dominate your thoughts,

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it may cause you to become restless,

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have trouble with sitting
still, paying attention,

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or staying focused in class.

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According to John Waldrop, MD

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from Weill Cornell Medical College,

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when you experience anxiety,

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your prefrontal cortex,

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the part of the brain which is essential

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for thinking, learning, and
remembering, is shut down.

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Your brain is concentrated
on staying safe.

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In contrast with ADHD,

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you aren't consumed by worrying thoughts.

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Instead, it has more
to do with an imbalance

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in your hormones: dopamine
and norepinephrine,

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which causes you to be distracted.

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Number two, you don't tend to have

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as many problems with impulsivity.

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Do you often find yourself
speaking out loud in class

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without raising your hand?

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Perhaps you were even labeled
as the troublemaker in school

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because of the way you
can never sit still.

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According to Dr. John, a
person with ADHD may feel

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as if there are dozens of controllers

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trying to control their
brain at the same time

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without checking in with each other first.

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So if you find that you
don't appear to have

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as many problems with impulsivity

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but just struggle to speak up or stand up

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because of your nerves,

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hen you may have anxiety rather than ADHD.

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Number three, you have trouble
completing your schoolwork

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because of perfectionism.

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Do you have trouble
completing your schoolwork?

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Perhaps you find yourself procrastinating

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even if you only have just
one assignment to you.

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This struggle could be because
you have so many points

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you wanna make in so many
ways to phrase the words

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that it leaves you wanting
to throw up your hands

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and ignore them.

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You're avoiding starting your assignments

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because you can't have
it be less than perfect.

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If you can relate to this,

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then it's more likely you're struggling

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with anxiety and not ADHD.

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Dr. John stated that
while people with ADHD

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may experience difficulty
completing their schoolwork

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or performing tasks,

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it's often due to trouble
with concentration

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rather than perfectionism.

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Number four, you are
generally more sensitive

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to social cues.

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Are you very sensitive

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to how you come across to other people?

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Do you find yourself often uncomfortable

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with your social environment?

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Perhaps you find it challenging to eat

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in front of other people,

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or tend to avoid speaking in public

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because of an overwhelming fear

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that people will judge you negatively.

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According to Dr. John,
if your answers are yes

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to the above questions,

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it's more likely that you
have anxiety rather than ADHD.

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This is because people
with ADHD usually struggle

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with understanding or missing social cues

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rather than being hypersensitive to them.

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Number five, you experience
a racing heart, clamminess,

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tense muscles, headaches,
nausea, or dizziness.

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Do you often experience
headaches, nausea, or dizziness?

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These are just some of
the symptoms of anxiety.

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Dr. John stated that anxiety comes

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from a tiny almond-shaped part

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at the back of your brain
called the amygdala.

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As a watchman for your brain,

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it is constantly watching out for danger.

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And whenever it detects danger,

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it triggers a fight or flight response.

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However, for people who are anxious,

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the amygdala is large and hypersensitive.

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Because of this,

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it ends up sending out
a lot of false alarms.

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You can think of it as a watchman
who cries wolf too often.

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As a result, your brain may sense threats

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even in non-threatening situations.

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And number six, you are unlikely
to show problem behaviors

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when you're feeling calm, safe,
and doing things you enjoy.

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How do you act when you're having fun?

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Whether it's listening
to your favorite music

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or playing video games, you
may find yourself feeling calm

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and safe while doing the things
that you genuinely enjoy.

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You are neither restless

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nor feeling like you need
to catch your breath.

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According to Dr. John, anxious
individuals are unlikely

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to display any problem behaviors
when feeling calm and safe

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and doing something they enjoy.

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On the contrary, people with ADHD

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will experience problem behaviors

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even when they engage in a particular fun

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or exciting activity.

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For example, a person with ADHD

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may become so engrossed
with painting a picture

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that they tune out or completely
ignore everything else.

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This behavior is known as hyperfocus.

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Did you relate to any of
the signs we've mentioned?

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Let us know in the comments below.

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As always, the references and
studies used in this video

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are added in the description below.

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Thanks so much for watching
and see you in our next video.

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