The Difference Between ADHD and Anxiety Signs

[Music]

hey secta goers

do you have trouble paying attention for

example zoning out while watching this

video

do you think you have adhd because of

this

oftentimes people mistake symptoms of

anxiety as adhd because of some of the

similar traits they share according to

the center for disease control and

prevention data about three in ten

children with adhd have anxiety so to

help you get a better understanding of

the difference between adhd and anxiety

here are six signs to look out for

number one

you have poor focus because of worrying

thoughts are you always distracted by

your worries so much so that you're

unable to focus on the things you're

doing

when fear and apprehension dominate your

thoughts it may cause you to become

restless have trouble with sitting still

paying attention or staying focused in

class according to john waldrop md from

wale cornell medical college when you

experience anxiety your prefrontal

cortex the part of the brain which is

essential for thinking learning and

remembering is shut down your brain is

concentrated on staying safe

in contrast with adhd you aren't

consumed by worrying thoughts instead it

has more to do with an imbalance in your

hormones dopamine and norepinephrine

which causes you to be distracted number

two you don't tend to have as many

problems with impulsivity

do you often find yourself speaking out

loud in class without raising your hand

perhaps you were even labeled as the

troublemaker in school because of the

way you can never sit still

according to dr john a person with adhd

may feel as if there are dozens of

controllers trying to control their

brain at the same time without checking

in with each other first

so if you find that you don't appear to

have as many problems with impulsivity

but just struggle to speak up or stand

up because of your nerves then you may

have anxiety rather than adhd

number three

you have trouble completing your

schoolwork because of perfectionism

do you have trouble completing your

schoolwork perhaps you find yourself

procrastinating even if you only have

just one assignment due

this struggle could be because you have

so many points you want to make and so

many ways to phrase the words that it

leaves you wanting to throw up your

hands and ignore them

you're avoiding starting your

assignments because you can't have it be

less than perfect

if you can relate to this then it's more

likely you're struggling with anxiety

and not adhd

dr john stated that while people with

adhd may experience difficulty

completing their schoolwork or

performing tasks

it's often due to trouble with

concentration rather than perfectionism

number four

you are generally more sensitive to

social cues

are you very sensitive to how you come

across to other people

do you find yourself often uncomfortable

with your social environment

perhaps you find it challenging to eat

in front of other people or tend to

avoid speaking in public because of an

overwhelming fear that people will judge

you negatively

according to dr john if your answers are

yes to the above questions it's more

likely that you have anxiety rather than

adhd this is because people with adhd

usually struggle with understanding or

missing social cues rather than being

hypersensitive to them

number five you experience a racing

heart clamminess tense muscles headaches

nausea or dizziness

do you often experience headaches nausea

or dizziness

these are just some of the symptoms of

anxiety dr john stated that anxiety

comes from a tiny almond-shaped part at

the back of your brain called the

amygdala as a watchman for your brain it

is constantly watching out for danger

and whenever it detects danger it

triggers a fight or flight response

however for people who are anxious the

amygdala is large and hypersensitive

because of this it ends up sending out a

lot of false alarms

you can think of it as a watchman who

cries wolf too often as a result your

brain may sense threats even in

non-threatening situations and number

six

you are unlikely to show problem

behaviors when you're feeling calm safe

and doing things you enjoy

how do you act when you're having fun

whether it's listening to your favorite

music or playing video games you may

find yourself feeling calm and safe

while doing the things that you

genuinely enjoy

you are neither restless nor feeling

like you need to catch your breath

according to dr john anxious individuals

are unlikely to display any problem

behaviors when feeling calm safe and

doing something they enjoy

on the contrary people with adhd will

experience problem behaviors even when

they engage in a particular fun or

exciting activity

for example a person with adhd may

become so engrossed with painting a

picture that they tune out or completely

ignore everything else

this behavior is known as hyperfocus

did you relate to any of the signs we've

mentioned let us know in the comments

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watching and see you in our next video