The Difference Between ADHD and Anxiety Signs

- Hey, Psych2Goers.

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 Centers
for Disease Control

and Prevention data,

about 3 in 10 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 Weill 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,

hen 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 to you.

This struggle could be because
you have so many points

you wanna make in 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 and 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 below.

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As always, the references and
studies used in this video

are added in the description below.

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

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