The ADHD and Anxiety Overlap

Did you know that up to 50% of people with ADHD also experience an anxiety disorder? ADHD and anxiety go hand in hand. In fact, many adults with undiagnosed ADHD start their treatment because their anxiety becomes unbearable. Untreated ADHD can cause anxiety. Anxiety will also mask ADHD symptoms. A misdiagnosis of General Anxiety Disorder is common in adults with ADHD, especially women.

ADHD can make everyday life more difficult: time blindness makes you late to everything, difficulty prioritizing makes your workload a nightmare, and frequent overstimulation makes relationships difficult to maintain. The result? Anxiety that looks like an anxiety disorder, but is really undiagnosed ADHD in action. Treating this type of anxiety requires treating the underlying ADHD, not just the anxiety. Talk to an Alexandria psychiatrist about how.

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Why Does Untreated ADHD Cause Anxiety?

ADHD isn’t an anxiety disorder, but anxiety and ADHD go hand in hand. People with ADHD often experience more anxiety because of their ADHD symptoms, including:

The Mental Toll of Lateness

Most people know the feeling of speeding down I-95, late to work, anxiety churning in your stomach. Being late is anxiety-causing. Time blindness is a common ADHD symptom that makes it difficult for people with ADHD to guess how much time has elapsed or how long a task will take them. This means they often don’t leave themselves enough time to get places and are running late.

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Chronic Relationship Strain

Many ADHD folks have trouble maintaining long-term relationships. There are many reasons for this, including heightened emotional sensitivity, impulsiveness, and difficulty communicating. Over time, this relationship strain can lead to pronounced anxiety.

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Difficulty With Everyday Tasks

Executive functions are skills like task management, planning, memory, and prioritizing. In ADHD, these skills are markedly impaired. This makes daily tasks like getting groceries, making plans with friends, or even preparing dinner much more difficult for people with ADHD. With every day bringing more challenges, anxiety can start to grow.

Anxiety as Productivity Fuel

Many adults with undiagnosed ADHD mask their symptoms. “Masking” means covering symptoms, usually with maladaptive coping mechanisms. For example, many people will use anxiety as a way to overcome ADHD symptoms. The ADHD brain thrives on danger, and actually performs better in a crisis. Some people have learned to create the experience of danger through anxiety. For example, getting overly anxious about a work project so your brain calms down enough to focus on the task at hand is a common practice. This can lead to burnout and anxiety disorders, however, and is not sustainable.

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Affordable ADHD and Anxiety Psychiatrists in Alexandria

If you’re struggling with both ADHD and anxiety, talk to a specialist. Lifebulb’s Alexandria Psychiatrists accept insurance and have little to no wait time.

How To Get Medication For ADHD and Anxiety

When anxiety is caused by ADHD, medication for ADHD can be helpful in treating both. Here are some steps to see an Alexandria Psychiatrist soon.

It’s important to feel comfortable with and understood by your psychiatrist. Keeping things from your psychiatrist is never a good idea, so you should feel ready to share about your mental and physical health. Some people find it helpful to look for a psychiatrist with shared lived experiences as them. Others prefer ones with a lot of experience. You can search for an online Alexandria psychiatrist that fits your needs with our therapist and psychiatrist directory.

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Most insurances will cover psychiatry and medication management. They will also cover medication for mental health. The exact coverage depends on your insurance. Factors like deductible, copay, and coinsurance might apply. You can call your insurance provider to get a cost estimate or reach out to Lifebulb. We can check your insurance coverage for you.

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Your first virtual psychiatry appointment for ADHD and anxiety will likely involve a lot of background information, talking about your symptoms, any past experiences with medications, and your physical health. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained to treat mental health, so they’ll take into consideration your whole health, physical and mental. This is also a time to ask any questions you have about anxiety medication or online psychiatry.

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After your psychiatrist prescribes you ADHD and anxiety medication, you can start taking it under their supervision. Pay attention to how your symptoms change. Do they get worse? Better? No change? Report your findings back to your psychiatrist.

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Your psychiatrist may tweak the type or dosage of your ADHD and anxiety medication. The goal of medication is to ease symptoms with the least amount of side effects as possible. Maintenance sessions will help you stay on track with your mental health goals and ensure you're taking anxiety medication safely.

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