The Overlap Between Anxiety and ADHD: What Most People Miss
Racing thoughts. Restlessness. Trouble focusing. If you’ve experienced these symptoms, you’ve likely wondered: Do I have anxiety? ADHD? Both?
It’s a fair question — and an important one. Anxiety and ADHD frequently co-occur, mimic one another, and are often misunderstood, especially in adults. Misdiagnosis is common, treatment paths diverge, and the consequences of getting it wrong can leave people stuck for years.
Let’s break down what makes these conditions overlap, how to tell the difference, and why finding the right root cause can unlock real relief.
Anxiety vs. ADHD: What They Have in Common — and What They Don’t
Both anxiety and ADHD can lead to:
Poor focus
Trouble sleeping
Constant worry or restlessness
Overstimulation
Mood swings
Task avoidance
But the drivers behind these symptoms are very different.
ADHD: A Wiring Issue
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs executive function — including attention control, emotional regulation, impulse management, and working memory. The brain of someone with ADHD tends to have underactivity in the prefrontal cortex, especially when performing tasks that require sustained focus or delayed gratification.
The result? They’re easily distracted, struggle with time management, and often jump between tasks. But this isn’t due to fear — it’s inconsistent regulation of attention and motivation.
Anxiety: A Nervous System Imbalance
Anxiety, on the other hand, stems from overactivation of the fear response. It’s the brain perceiving threats — real or imagined — and remaining in a state of heightened alert. People with anxiety often ruminate on what might go wrong, overanalyze situations, and avoid anything that feels uncertain or risky.
Their focus issues aren’t due to disinterest — they’re caused by overthinking and mental overload.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly half of adults with ADHD also experience an anxiety disorder, making it even harder to tease apart what’s what.
Why Misdiagnosis Is So Common
Many adults — especially women — are first diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) because their ADHD presents subtly: forgetfulness, chronic overwhelm, and disorganization masked by perfectionism or people-pleasing.
Over time, untreated ADHD leads to anxiety: constant underperformance, missed deadlines, social friction — it all adds up. But if clinicians treat only the anxiety and not the underlying executive dysfunction, the root cause remains.
This is especially true in people who seem “high-functioning.” They may not appear hyperactive, but their mind feels like it’s in constant motion — jumping from one thought or task to the next without pause.
Want to start untangling the patterns? Use this mental health check-in or journaling prompts for anxiety to begin identifying which symptoms dominate — and when.
What the Science Says About Overlap
A 2019 review in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews explains the overlap through brain function. ADHD involves underactive executive control, while anxiety involves hyperactive threat detection — but both involve:
The prefrontal cortex (attention, regulation)
The limbic system (emotional reactivity)
Disruptions in dopamine and norepinephrine systems
In short: both disorders affect attention, but for different reasons. ADHD struggles to direct attention at all. Anxiety directs it too much — but toward fear.
This explains why treating anxiety alone often fails when ADHD is the root — and vice versa.
Another study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that teenagers and adults with both conditions often underperform academically, socially, and professionally, but for subtly different reasons. While anxiety holds them back through fear, ADHD limits them through forgetfulness, impulsivity, or poor time perception.
That’s why accurate diagnosis matters — the wrong treatment can worsen both.
If you’re stuck in cycles of burnout, check out foundational habits for mental clarity and focus to help you reset — no matter what’s underneath.
How to Tell the Difference in Yourself
Sorting through shared symptoms takes nuance. Here’s a breakdown of how these issues feel differently in real life:
ADHD-Driven Distraction
You forget why you walked into the room
You struggle to complete long or boring tasks — even when they matter
You lose focus when things aren’t immediately interesting
Your mind shifts topics rapidly without prompting
You miss deadlines despite caring about the outcome
Anxiety-Driven Distraction
You focus too much — on worst-case scenarios
You can’t stop thinking about future events or past mistakes
You avoid tasks because of perfectionism or fear of failure
Your attention is hijacked by “what if” loops
You overprepare, double-check, and second-guess constantly
If you resonate with both, it’s worth considering that you may have both — and need treatment that addresses executive function and nervous system regulation.
Why Dual Treatment Might Be the Answer
In some cases, treating both conditions at once is necessary — and more effective than targeting just one.
For example:
Stimulants can improve focus and reduce overwhelm, which then lowers anxiety
Therapy can help identify thought patterns that trigger anxiety even if ADHD remains
Lifestyle supports (like sleep, movement, and nutrition) regulate both executive function and nervous system stability
If you’ve been treated for one disorder and still feel like you’re only halfway functioning, it’s worth revisiting your care plan. Combining behavioral tools, medication, and nervous system practices can be the key to full recovery.
Practices like mental resilience micro-habits or simple mindfulness practices for anxiety can support both ADHD and anxiety with minimal side effects — and sometimes unlock clarity faster than you’d expect.
How Diagnosis Impacts Treatment Outcomes
Treatment diverges depending on which root cause is dominant:
ADHD treatment includes stimulant or non-stimulant medications, behavioral coaching, productivity systems, and lifestyle supports.
Anxiety treatment focuses on therapy (CBT or exposure), SSRIs, nervous system regulation, and thought reframing techniques.
Treating ADHD with anxiety meds often does nothing for focus or impulsivity. And treating anxiety with stimulants may backfire — increasing panic, sleep problems, or muscle tension if not monitored closely.
That’s why it’s crucial to track which symptoms came first, which ones are always present, and which respond to structure vs relaxation. Practices like body scanning meditation can help tune into those patterns before pursuing formal diagnosis.
Why It’s Harder to Diagnose in Adults
Most ADHD research and screening tools were originally designed for children — particularly boys. But adult ADHD looks different, and often presents as:
Mental fatigue and overwhelm
Chronic procrastination
Poor time management
Emotional outbursts
Difficulty initiating tasks
Meanwhile, adults with anxiety may appear driven, organized, or overly cautious — but that behavior can mask underlying panic or obsessive thoughts.
This mismatch leads many adults — especially women — to go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for decades. A 2023 review by the National Institute of Mental Health highlighted that ADHD in adult women is particularly under-recognized due to social masking, emotional coping strategies, and internalized symptoms that resemble anxiety or depression.
If you’ve felt like traditional checklists don’t match your experience, that doesn’t mean you don’t qualify — it means the model may be outdated.
Final Thoughts
Anxiety and ADHD are often tangled together — but they’re not the same. One floods your brain with fear. The other scatters your focus across a dozen tabs you can’t close.
You might be anxious because your ADHD made life feel chaotic. Or you might be unfocused because anxiety hijacks your attention. Either way, misdiagnosis stalls healing — and the right support starts with understanding the true root.
If something feels off and you’ve only ever been diagnosed with one — take a second look. The answer might not be either/or. It might be both.
By Altruva Wellness Editorial Team
Sources
National Institute of Health – The Comorbidity Between ADHD and Anxiety: Shared Brain Systems
National Institute of Health – ADHD and Anxiety in Adolescents: Neurocognitive Overlap
National Institute of Mental Health – ADHD: What You Need to Know
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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your wellness routine.
