ADHD and Anxiety – Which One is the Primary Condition?
By Robert D Hawkins

ADHD and anxiety regularly coexist and there is some question as to whether ADHD drives anxiety, anxiety drives ADHD, or whether they are they separate overlapping conditions caused by a biological imbalance of brain neurotransmitter chemicals. To add to the confusion symptoms and proportion of ADHD and anxiety may vary greatly from person to person.

Nevertheless, in this article we will delve into the quandary which is ADHD and anxiety seeking to find some answers.

Most agree that arriving at a definitive diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is no easy task with no definitive test currently available to either rule in, or rule out, the condition. When comorbid conditions exist such as ADHD and anxiety the plot thickens even more.

Research tells us that between 50 and 70 percent of individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suffer from overlapping (comorbid) conditions such as anxiety, clinical anxiety, depression, learning disorders, bipolar disorder, and substance abuse. Of these approximately 60 percent are dealing with anxiety on a regular and persistent basis.

Additionally, in a test group of teens and adults with overlapping conditions a whopping seven out of every ten had at least some history of substance abuse and dependence.

Let’s take a moment to quickly refresh our memory by looking at how the American Medical Association defines ADHD, anxiety, and anxiety disorders in our quest to find answers.

ADHD: A mental illness characterized by difficulty paying attention and a high degree of restlessness and impulsive behavior that begins before the age of seven, lasts for at least six months, and can cause the individual substantial difficulty in at least two settings, usually family and school.

Anxiety: A general feeling of uneasiness, dread, uncertainty, and fear in response to, or in anticipation of, a real or imagined threat.

Anxiety disorder: A group of mental illnesses characterized by overpowering and long lasting fear, dread, unease, apprehension, obsession, compulsions, and unpleasant physical symptoms, such as sweating, elevated heartbeat, shaking, and trembling.

Could ADHD actually cause mild or generalized anxiety?

The three primary symptoms attributed to ADHD are inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity/restlessness. Those with the condition tend to underachieve academically, have trouble socially, are forgetful and/or absentminded, be worry warts, have a negative outlook on life, have disciplinary problems, and have low self esteem.

In looking at this list it becomes pretty clear that if in fact and ADHD child or adult didn’t have some anxiety it would be miraculous. Add into the mix the chance that they may be under a great deal of pressure to do such things as improve their grades or unruly behavior and all of the sudden we are looking at a person who is under so much pressure in all aspects of their lives that they might simply raise the white flag of surrender, figuring what’s the use in trying since I am going to fail anyway.

Of course this isn’t the reality since many great names throughout history (Einstein, Franklin, Edison, Lincoln) have had ADHD but one could sure understand how the ADHD child or adult could end up so riddled with high and persistent anxiety that struggling to find the confidence and willpower to forge on might be prove challenging.

From my point of view it appears, that at least most of the time, it is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that is driving the bus when it comes to ADHD and anxiety, but as with so many things ADHD their seems to be no firm evidence to definitively prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Robert D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field. To learn more about ADHD, along with safe and effective natural remedies for improving problematic ADHD symptoms Click Here

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The attacks usually last about ten minutes, but can be as short as one minute. In severe cases, these attacks can happen in cycles. These cycles may last for extended periods. These cycles can cause anticipation anxiety between episodes.

Physical symptoms of anxiety attacks generally include shortness of breath, heart palpitations and sweating. Tingling and numbness in the extremities, dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches and nausea are also commonly experienced. These may appear to be random, but theyre actually the result of the bodys preparations for protection.

The anxiety attack is brought on by a sudden onset of fear. In response, the body releases adrenaline followed by increases in the heart and breathing rate and production of sweat (to regulate body temperature). These actions prepare the body for the physical activities of fighting or escaping. Because the anticipated strenuous activity rarely follows the panic attack, these reactions result in physical discomfort.

The increased heart rate is felt as heart palpitations. Rapid breathing (hyperventilation) results in a drop in carbon dioxide levels in the lungs and blood. This leads to the tingling, numbness, dizziness and lightheadedness. The adrenaline causes a narrowing of the blood vessels which results in less blood flow to the head. This also contributes to the lightheadedness and headaches.

For a video on what to do during a panic attack click here

The terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” are used almost interchangeably in today’s culture, but they have very different meanings to many mental health professionals. In reality there is not that much difference for the sufferer of these problems but for the sake of clarity we will show the differences.

An anxiety attack is when something bad has happened to you or you are afraid that something bad may occur so you start to get very anxious. You can get so anxious that you might even experience some physical symptoms. For example, you might get real nervous, and you might start to have heart palpitations and increased sweating. An anxiety attack can last anywhere from a few minutes, such as just before a public talk, to a few days – such as when you are starting a new job. The main thing about an anxiety attack is that you are worrying about something and you usually know what it is.

A panic attack on the other hand descends upon you suddenly, out of the clear blue for no apparent reason at all. You suddenly feel like you are having a heart attack, or that you are going crazy and losing control. You can have many of the same symptoms as an anxiety attack with the racing heart, shortness of breath, tightness in your throat and nausea but it comes upon you very sudden.

The primary focus during a panic attack is worry about your body (dying) or mind (going crazy). Some people have anxiety attacks that turn into panic attacks. They will start to get worked up about a stressful event in their lives and it turns into a full blown panic attack.

The bottom line is that either a panic attack or an anxiety attack can be a very disturbing event in someone’s life.