ADHD vs Anxiety

By: David Lim

Similarities and the issue

Both ADHD and Anxiety can cause people to feel restless or have difficulty concentrating.

Because symptoms of ADHD and Anxiety can overlap, it can be difficult to tell the difference between each condition. Due to this difficulty, it is common for people to be incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD when they have Anxiety, and vice versa. Sometimes, someone might be diagnosed with only one of those when they have both.

How to tell the difference

Symptoms	ADHD	Anxiety
Restlessness	Mind and body are very impulsive leading to excessive talking or movement	Mind and body are restless due to worry Sometimes, people with anxiety will start trembling, pacing, or sweating
Difficulty concentrating	Having difficulty concentrating even when the mind is calm	Having trouble focusing in a situation where anxiety was triggered

The best way to tell if you have found out if you have ADHD, Anxiety, or both is to talk to a mental health provider. They will usually ask about your medical and mental health history and give questionnaires. However, due to the similarities between ADHD and Anxiety, it may often take multiple questionnaires to determine whether you have ADHD, Anxiety, or both.

SOURCES:

● Sissons, B. (2023, June 9). What is the difference between ADHD and anxiety?

Medicalnewstoday.com; Medical News Today.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-vs-anxiety#anxiety-symptoms

● Klarity Health, Inc. (2024, September 13). ADHD Vs Anxiety: Which Is Which?

https://www.helloklarity.com/post/adhd-vs-anxiety/