- 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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