ADHD ยท October 2, 2026
ADHD and Anxiety: How They Overlap
By Kathie Bolles, PMHNP-BC
ADHD and anxiety are common, and they often occur together. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 4.4% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 44 meet criteria for ADHD, while anxiety is the most common class of mental disorder in the country. Their symptoms overlap, which means they can mask each other, and a careful evaluation is the reliable way to tell them apart. Mynd Works Psychiatry in Austin, Texas, evaluates and treats both, together when appropriate.
How do ADHD and anxiety overlap?
Restlessness, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and feeling overwhelmed are symptoms of both conditions. Someone with ADHD may feel constantly behind and become anxious about it; someone with anxiety may be so preoccupied by worry that they cannot focus, which can look like inattention.
The result is that each condition can disguise the other, and treating only one sometimes leaves the other in place.
Why do they get confused?
Because they share behaviors, not just feelings. Both can involve racing thoughts, avoidance, and difficulty starting tasks. The timing and pattern help separate them: ADHD symptoms tend to be consistent across situations and over time, while anxiety often follows worry, stress, or specific triggers.
This is why self-diagnosis is unreliable. An ADHD evaluation asks how symptoms have shown up across your life, while an anxiety evaluation asks how worry and fear have developed; at Mynd Works these are done thoroughly and honestly.
How are ADHD and anxiety evaluated together?
The evaluation is a detailed clinical interview covering current symptoms, their history and timing, sleep, substances, medical health, and previous treatment. Structured rating scales and information about functioning in different settings help build the picture.
The clinician also considers which condition came first, because treatment order matters: stabilizing anxiety can make ADHD symptoms clearer, and treating ADHD can reduce the anxiety that comes from chronic overwhelm.
How is treatment approached when both are present?
Treatment is individualized and coordinated. Psychotherapy can address worry patterns while building practical strategies for attention and organization. Medication decisions, when appropriate, are made collaboratively, with measurement-based psychiatric care tracking whether the combined plan is working.
Some ADHD medications can increase anxiety in certain people, which is exactly why close monitoring and honest communication between visits are built into the model. No outcome is guaranteed, and the plan is adjusted based on evidence.
Common questions
Can anxiety be mistaken for ADHD?
Yes, and ADHD can also be mistaken for anxiety. Their symptoms overlap, which is why a careful evaluation considering the timing and pattern of symptoms is essential.
Does treating ADHD help anxiety?
For some people, reducing the chronic overwhelm that comes with untreated ADHD eases anxiety. For others, anxiety needs its own treatment. This is decided individually during evaluation.
Can ADHD and anxiety be treated at the same time?
Yes. At Mynd Works, both are evaluated together and treated with a coordinated, individualized plan, which often produces better results than addressing either one alone.
