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adhdpal · 4 years

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ADHD and Anxiety

TL;DR. Anxiety is very common to have when you’re an ADHDer and even though it is a natural response to fear, it gets problematic when we’re constantly anxious. The way we’re treated as kids or even as adults can make it even worse, and our symptoms don’t really help to alleviate the stress. This is why it’s very important to keep in mind how it can affects us and learn ways to cope.

Most of us neurodiverse folk know that ADHD doesn’t come by itself and actually has some other friends that make our lives a bit more difficult. One of them is anxiety.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a very common part of everyone’s lives, feelings of worry or fear when confronted with something scary is quite normal, and that’s because it’s our body’s response to a realistically anticipated danger. Let’s say we’re walking on a mountain and we find a bear, our body’s survival instinct will kick in a series of physical reactions that get us ready to run for our lives. Now imagine the bear isn’t right there, in fact, there’s no bear, but you STILL get that reaction and it impairs your day to day life, that’s anxiety.

So, ADHD and anxiety, why?

Anxiety is quite common for us ADHDers during our lifespans, completely regardless of gender, age or type of ADHD we have. This is why a number of experts are trying to give more importance to the emotional reactions we could have because of our difficulties. It’s understandable that our exterior symptoms are the most visible ones and therefore the most treated, but never underestimate how telling your doctor about how your symptoms manifest internally can change the way your treatment goes.

So, in a more scientific approach, anxiety as a comorbidity of ADHD can be seen in different ways; it could be the byproduct of a third disorder, anxiety produced because of the constant negative feedback we receive while going through life, or just the two disorders existing together but for different reasons not related to each other.

I’m gonna focus mainly on the second point, anxiety occurring because of facing negative feedback because of our symptoms.

ADHD kids who also have anxiety are considered worriers, they usually worry about how they’re gonna do in school or other things where their ability is being measured, they even tend to worry about the way they socialise with others and how good they are at it. They constantly stress about the future and new situations, which, if left untreated, follows us until we’re adults.

How does that affect us?

In kids, they tend to doubt themselves a lot, wondering constantly if they’re doing good, they don’t like to try new stuff and have a lot of self doubt, and curiously enough, they also have stronger ADHD symptoms. Sounds familiar? As an adult I still struggle with this, and I know of many adults who do too.

There have been many times when I’ve preferred to not really do something that seems interesting because of the fear of not being good at it, of failing. This started after I was 18 though, after starting college, because I wasn’t the brilliant kid I used to be anymore.

This specific brand of anxiety in me is because of the negative feedback I received. Because some of my professors called me stupid, because even if I studied for 14 hours every day I still struggled to pass my classes, because whenever I tried, someone told me it wasn’t enough, that I should try harder, even if they didn’t see how hard I was already trying.

My inability to control my attention when it came to my law studies made me feel anxious enough that whenever I had finals I would cry each day while studying, because “I needed to try harder”.

And with this, the self doubt becomes bigger and bigger, in a kind of snowball effect. I wasn’t sure if I could even finish law school, so why would I try to learn other things if it would be just more of the same? It would be better if I just give up. That’s what I used to think almost every day.

What can I do to deal with this?

I promise you this is not a sad story with a sad ending! Anxiety is like a big monster ready to eat you at any moment, when you least expect it. But this doesn’t mean we can’t tame it.

For years I searched for ways to not be beaten down by this monster, and I found a few things that worked out for me, some others that didn’t, so here’s a list of a few I think are very nice and relatively easy to implement;

Do yoga. I KNOW how this sounds, I know it can be annoying to listen to, but yoga does have its merits when it comes to calming your anxiety and managing inattention and inhibition. A study (in kids) showed that after 8 weeks of two 40 minutes session a week helped to reduce the ADHD symptoms and can reduce the impact of stress responses. I actually did 30 minutes of very basic stuff every day and I have never been better than back then (really have to try again!).

Break tasks in simple steps. If you get overwhelmed by a task that may look horrible, try to break it down. Thinking how you have to write a whole essay is way different than thinking that you have to write an introduction today and make a body draft tomorrow.

Breathing exercises. I used to breathe in for 3 or 5 seconds, hold it for 5 or 7 seconds and slowly breathe out for 7 or 9 seconds. The times (3-5-7 or 5-7-9) totally depended on how much I could manage to breathe, and years later to my surprise my friend’s psychologist told me this was a very useful way to calm down in the moment.

Treat your ADHD. Yes, this is an obvious one, but this is because managing the symptoms can manage your response to stress, the way you work and keep your life together so you have less to worry about

Hope you enjoyed reading this far! For more, check the sources, specially the last one that has more coping mechanisms! And remember, I’m not a medical professional, I just have ADHD and love to read on it.

Sources:

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Anxiety/Anxiety---Information-Sheets/Anxiety-Information-Sheet---01---What-is-Anxiety.pdf

ADHD comorbidities, Handbook for ADHD complications in children and adults.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5237364/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression

https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-and-anxiety-symptoms-coping/

#adhd #anxiety #tips

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random-jottings-down · 7 years

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I Love ADD, and So Should You

Below is my last paper written for my College Composition class, an argument paper about ADD (obviously). I’ve only recently come to embrace it, and see that it’s not as bad as some may think, so I wrote about it! It’s a bit long, but if you’re up for the read, I’d appreciate it.

As a young boy, I sat in my classroom while listening half-heartedly to the teacher drone on about photosynthesis or something. Next thing I know, something outside would catch my eye – and my attention. After a while came the dreaded question: “Travis, do you know the answer?” The teacher had noticed, and of course, I had no idea what the question even was; I’d been staring out the window for the past ten minutes watching leaves blow across the grass. The cause was my Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, and I’ve been dealing with it for as long as I can remember. So many times, I’ve considered myself stupid, been called lazy, and felt genuinely like I don’t belong in society because of a standard I don’t fit into. I’m an oddly shaped puzzle piece; a circle trying to fit into a square hole. However, people with ADD and ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, henceforth also simply called ADD) are much more than this so-called disorder. Although living with ADD is very difficult at times, there are advantages such as creativity, compassion, sense of humor, high IQ in some cases, as well as many others; people who struggle with the disorder can be genuinely successful by finding coping strategies, and using their ability to hyper-focus on their passions.

So, what is ADD, anyway? Definitions have changed many times, but over-all it still has some negative connotations. People tend to think of ADD only as a disorder that needs to be eradicated with medication and therapy; although these two interventions help, I do not believe they should be crutches. There are other methods, and my personal choice is to stay away from medication because I feel that it masks the true personality and brain construction that I naturally have and have come to value; when I did take medication as a child, it made me feel and act like an entirely different person. ADD should be more often considered as a way the brain is wired; sure, these brains are different, but not abnormal. Lynn Weiss, PhD, defines it, borrowing from and enhancing another definition: “ADD is simply a style of brain construction.” ADDers (people with ADD) are non-linear thinkers trying to fit into a predominantly linear society, which tends to make us believe that if we can’t fit its idea of normal, then we are no good. Weiss also says people with ADD can choose to live their lives thinking that there’s something inherently wrong with them, or instead “…see yourself as a representative of diversity: ‘I am the way I was made, and that’s just fine.’” Not only should the ADD brain-construct be considered unique rather than abnormal, the positive qualities it produces should be celebrated!

The disadvantages of ADD are what most people see: inability to focus, unable to sit still, and forgetfulness; going off school grades, some may even think a child is unintelligent, which is very rarely the case. However, there are wonderful advantages that go hand-in-hand with the ADD brain-build. Erin Brodwin, a writer for Business Insider, writes in her article “4 Surprising Benefits of Having ADHD” that “being incapable of zeroing in on a single thing might also help you pick up on changes in your surroundings that others may not notice.” In addition to this heightened perception, people with ADD have an ability to think more creatively, which is a positive attribute when it comes to problem-solving during work. A slide show on the ADDitude website shows numerous other perks, which include generosity, compassion, persistence, and ingenuity. It also states that “People with ADHD are often highly intelligent and creative…”

ADDers are generally very intelligent, but they are often forced to learn a certain way in public schools, which can lead to frustration and low self-esteem. Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari, Ph.D., says in his short article “High I.Q. Typical in Children with ADD”:

“ADD is characterized by an inability to pay attention, and thus attention is widely spread out and stimulated by many different things. This high degree of stimulation is the very thing that creates intelligence in infants. While this difficulty in paying attention is not desirable as a person grows older and needs to focus and control themselves, it does usually tend to make that individual very intelligent.”

He goes on to say that these individuals have trouble articulating that intelligence, which leads to three problems: wasting potential, a society that does not recognize the value of people with ADD because of its intolerance of poor academic and career performance, and children with low self-esteem. These words resonate to me personally; for three years, I worked in an office where I had to sit at a desk all day, and although I was told on multiple occasions by my superior that he believed me to be highly intelligent, I struggled to perform well and ultimately could not thrive in that environment because I was not passionate about the work.

Therefore, one must find a profession that does not stifle the positive traits of his or her ADD, and there are several options. The previously stated ability to hyper-focus should be fully utilized. In other words, individuals with ADD should find what they are passionate about and excel at, and focus all their energy into that career field. For most of us, our strengths are in the arts and/or physically stimulating activities. According to Weiss, there is no right or wrong career to pursue as an ADDer, but she does warn against being in a job that isn’t a good fit; for example: my office job experience. In Weiss’ book Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults, she explains that “having it certainly doesn’t mean you have a mental condition or are disordered. You will appear disabled, however, if you’re placed in situations that do not fit your brainstyle.” Her book also categorizes ADD into three types and suggests jobs that may be well-suited for each one. The first is “outwardly expressed ADD,” which describes people who tend to express things more, and are generally outgoing. Jobs such as sales, retail, teaching, counseling, and other service work are suggested. Her second type is “inwardly directed ADD,” the type that many creative people have; naturally, artistic careers are great for this type. “Highly structured” is the last, which pertains to people who, while still perhaps creative, find they do well with structured career fields, such as the military, commercial piloting, or home building. I’ve found that I fall partially into this category, and I am pursuing a career in fire and rescue.

ADD doesn’t have to keep someone from achieving their dreams. Positively ADD by Catherine Corman and Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. shares success stories of people with ADD. Sharon Wohlmuth overcame the hard parts of having the disorder, even before she first found out, well into adulthood, that she had it. She struggled in school as a kid, and tried college as a young adult, but failed. Eventually she married and pursued art school full time, then eventually become a photojournalist with The Philadelphia Inquirer. Wohlmuth also had a book published that was on The New York Times best seller list for sixty-three weeks, peaking at number two! In Positively ADD, Wohlmuth says “Really understand what’s going on with your brain. That’s important because then you can ask for help and find your special talents.” Although she does take medication to do certain tasks, she does not use them when working on her photography, and advises that children don’t rely on medication alone. One more story of achievement is Karl V. Euler, V, who became a police officer and an emergency medical technician. At an early age, he also struggled in school, but once diagnosed with ADD, got medication and other help for it, learning how to deal with some of the negatives; he was also sent to a boarding school that was more willing to work with him. Kipp, as he was nicknamed, found that he actually did well in the police academy partially due to the skills he learned in order to cope. He says that when patrolling in his police cruiser, “something would catch my attention – something most people wouldn’t observe or hear. I’m constantly scanning. I think that’s a gift.” Corman states that Euler’s quick mind and physicality enable him to make the split-second decisions needed in his fields. Euler also stresses that no one should doubt what they can do because of their ADD, and I whole-heartedly agree. Anything an ADDer is interested in or has dreams of doing can absolutely be accomplished if the effort and passion is put forth.

People with ADD do have some setbacks to overcome: forgetfulness, disorganization, inattentiveness, to name a few. However, even without medication, these problems can be solved. Some tips given in John M. Grohol, PsyD’s short article “Coping Tips for Attention Deficit Disorder” may help the people dealing with these issues. If someone is forgetful in small daily tasks, such as making a quick phone call, he advises “Post notes to yourself to help remind yourself of things you need to do.” Finding the motivation to do large tasks can be daunting to ADDers. To make it seem less overwhelming, Grohol suggests that people break it down into smaller pieces, and then reward themselves when each piece is finished. This also helps with staying attentive: it may seem counter-productive, but I find that allowing myself to step away from a larger project for a few minutes helps to keep me focused when I go back to it. If a person has trouble keeping things organized, he or she should set smaller goals. If they need to organize a room, they should start with a specific part, like a desk or bookcase. Designating a storage place for things is also helpful, like an inbox for mail and bills. I also utilize a cork board to pin up papers such as library receipts so that I remember to take my books back on time. Time management can be another hard effort. In her book, Wiess suggests making detailed daily or weekly schedules. Everyone is different, though, and others may require different strategies, so it may take some trial and error, and a bit more research to see what works for each individual.

It’s hard adjusting to society’s “perfect fit,” and there are many things about ADD that do have negative impacts. For instance, if someone has hyperactivity, it may be hard to work with that person if they’re constantly needing to move around. Also, in a setting that is uninteresting to a person with ADD, it may be nearly impossible to get them to pay attention or succeed in a particular task. Impulsiveness can also be an issue. Employers don’t want an employee who can fly off the handle for no apparent reason, or is constantly behaving unpredictably. Lastly, unfortunately, ADDers do tend to be slightly forgetful and unorganized (okay, maybe more than slightly). That is why the people with these problems need some sort of coping strategy to manage them.

Again, the negative aspects of ADD can be overcome by using the suggested methods and more research. I want to remind fellow ADDers that we are amazing, unique individuals with positive qualities and the potential to do great things. We can create, we can love, we can overcome, and most importantly, we can succeed in whatever we have a passion for. ADD can be very valuable in the workplace if the employee is given the right tools and has a passion for the work. I would never want to give up having ADD, because I see my value and gifts that I can share with the world.

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