ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression
If you've been diagnosed with ADHD or are wondering if you have ADHD you're probably familiar with the struggle of parsing out your experiences, differentiating between overlapping symptoms, and trying to figure out what means what. A few questions you may be frustratingly familiar with, is this my ADHD, anxiety, or depression? Is it a combination of all three? Which came first? What do I try to treat?
People with ADHD are three times more likely than the general population to develop a mood disorder and nearly 50% of adults with ADHD have also been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. If you are wondering about which of these diagnoses may fit your experiences best, you may have found yourself in one of the following situations:
- You have been diagnosed with ADHD but it doesn't seem to sufficiently account for all of your symptoms.
- You have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety but something significant still seems to be missing.
- You've been diagnosed with ADHD and a mood disorder (or two) and have been able to get treatment for all of the above.
Undiagnosed ADHD
Living with ADHD can cause significant stress. Difficulties with executive functioning impact time management, the ability to initiate tasks and activities, organization, procrastination, trouble following up or completing tasks, and sensory sensitivities. Without an ADHD diagnosis, some medical and mental health professionals may misinterpret your symptoms as anxiety or depression. There is often overlap in symptoms between these disorders, but the underlying causes of these symptoms are typically different.
You Have Been Diagnosed With ADHD, But Something's Missing
Maybe you've been diagnosed with ADHD but also experience struggles that feel independent from the ADHD. It is possible that these experiences are better represented by depression and/or anxiety.
Depression, in the form of a major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder, is characterized most significantly by persistent sadness, irritability, or a sense of feeling "low," "blue," or "numb." Anxiety is broadly defined as a feeling of unease, tension, or nervousness related to stressful or uncertain situations. Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder are anxiety disorders commonly found to be co-morbid with ADHD.
A complicating factor is that for those who grow up with ADHD, whether diagnosed or not, it is common to develop ways of "masking" their natural behaviors to try to better fit in with neurotypical family, friends, and societal expectations. Patterns of masking can lead to hyper-monitoring your own behavior around others and ignoring or hiding your needs or feelings in ways that can contribute to persistent anxiety and depression as well.
Comparing Symptoms
Mood & Emotions
Irritable Mood: - ADHD: Irritability may be due to restlessness, impulsivity, sensory sensitivities, fatigue, or feeling demoralized by ADHD-related struggles. - Anxiety: May feel stretched too thin at times, which may result in a jumpy or hypervigilant presentation. - Depression: Irritability may be due to frustration, fatigue, having a "short fuse," and experiencing everything as annoying.
Loss of Interest: - ADHD: ADHDers commonly grow intensely interested in something and, after some time, may suddenly lose interest and move on to a new interest. - Anxiety: Activities that used to be enjoyable may bring on anxiety, leading to avoidance. - Depression: Little enjoyment is found in anything that was once pleasurable.
Thoughts & Cognition
Difficulty Concentrating: - ADHD: Difficulty staying focused due to internal or external distractions, or hyperfocus on something urgent or novel. - Anxiety: Difficulty staying focused due to worry, fear, or obsessive thoughts. - Depression: Difficulty staying focused due to lack of interest, fatigue, or clouded thinking.
You Have Been Diagnosed and Treated for ADHD and Anxiety and/or Depression
If you have both a mood disorder and ADHD, obviously the ideal situation is to be diagnosed and treated effectively for all of it. Next step is to determine how your symptoms interact and what focus would be most effective for your treatment. At times, your ADHD symptoms may be in the most need of attention, while at other times certain symptoms or causes of anxiety and depression may need the most immediate care.
Symptoms Are Hard to Differentiate
Differentiating between symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression can be tricky, especially because they often co-occur. If you think you may be struggling with any of these disorders, reach out to a mental health professional for help. A great place to start could be speaking with a therapist or having a comprehensive psychological evaluation.
