Correlation Between ADHD And Anxiety

Is there a correlation between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is also known as ADHD and Anxiety? Well, first let’s take a look at what ADHD and Anxiety are. ADHD is a chronic condition that affects millions of children, as young as seven years old, often continuing into their adulthood. There are three main types of ADHD which are extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Extreme inattention usually occurs on its own, while hyperactivity and impulsivity go hand in hand. Some of the main symptoms for an extreme inattentive person would be struggling to follow instructions, being easily distracted, having difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others, getting bored while doing a task after only a short amount of time, and forgetting things. However, for a hyperactive-impulsive type of person, symptoms may include: fidgeting, talking nonstop, having trouble sitting for sustained periods of time, being constantly in motion, and having difficulty doing a quiet task or activity.

Despite all of these symptoms, there can also be other causes that can contribute one to having ADHD, such as having a brain injury, for only a small percent of children, genes, low birth weight, and being in a bad environment, such as smoking and drinking during pregnancy. In addition to symptom and causes, there is also the diagnosis part. To see whether or not a child has ADHD, one can refer to these three steps. First, check to see if the child is easily distracted, acting impulsively, and is having a hard time concentrating at one time or another. Because everyone is different, symptoms will vary from person to person, causing the disorder to be hard to diagnose. Parents may notice that their child loses interest in all sort of activities, sooner than other children, or they may constantly seem “unfocused” or “out of control”. Because parents are so busy, often their child’s teacher would be the one to notice their symptoms before the parents have a chance to. Teachers may notice stuff such as when a child has trouble following rules or is frequently “spacing out”. However, no test can diagnose a child as having ADHD because a licensed health professional needs to be the one to gather information about the child and their behavior, as well as their environment.

There is no cure for people with ADHD, but there are treatments that can help improve one’s ability to function, along with reducing their symptoms. Going to therapy can help people cooperate with everyday problems, such as misplacing objects, being late, getting sidetracked, etc. The three main types of therapies that are helpful for those with ADHD are Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Family Therapy.

There is no cure for people with ADHD, but there are treatments that can help improve one’s ability to function, along with reducing their symptoms. Going to therapy can help people cooperate with everyday problems, such as misplacing objects, being late, getting sidetracked, etc. The three main types of therapies that are helpful for those with ADHD are Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Family Therapy. Behavioral Therapy is a therapy that applies the ability to learn principles to the elimination of behavior that is unwanted. Here, therapists may teach children different social skills, such as how to share their belongings, being patient, asking for help, or respond to people that tease them for being how they are. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapy that teaches people different and new ways of thinking and acting, based on the assumption that their thoughts interfere between events and emotional reactions. Here, a person gets to learn how to accept one’s thoughts and feelings to improve their concentration and focus. However, Family therapy is a therapy that treats the family as a system. This type of therapy focuses on an individual’s unwanted behaviors as directed at other families members. Its goal is to guide each and every family member towards a positive relationship, as well as to improve their communications.

Another treatment for ADHD is medication. Medication can help the person with their ability to learn, work, and focus. While taking medication, one must be monitored, to make sure that they are taking the proper amount of medicine when necessary. The most common type of medication used for treating ADHD is a dose of stimulants, such as such as an amphetamine-like Adderall and methylphenidate like Ritalin. This is because stimulants increase the brain’s chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, which plays an essential part in paying attention and thinking. Non-stimulants, such as Strattera, tricyclic, and antidepressants are also an option, but they usually take longer than stimulants to kick in. However, non-stimulants can improve an individual’s focus and impulsivity.  Now let’s look at what Anxiety is. Anxiety is a feeling one gets of feeling worried and nervous, usually about an event or something to do with an outcome. There are four types of anxiety disorders of which people may go through. The first type of disorder is a generalized anxiety disorder, which is when one is continual nervous, tense, and uneasy. The second type of disorder is a panic disorder, which is when a person has sudden episodes of intense dread. For this disorder, every person in seventy-five people will have their anxiety suddenly increase into a panic attack, which can be a minute long episodes of intense fear that something dreadful is going to happen. The next type of disorder would be phobias, as it is an intense fear of a specific situation or object. Lastly is the obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is when a person is being troubled by repetitive thoughts and/or actions.

Symptoms such as panicking, having trouble sleeping, not being able to stay calm and still, being cold, sweaty, or numb, having a difficult time catching your breath, having heart palpitations, noticing that your mouth is dry, feeling nauseous, feeling tension in your muscles, and getting dizzy are the most common symptoms that a person will go through when having anxiety. These symptoms can occur from a person not having enough sleep, exercise, or enough nutrients in their body from eating healthy. They may also get anxiety from being stress from anything, such as a personal relationship, a current job position, or even finances. With that being said, if one person has too many expectations for achievement in their daily life, they can get anxiety, as they begin to feel stressed out.

There a several diagnoses that doctors may be able to do for a person if they were to be their patient. For example, doctors may do a physical exam to look for the different signs of anxiety that might be linked to a current or even past medication that a person may have been taking. After questioning the patient, if a medical condition is suspected, then they will order the person to take a blood test, a urine test, or any other necessary test. Doctors may also use the criteria listed in something called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is also known as DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM-5 is a widely used system for classifying different types of psychological disorders and was developed in coordination with the tenth edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Disease (ICD-10), which covers both medical and psychological disorders.

There are several different treatments that one with anxiety might take, which may include counseling or medications, including antidepressants. Antidepressants are a type of medications that help relieve any symptoms one may have of social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders, as well as several other conditions. The easiest and best treatment would be self-care, as you are healing yourself by watching your everyday activities. Some self-care treatments are avoiding alcohol, because it may be exasperating the certain condition a person has, especially, if that person is in taking too much. Reducing caffeine intake is also a big part of anxiety, because the more caffeine a person has, the high risk they have of worsening their condition. Not only is it important to watch the amount of intake into one’s body, but it is also important to make sure that the person does do some form of physical exercise. Aerobic exercise is the most recommended type of exercise by a specialist because it increases the heart and lung fitness, making a person even healthier than before. Examples of aerobic exercise would be cardio, such as running, swimming, hiking, etc. An alternation for aerobic exercise could be various relaxation techniques, including, taking deep breaths, doing meditation, yoga, and other activities the reduce symptoms of stress. By doing any enjoyable activities, the levels of depression a person has will decrease, as well as improve their mental health. A person’s mental and physical health can be destroyed by a smoker, as it worsens one’s anxiety. Staying healthy is very important, therefore no one should be putting themselves on diets that are not needed for them. This can cause starvation and stress, as the person thinks about eating something they know that they put a restraint on. If anyone is going to be putting themselves on a diet, a healthy diet is recommended. A healthy diet is a type of diet that provides essential nutrients and calories a person needs in their body while avoiding surplus sugar, fatty foods, and carbohydrates. In addition to self-care, there are other treatment options such as seeing a therapist, however, this type of treatment may be costly for some people.

There is two main type of therapies one may attend to moderate symptoms of stress. The first type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a type of talk therapy which focuses on modifying negative behaviors, thoughts, and emotional responses associated with psychological distress. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the types of therapies that generally requires fewer sessions than other types of therapy and is done in a structured way. The second type of therapy is psychotherapy, which is an emotionally charged interaction between the patient and their therapist. In this case, the patient is usually someone who suffers from psychological difficulties, as anxiety contributes to one’s mental state and health. Talking with a psychotherapist helps the patient let all of their emotions out, reducing the stress they may have been carrying on them, and improving their thoughts by clearing their mind. Another option for seeing a therapist would be seeing a specialist.

Specialists are people who are highly skilled in a specific field which focus mainly on a particular subject or activity. Different specialist have different fields, therefore, the patient has to make sure that they see the right specialist for their problem. For example, clinical psychologists are professionally specialized in focusing on diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, behavior problems, and emotional disturbance. This type of specialist treats mental disorders primarily by talking with the patients. Primary Care Providers (PCP) are also considered as specialists as they are practitioners who see people that have common medical problems. PCPs are most often doctors, but they may be a physician assistant or nurse practitioner as well. The patient’s Primary Care Provider is often involved in their care for a long time and helps prevent diagnose along with treat diseases. Psychiatrists are also a type of specialists who are medical practitioners specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. They treat mental disorders mainly with medications. For those who do not have time to go see a therapist or just do not want to, another form of treatment would be medication.

There are many different types of medication to help one cope with their anxiety. Taking medication helps to improve mental health, as well as relaxation. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, as known as SSRI, are drugs that are usually used as antidepressants, a medication that relieves depression and elevates one’s mood, in treating anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. SSRIs can be helpful for depression, panic disorder, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety. The most common SSRI that a person with anxiety may mostly use would be one of the following: Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro. These medications are well-tolerated medications that are safe for medically ill patients and safe in overdose. There are no withdrawal effects unless the patient stops using the medication suddenly, and no dependency develops. The anxiolytic is another type of medication that relieves anxiety, unlike anxiogenic agents. Anxiolytics work by attacking key chemical messengers in the brain. This is thought to help decrease abnormal excitability. Some of the more frequently prescribed anxiolytics are benzodiazepines. These include Xanax, Librium, Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan. Another form of medication is sedative medication, which causes calmness and decreases one’s senses, making them drowsy. Sedatives are occasionally called sleeping pills because they relax the person. Lastly, we have nerve pain medication, which blocks pain caused by damaged nerves. Examples of nerve pain would be Effexor, Lidocaine, and Wellbutrin.