Adults experiencing ADHD and anxiety may describe feeling as though their minds never completely shut off.

There may be multiple unfinished tasks, constant worry about forgetting something important, procrastination because a project feels overwhelming, and increasing anxiety as deadlines approach.

ADHD and anxiety can occur together. In other situations, symptoms of one condition may resemble the other.

What Can Adult ADHD Look Like?

Adults with ADHD may experience:

• Procrastination
• Poor time management
• Frequently losing items
• Difficulty completing tasks
• Forgetting appointments
• Difficulty prioritizing responsibilities
• Starting multiple projects without finishing them
• Becoming distracted during conversations
• Chronic lateness
• Impulsive decisions
• Difficulty maintaining routines
• Feeling overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities

Some adults were not identified as having ADHD during childhood. Increased responsibilities in adulthood can make previously manageable difficulties with executive functioning more noticeable.

What Can Anxiety Look Like?

Anxiety can also interfere with concentration.

Someone experiencing anxiety may have difficulty focusing because attention is consumed by worry.

Symptoms may include:

• Excessive worrying
• Feeling tense or on edge
• Overthinking
• Difficulty relaxing
• Sleep difficulties
• Fear of making mistakes
• Avoiding situations because of worry
• Physical symptoms associated with anxiety

Is It ADHD, Anxiety, or Both?

Consider someone who repeatedly misses deadlines.

With ADHD, the underlying difficulty may involve time management, distractibility, organization, or task initiation.

With anxiety, an individual may know exactly what needs to be done but procrastinate because of worry about doing it incorrectly.

When both conditions are present, symptoms can reinforce one another:

ADHD-related difficulty → unfinished responsibilities → increased stress → increased anxiety → greater difficulty concentrating → additional unfinished responsibilities.

This is one reason a comprehensive evaluation can be helpful.

Adult ADHD Is More Than a Productivity Problem

ADHD can affect employment, finances, relationships, parenting, education, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.

A comprehensive evaluation considers symptoms, developmental history, duration, severity, functional impairment, and other possible explanations for the difficulties an individual is experiencing.

Treatment Is Individualized

Treatment for ADHD and anxiety depends on the individual's symptoms, psychiatric and medical history, functional impairment, and overall needs.

Treatment recommendations may include psychotherapy, behavioral and organizational strategies, lifestyle interventions, medication management, or a combination of approaches.



A psychiatric evaluation can help determine whether symptoms may be consistent with ADHD, anxiety, another condition, or multiple conditions occurring together.

ADHD and Anxiety in Adults: Understanding the Overlap