Beat ADHD Anxiety and Stress

Stress levels can peak with ADHD, so it's vital to learn how to cope with anxiety. Try these steps to stay stress-free.

If Simma Lieberman isn't careful to lower her stress and anxiety levels, her mind will race so much that she can’t get much done. “It’s like I’m on a highway and I don’t take an exit, ever,” says Lieberman, an organizational development consultant in Albany, Calif., who has adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Dealing with anxiety and stress is vital for managing ADHD symptoms, partly because people with ADHD have more stress in their lives than the average person, says Ari Tuckman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in West Chester, Penn., and author of More Attention, Less Deficit.

Still, Lieberman has learned stress-busting strategies to keep her ADHD symptoms under control and has become a successful consultant.

The Connection Between ADHD and Anxiety

People with ADHD genuinely have more things to be stressed over than people without the disorder, Tuckman says.

By definition, people with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling impulses, and dealing with hyperactivity. As a result, they’re less efficient at getting work done and they tend to make more mistakes than people without ADHD, he says. Adults with ADHD are more likely to lose their jobs and tend to make less money than the general population, he says.

In the meantime, the medications used to treat ADHD, like methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine (Adderall), are stimulants and can cause people to feel more jittery and anxious.

However, Tuckman says those side effects typically fade after taking the medication for about a week. Ultimately, the medications should make you feel more in control and calm because they should help you feel on top of things and manage ADHD symptoms.