Anxiety, depression, learning disorders, physical health, and many other conditions can cause symptoms that look like ADHD but aren't.
ADHD symptoms may overlap with the signs of other conditions, leading to misdiagnosis. For example: Feeling distracted or having difficulty focusing can be a symptom of ADHD and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
You may have symptoms similar to ADHD, but it does not automatically mean that you have it. Sometimes, these symptoms are for another condition. For example, ADHD and Anxiety are two different neurodevelopmental disorders that share some common symptoms and are sometimes misdiagnosed with one another.
Findings. In this systematic scoping review of 334 published studies in children and adolescents, convincing evidence was found that ADHD is overdiagnosed in children and adolescents. For individuals with milder symptoms in particular, the harms associated with an ADHD diagnosis may often outweigh the benefits.
“Nobody has perfect memory… but for [people with ADHD], it's extreme. They feel like they're lost all the time,” Almagor said. He believes this is why people don't take ADHD seriously. “I think that's why some people don't respect the severity of what [a person with ADHD] can experience,” he said.
If you feel like focusing is a struggle for you, it could be because of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD. It may shock you to learn that an inability to focus is a common ADHD symptom.
On the surface, ADHD and anxiety can look similar. It's not uncommon for people with anxiety to be misdiagnosed with ADHD, or vice versa. Take trouble with paying attention, for example. Both anxiety and ADHD can cause people to tune out and get caught up in their emotions — just for different reasons.
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
Overall, the study found that about 20 percent – or 900,000 – of the 4.5 million children currently identified as having ADHD likely have been misdiagnosed.
Many children have a different kind of ADHD that is more likely to be overlooked, however. These children do not fit the hyperactive and impulsive profile. Instead, their behavior is compliant, and they often succeed in school. Nevertheless, they may be struggling without any obvious signs.
Because of the overlap in ADHD and anxiety symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other. Symptoms of one disorder can mask symptoms of the other. And it can be challenging to land on a dual diagnosis that can make way for the complete treatment that is necessary.
However, it can also lead to potential misinterpretation of symptoms. Take, for example, ADHD. While most people associate ADHD with hyperactivity and impulsivity, it can also manifest in more subtle ways, such as through intrusive thoughts and overthinking.
Certain attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications can help treat a person's co-occurring anxiety, while others, including Adderall, may worsen it.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger. Adult ADHD symptoms may include: Impulsiveness.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
A lack of self-acceptance. Prohibitively expensive medications. Here, commiserate with fellow ADDitude readers as they share some of their biggest challenges of managing life with ADHD or ADD. > Creating rituals to keep track of things.
There are two reasons for this. Clinicians are given little or no training in recognizing ADHD. ADHD is the only medical condition for which there is no textbook. Even if a doctor wants to learn how to diagnose and treat ADHD, there are few places to get the information.
State ADHD as your reason for seeing the doctor when you make your appointment. Don't just bring it up at the end of an appointment for something else. Instead, make an appointment specifically to discuss ADHD.
Instead, the rapid increase in people with A.D.H.D. probably has more to do with sociological factors — changes in the way we school our children, in the way we interact with doctors and in what we expect from our kids. Which is not to say that A.D.H.D. is a made-up disorder.
(Another big part of the explanation is, of course, the internet and social media, which have contributed to increasing self-diagnosis. Pharmaceutical marketing over the decades is yet another factor that has contributed to increased diagnosis).