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ADHD or anxiety? How to tell them apart, and what if it’s both
ADHD and anxiety share restlessness, poor focus and trouble sleeping. The key differences, how doctors tell them apart, why many people have both, and the treatments that help each.
Breatheasy team27 October 2026 · 5 min read
You can’t concentrate. You feel restless, you lose track of things, and your mind won’t switch off at night. Is it ADHD? Anxiety? Both?
It’s a common and genuinely confusing question, because the two share many of the same signs. Here’s how they differ, how doctors tell them apart, and why the answer matters for treatment.
Where ADHD and anxiety overlap
Both can cause:
- trouble concentrating, or your mind going blank
- restlessness and difficulty sitting still
- irritability
- trouble falling asleep
- feeling overwhelmed by tasks
- procrastinating
- tiredness
So looking at symptoms alone often isn’t enough. What matters is why they happen, when they started and where they show up.
The key differences
| ADHD | Anxiety | |
|---|---|---|
| Why focus slips | Attention drifts, even when you’re calm and interested in something else | Worry and “what ifs” pull attention away |
| When it started | In childhood, before age 12, even if diagnosed later | Can start at any age, often during stressful times |
| Where it shows up | Most areas of life: home, work, school, relationships | Often linked to particular worries or situations |
| Restlessness feels like | Needing to move, fidget or do something new | Tension, being on edge, unable to relax |
| Over time | Fairly steady through life, though it can change | Often rises and falls with stress |
| Thoughts | Jumping between ideas, easily distracted by new things | Stuck on the same worries, imagining the worst |
| Mistakes | Careless mistakes from rushing or missing details | Fear of mistakes, checking things again and again |
How doctors tell them apart
An assessment for ADHD usually involves:
- a detailed history, including what you were like as a child
- rating scales filled in by you, and sometimes by people who know you well
- school reports or other information from childhood, if available
- checking for other conditions that can look like ADHD, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, thyroid problems and substance use
For anxiety, a doctor will ask about your worries, panic attacks and how long you’ve felt this way, and may use a questionnaire like the GAD-7.
A specialist may need several conversations to untangle the two. That’s normal, and it’s worth taking the time to get it right.
When it’s both
ADHD and anxiety often go together. A large US survey found that adult ADHD affects around 4% of adults and commonly occurs alongside other conditions, including anxiety.
Living with undiagnosed ADHD can itself cause anxiety: years of missed deadlines, forgotten things and feeling “behind” can leave people constantly worried about the next slip. Some people develop careful routines and constant checking to compensate, which looks a lot like anxiety from the outside.
Women and girls with ADHD are often diagnosed later, sometimes after years of being treated for anxiety or depression alone.
Treatment for ADHD
- Medicine. Stimulants (like methylphenidate and amphetamines) and non-stimulants (like atomoxetine) can improve focus and organisation. A doctor will check your heart and blood pressure and adjust the dose.
- Practical strategies, like lists, reminders, routines and breaking tasks into small steps.
- CBT adapted for ADHD, coaching and support at work or school.
Treatment for anxiety
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the most researched talking therapy for anxiety
- Medicine, often an SSRI or SNRI
- Self-help, like slow breathing, exercise, sleep and cutting back on caffeine
Treating both
When someone has both, doctors usually start with whichever is causing the most difficulty. Treating ADHD can ease anxiety, because daily life becomes more manageable. Treating anxiety can make it easier to see which focus problems are left.
A common worry is that ADHD stimulants will make anxiety worse. Some people do feel more anxious on them. But a review of 23 trials in children with ADHD found that those taking stimulants were actually less likely to report anxiety than those taking a placebo. Our post on whether Adderall can cause anxiety explains more.
When to get help
Talk to a doctor if focus problems, restlessness or worry are affecting your work, studies, relationships or wellbeing. Ask specifically about both ADHD and anxiety if you’re not sure which it is.
If you’re having thoughts of ending your life, call or text 988 (US) now.
Frequently asked questions
Can anxiety be mistaken for ADHD?
Yes. Anxiety can cause poor concentration, restlessness and forgetfulness, which look a lot like ADHD. The key questions are whether the focus problems go back to childhood and whether they happen even when you’re not worried.
Can ADHD cause anxiety?
It can contribute. Struggling with focus, time and organisation can lead to constant worry about falling behind or making mistakes. Many people find their anxiety eases once their ADHD is recognised and treated.
Do ADHD medicines help anxiety?
They aren’t a treatment for anxiety itself. But for people with both, better focus and organisation can reduce the worry that comes from struggling to keep up. Some people feel more anxious on stimulants, so tell your prescriber how you feel.
Can you develop ADHD as an adult?
ADHD starts in childhood, but many people aren’t diagnosed until adulthood, often when life gets more demanding. If focus problems truly started in adulthood, a doctor will look carefully at other causes, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems and stress.
How Breatheasy can help
Breatheasy can help with the anxiety side, whatever the cause. Ten-second check-ins and a journal help you notice when focus problems and worry show up, which is useful to bring to an assessment. When anxiety spikes, tap “I’m feeling anxious” and Luma walks you through slow breathing and grounding. Breatheasy is coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Sources
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), National Institute of Mental Health
- ADHD in adults, NHS
- Generalised anxiety disorder in adults, NHS
- The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States, Kessler and others, American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006
- Meta-analysis: reduced risk of anxiety with psychostimulant treatment in children with ADHD, Coughlin and others, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 2015
