– Hey, Psych2Goers. Do you have trouble paying attention? For example, zoning out while watching this video? Do you think you have ADHD because of this? Oftentimes, people mistake symptoms of anxiety for ADHD because of some of the similar traits they share. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, about 3 in 10 children with ADHD have anxiety. So to help you get a better understanding of the difference between ADHD and anxiety, here are six signs to look out for. Number one, you have poor focus because of worrying thoughts. Are you always distracted by your worries, so much so that you’re unable to focus on the things you’re doing? When fear and apprehension dominate your thoughts, it may cause you to become restless, and have trouble with sitting still, paying attention, or staying focused in class. According to John Waldrop, MD from Weill Cornell Medical College, when you experience anxiety, your prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain which is essential for thinking, learning, and remembering, is shut down. Your brain is concentrated on staying safe. In contrast with ADHD, you aren’t consumed by worrying thoughts. Instead, it has more to do with an imbalance in your hormones: dopamine and norepinephrine, which causes you to be distracted. Number two, you don’t tend to have as many problems with impulsivity. Do you often find yourself speaking out loud in class without raising your hand? Perhaps you were even labeled as the troublemaker in school because of the way you can never sit still. According to Dr. John, a person with ADHD may feel as if there are dozens of controllers trying to control their brains at the same time without checking in with each other first. So if you find that you don’t appear to have as many problems with impulsivity but just struggle to speak up or stand up because of your nerves, then you may have anxiety rather than ADHD. Number three, you have trouble completing your schoolwork because of perfectionism. Do you have trouble completing your schoolwork? Perhaps you find yourself procrastinating even if you only have just one assignment to you. This struggle could be because you have so many points you wanna make in so many ways to phrase the words that leave you wanting to throw up your hands and ignore them. You’re avoiding starting your assignments because you can’t have it is less than perfect. If you can relate to this, then it’s more likely you’re struggling with anxiety and not ADHD. Dr. John stated that while people with ADHD may experience difficulty completing their schoolwork or performing tasks, it’s often due to trouble with concentration rather than perfectionism. Number four, you are generally more sensitive to social cues. Are you very sensitive to how you come across to other people? Do you find yourself often uncomfortable with your social environment? Perhaps you find it challenging to eat in front of other people, or tend to avoid speaking in public because of an overwhelming fear that people will judge you negatively. According to Dr. John, if your answers are yes to the above questions, it’s more likely that you have anxiety rather than ADHD. This is because people with ADHD usually struggle with understanding or missing social cues rather than being hypersensitive to them. Number five, you experience a racing heart, clamminess, tense muscles, headaches, nausea, or dizziness. Do you often experience headaches, nausea, or dizziness? These are just some of the symptoms of anxiety. Dr. John stated that anxiety comes from a tiny almond-shaped part at the back of your brain called the amygdala. As a watchman for your brain, it is constantly watching out for danger. And whenever it detects danger, it triggers a fight or flight response. However, for anxious people, the amygdala is large and hypersensitive. Because of this, it ends up sending out a lot of false alarms. You can think of it as a watchman who cries wolf too often. As a result, your brain may sense threats even in non-threatening situations. And number six, you are unlikely to show problem behaviors when you’re feeling calm, safe, and doing things you enjoy. How do you act when you’re having fun? Whether it’s listening to your favorite music or playing video games, you may find yourself feeling calm and safe while doing the things that you genuinely enjoy. You are neither restless nor feel like you need to catch your breath. According to Dr. John, anxious individuals are unlikely to display any problem behaviors when feeling calm and safe and doing something they enjoy. On the contrary, people with ADHD will experience problem behaviors even when they engage in a particular fun or exciting activity. For example, a person with ADHD may become so engrossed with painting a picture that they tune out or completely ignore everything else. This behavior is known as hyperfocus. Did you relate to any of the signs we’ve mentioned? Let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it. And don’t forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. As always, the references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks so much for watching and see you in our next video. (light music). 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