Yes, you can have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and an anxiety disorder at the same time. In fact, anxiety commonly occurs alongside ADHD.
The two conditions can also share symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and feeling overwhelmed. When you have both, figuring out which condition is causing a particular challenge may not always be easy.
Understanding how ADHD and anxiety differ can help you recognize your symptoms and find treatment that addresses your complete mental health needs.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD is a developmental disorder involving ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, or a combination of these symptoms.
ADHD begins in childhood, but symptoms can continue into adulthood. Adults may struggle with organization, time management, concentration, completing tasks, remembering responsibilities, or controlling impulsive behavior.
These challenges can affect work, education, relationships, and other parts of everyday life.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
Everyone feels anxious sometimes. An anxiety disorder involves fear or worry that goes beyond occasional stress and begins interfering with everyday life.
Depending on the type of anxiety disorder, symptoms may include:
- Persistent or excessive worry
- Difficulty controlling anxious thoughts
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleep problems
- Muscle tension
- Avoiding situations that cause fear or anxiety
Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and several other conditions.
Can ADHD and Anxiety Occur Together?
Yes. Having ADHD does not prevent you from also developing an anxiety disorder.
ADHD and anxiety frequently occur together in adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 51.2% of U.S. health-center visits involving adults with ADHD in 2023 also documented an anxiety disorder.
When you have both conditions, symptoms can interact.
For example, difficulty managing deadlines because of ADHD may create additional worry. Anxiety about falling behind can then make concentrating or beginning a task even harder.
Treatment should consider how both conditions affect you rather than assuming every symptom comes from a single diagnosis.
ADHD vs. Anxiety: Why Can They Be Hard to Tell Apart?
ADHD and anxiety are different conditions, but several symptoms can look similar.
Both may contribute to:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Sleep difficulties
- Trouble completing tasks
- Feeling overwhelmed
The reason behind a symptom can provide important clues.
With ADHD, you might lose focus because your attention is easily pulled toward something else. With anxiety, you might struggle to concentrate because your thoughts are consumed by worry.
The same distinction can appear when you’re trying to complete a task.
Someone with ADHD might forget about a deadline until the last minute. Someone with anxiety might remember the deadline but avoid starting because they’re worried about doing the task incorrectly.
If you have both conditions, these patterns can overlap. You might forget a responsibility, become extremely anxious when you remember it, and then feel too overwhelmed to get started.
A professional evaluation can help untangle these patterns.
Can ADHD Make Anxiety Worse?
ADHD symptoms can create situations that contribute to stress and worry.
Difficulty managing time, remembering responsibilities, staying organized, or meeting deadlines can have real consequences. You might begin worrying about making another mistake, disappointing someone, or falling behind.
That does not mean ADHD automatically causes an anxiety disorder. Some people have ADHD without anxiety, while others meet the criteria for both conditions.
When ADHD and anxiety occur together, addressing both can help you develop more effective ways to manage your symptoms.
How Do Doctors Diagnose ADHD and Anxiety?
There is no single test that determines whether you have ADHD, anxiety, or both.
A mental health professional may ask about:
- Your current symptoms
- When your symptoms began
- How long they have occurred
- Situations where symptoms become worse
- How symptoms affect everyday functioning
- Your childhood behavior and experiences
- Your medical and mental health history
Your provider may also consider other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, including depression, sleep disorders, substance use, and certain medical conditions.
Looking at the complete pattern is especially important because concentration problems alone are not enough to diagnose ADHD or an anxiety disorder.
How Are ADHD and Anxiety Treated Together?
Treatment depends on your symptoms, diagnoses, and how each condition affects your daily life.
Your treatment plan may include:
- Medication management to address ADHD, anxiety, or other co-occurring mental health conditions when appropriate.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to recognize unhelpful thought patterns and develop healthier responses.
- Organization and time-management strategies to address executive functioning challenges associated with ADHD.
- Anxiety coping skills to manage worry, fear, and physical symptoms.
- Healthy routines that support sleep, stress management, and everyday functioning.
There is no universal rule that ADHD or anxiety must always be treated first. Your provider can determine which symptoms require the most immediate attention and develop a plan that considers both conditions.
Some people can manage ADHD and anxiety with outpatient treatment. Residential mental health care may be appropriate when symptoms significantly interfere with daily functioning or require more structured support.
Find Treatment for ADHD and Anxiety in Pennsylvania
When ADHD and anxiety occur together, focusing on only one condition can leave important symptoms unaddressed.
Lenape Wellness Center provides individualized residential mental health treatment in Ford City, Pennsylvania. Our team can evaluate co-occurring mental health concerns and create a treatment plan based on your symptoms, needs, and goals.
Connect with Lenape Wellness Center today to learn more about residential treatment for ADHD, anxiety, and co-occurring mental health conditions in Pennsylvania.
FAQs About ADHD and Anxiety
Can anxiety make ADHD symptoms worse?
Anxiety can make concentration, sleep, and completing tasks more difficult, which may make some ADHD-related challenges feel more severe.
How can you tell whether trouble concentrating is ADHD or anxiety?
The cause and pattern of concentration problems can differ. ADHD-related attention difficulties typically begin in childhood, while anxiety may interfere with concentration because worry or fear occupies your attention. A professional evaluation can help determine the cause.
Can ADHD medication make anxiety worse?
People respond differently to ADHD medications. Your provider should consider anxiety and other co-occurring conditions when choosing medication and monitor how you respond to treatment.
Should ADHD or anxiety be treated first?
It depends on your individual symptoms and their severity. Some people benefit from treating both conditions simultaneously, while others may need one set of symptoms addressed first. A mental health professional can recommend an individualized approach.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed on October 22, 2026.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad. Accessed on October 22, 2026.
- National Library of Medicine. Anxiety. MedlinePlus. Retrieved from: https://medlineplus.gov/anxiety.html. Accessed on October 22, 2026.
- Ashman, J. J., Santo, L., Peters, Z. J., Okeyode, T., & Gidali, D. Visits to Health Centers by Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: United States, 2023. National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief No. 543. December 2025. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db543.htm. Accessed on October 22, 2026.