So, if we almost unanimously agree that ADHD is anxiety driven, or anxiety is ADHD driven, then what is the best treatment.
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I think your barking up the wrong tree here. Anxiety and ADHD are separate conditions - anxiety exists without ADHD and vice versa.
Anxiety is a condition comorbid with ADHD in only about 30% of cases.
Mark -
I agree anxiety is necessary as a survival instinct, but as a person managing ADHD it might be more an issue than anything else.
If we have frontal lobe issues, and anxiety is the "primary", "secondary" issue, with attention deficit being the first, then I just wonder what the true issue is.
If you treat ADHD and not anxiety, you still have anxiety issues? If you treat anxiety do you still have significant ADHD issues?
I am starting to see that my need for the frontal obe stimuli is a problem because it's really me working against myself. I try and create conflict or debate and that leads to increasing anxiety levels.
Coffee as a stimuli is a major med for me, a iced quad starbucks gives me focus for most of the day, but it increases anxiety.
So, if we almost unanimously agree that ADHD is anxiety driven, or anxiety is ADHD driven, then what is the best treatment.
I understand we are all different, but just the element of "hyperactivity" tells me it could be called ADAD, not ADHD.
Having some type of anxiety regulater would also provide less hyperactivty and provide more focus. But finding the balance is the trick. It's either to much or to little anxiety.
Does this make sense at all?
so what drives the "hyperactivity"?
You may find this link on ADHD comorbidities of interest: http://www.baltimorepsych.com/ADD_Comorbidity.htm
Mark -
I am going to say that anxiety could possibly motivate you...
Anxiety creates adrenaline, and adrenaline is a major driving force for ad/hders....Adrenaline temporarily stimulates the AD/HD brain into working more "properly"...
Adrenaline can come in the form of anxiety, "emotionality" (new word I knocked off of someone else...), and from doing extreme things, like extreme sports...
Some of us (me personally) tend to be argumentative because a good argument stirs up adrenaline, and some of us walk on the extreme, and are drawn to extreme sports, and things like that...
So it would stand to reason that if your brain has figured out that anxiety gets the adrenaline flowing and adrenaline gets the fuzzy parts of your brain kicked into high gear, then you might possibly find yourself unconciously using anxiety as a "coping mechanism"...
i think it's possible....
I think that ADD does produce anxiety, however, I think some anxiety is good. Such as ( like many people on this board), I am terrible about procrastination, I recently had two major school projects due and as always I waited till the very last second to begin work on them and to finish them. This causes a great amount of anxiety but also a great amount of motivation so, I see the anxiety as being good. I currently take ritalin and have noticed that in my everyday dealings when I am not taking it I am extreemly anxious about things that don't matter(which also leads to depression)NOT GOOD! When I take my meds my anxiety is "focused" and managable---But my spelling still sucks!!! (silent wish for spell check on the boards).
I agree. If I didn't have anxiety, I would never get anything done. Sad but true.I agree. I think the ADD brings on a lot of anxiety day to day.I think a small, manageable amount of anxiety makes me more able to focus on tasks. Hence, procrastination! When I was in school, I was almost always able to sit down and write an entire 10-page paper the night before it was due - but if I tried that a few weeks, or even a few days, ahead of time, forget it! I focused on anything BUT my paper. That "now or never" feeling seems to kick my attention up a few notches.
i was curious if we as ADHDer's are driven by anxiety or if it plays a role in the big picture? is it a totally different problem?
i find myself in social settings either observing, or being driven by anxiety and the life of the party. when situations pop up that are high stress, i either excel or am again driven by this anxiousness.
can anyone relate?
thanks.
okay, so i'm no rock scientist.
i did a search and found some good stuff, but i would still like to ask a basic question and see what you think..
in your opinion, is anxiety a primary driving force behind ADHD?
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in your opinion, is anxiety a primary driving force behind ADHD? [/QUOTE]
In my opinion? No, I think the reverse is true.
I think adhd symptoms in some ways could be caused by LACK OF ANXIETY-