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anxiety or ADHD

hi,

I thought i had adult ADHD. I went for an evaluation and now the person is telling me I have anxiety and depression only. Can adult ADHD mirror anxiety symtoms? Can anxiety cause disorganization, concentration problems or comprehension problems? Or memory problems. I forget the adhd symtoms.
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Avatar universal
Can anxiety cause disorganization, concentration problems or comprehension problems? Or memory problems.  -Your question - the answer is "yes".

Anxiety can "block" your learning, your ability to organize, your ability to concentrate, your ability to understand, your ability to remember.  I believe the term is "executive function" and both ADHD/ADD and anxiety sufferers have this disability.  Research is proving that learning is greatly hampered by untreated anxiety.  Look at it this way - if one is constantly worrying about whom to sit with at lunch or hoping no asks a question or whether one should use the washroom or not, etc., then, of course, the brain is being used for other things.  And this is not your fault.  Research has proven that if there is a choice between cognitive (thinking) tasks and emotional (feeling) tasks, the brain will choose "emotional" every time.  That is why if a person has anxiety, it should be treated because people need help in learning how to "manage" these automatic responses.  Our child was unable to learn in school for several years - her severe anxiety literally blocked the paths of cognitive learning; she actually "shut down".  Today she is doing much better but it has been a long path.

Actually, research tends to indicate that very few people with anxiety also suffer from ADHD/ADD, although, of course, that is always a possibility.  Most people with anxiety have ADHD symptoms but, in fact, do not have ADHD (this is why so often one will read that Ritalin or similar medication is not working).  

I also believe that mild/moderate anxiety can be helped with herbal and/or natural remedies.  So, why not try this route as a first option.  However, from reading your first post, I get the impression that you are suffering from more than just "mild" anxiety issues.  Could the evaluator suggest the name of a medical person who might be able to help you with your anxiety issues?  If not, then get help from your family physician - ask for a referral to someone with experience in anxiety disorders.  Of course, the issue might be ADHD (the test can be flawed); but why not try this avenue first - it appears the ADHD/ADD angle has not been working.   By the way, anxiety responds quickly and well with the correct medical treatment.  Treatment is intervention, therapy and possibly medication.  I wish you the best ...
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Avatar universal
Yes, testing can be flawed and it also depends on the day you were tested, your frame of mind that day etc.  Quite often people with ADHD have other things such as anxiety, they often go in pairs so you may have both.

There are ways of treating both naturally, if you wish, they don't have to be treated with meds.  My son has both and we have eventually found something that got him back on track.  He takes Omega3 fish oil capsules in the morning, magnesium supplement too.  In the evening he takes Valerian drops and just before getting into bed Pulsatilla (homepathy).  For the past 3 days he has not hit his brother, he sleeps all night and falls asleep easily and he can concentrate much better.  Living proof that natural remedies do work as I did not tell him what they were for so no placebo affect!
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Avatar universal
i thought i had adhd inattentive type not the hyperactivity type. I feel she isn't listening to me when i told her the inattentive type symtoms of which i have them all. She is just saying its anxiety. I also feel i have a slight comprehension problem. I can't understand simple things. But if i am told over many, many times until i understand i get it. She just thinks that i wasn't told how to do things. But its more then that. I am not going to her for therapy. she just did the evaluation. I wanted it for work because i wasn't getting my work completed.
Also for adults she wouldnt talk to my employer or my family she just relied on testing. For kids they send a symtom list to their parents and to teachers along with tests but for adults they dont so that is sort of based only on the testing. Testing can be flawed cant it? Its not 100 percent accurate.
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Avatar universal
Yes, anxiety can mimic ADHD.  When your anxiety is lessened, so will your symptoms which mimic ADHD.  Our child suffers from severe anxiety and her teacher thought that she also suffered from ADD/ADHD.  But, when the anxiety was lessened, so too were the symptoms similar to hyperactivity.  Often anxiety is co-morbid with depression - sounds as if you found someone who understands anxiety issues.  
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