Yes, Ritalin would help in anxiety and depression. People have better attention and behaviour if the medicine is taken correctly. Many people will benefit from it, even if there is a debate about improving social skills and school performance. Ritalin, like all medicines, varies from person to person. It helps treat ADHD with concentration, fidgeting, arousal, and listening skills.
Does Ritalin help with social anxiety?
If someone has ADHD and “social anxiety,” Ritalin can work astoundingly. People with ADHD are often diagnosed with social anxiety. Having ADHD can cause havoc in a person’s social life. Common ADHD complaints in social situations include:
- Staggered conversational flow.
- Lack of social cues.
- Overly impulsive behaviour.
- Unintended rude behaviour.
- Difficulty staying still.
All of these are problems caused by ADHD itself. Fundamentally, these problems are caused by either impulsivity or carelessness. Due to these conversational deficiencies, individuals with ADHD often experience a much higher percentage of peer rejection.
Therefore, this “social anxiety” is very rational. If someone experiences many rejections, they hesitate to make new friends. After treatment, people with ADHD have less rejection and are much more capable in social situations.
This can reduce “social anxiety.” In addition, people with both ADHD and social anxiety usually do not respond to the usual first-line response to social anxiety treatment (SSRI). There is no consensus yet, but some psychiatrists have advocated Ritalin as an answer to social anxiety without ADHD.
Can Ritalin help with anxiety in adults?
Yes, there is a lot of research on this, and the consensus is that it works most often in adults and adolescents and help treats anxiety (assuming no adverse side effects).
Difference between ADHD and Anxiety
If you have been diagnosed with ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you may also have another mental health disorder. Many times symptoms of other conditions can be masked by ADHD symptoms. It is estimated that about 60 percent of people who have ADHD have a comorbid or co-existing condition.
Anxiety is one of the common mental conditions that is seen in people who have ADHD. Over 50 percent of adults and about 30 percent of children who have ADHD also suffer from an anxiety disorder. According to a national survey in 2016, about 6 in 10 children who have ADHD have at least one emotional, behavioral, and mental condition.
About 5 in 10 children with symptoms of ADHD had a behavior problem. On the other hand, about 3 in 10 children with ADHD also suffer from anxiety. Anxiety and ADHD are slightly different mental conditions mental health conditions with their unique signs and symptoms. Although most things of these two are still other, there are some links between them. This blood will cover some of the basics of these two emotional disorders and talk about the relationship between ADHD and anxiety. At the same time, we also let you know about the best treatments for ADHD and anxiety.
To know more about ADHD and anxiety and their relationship, keep reading this blog.
Overview of ADHD
ADHD is a prolonged chronic condition that affects millions of kids and often continues till adulthood. It includes a combination of persistent problems, such as hyperactivity, impulse behavior, and difficulty in sustaining attention.
People with ADHD symptoms may also struggle with low self-esteem, poor performance in school or work, and troubled relationships. Symptoms sometimes reduce as they grow. However, many people never completely outgrow their symptoms. But they learn strategies to be successful.
While treatment may not cure ADHD, it can help to reduce the symptoms. Treatments generally involve behavioral therapy and medications. Early diagnosis can make a difference in the outcome.
How do you know if you have Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal and healthy emotion. However, when an individual regularly feels disproportionate anxiety levels, it becomes a medical disorder. It is from a category of mental health conditions that leads to excessive fear, worry, and nervousness. This disorder alters how an individual processes emotions and behaves, causing physical symptoms.
Mild anxiety may be unsettling and vague, while severe anxiety may seriously affect day-to-day living. It involved about 40 million people in the United States. It is the most common mental illness in the country.
The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder may include restlessness, uncontrollable worry, concentration difficulties, sleep difficulties, and increased irritability. These symptoms are typical to experience in daily life. People suffering from clinical anxiety experience them to extreme levels. It may present as vague that disrupts day-to-day living.
Anxiety vs. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
If you have ADHD, it may be challenging to recall anxiety symptoms. ADHD is an ongoing mental condition that often starts in childhood and continues till adulthood. It affects your ability to concentrate and results in behavioral issues, including lack of attention, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, lack of awareness, and difficulty in organizing tasks.
On the other hand, anxiety is more than just feeling anxious occasionally. It is a mental condition that is serious and long-lasting. It may make you feel uneasy, distressed, and frightened, even in regular situations. The symptom of ADHD is slightly different from that of anxiety. Its symptoms primarily involve issues with concentration and focus. On the other hand, anxiety symptoms include issues with fear and nervousness. Even each condition has unique symptoms; sometimes, they mirror each other. This makes it challenging to understand whether you have anxiety, ADHD, or both.
The crucial difference between Anxiety and ADHD?
An expert evaluation is necessary to tell the difference between ADHD and Anxiety The prime factor is to watch how your symptoms are present over time. If you are suffering from clinical anxiety, you may be unable to concentrate in situations that make you feel anxious. While, if you have symptoms of ADHD, you will find it challenging to focus most of the time in any type of situation.
If you are suffering from both of these mental conditions, the symptoms of both conditions may seem more severe. For instance, anxiety can make it even more difficult for an individual with ADHD to focus, follow through on tasks, and pay attention.
The most usual link between ADHD and Anxiety
They are different in symptoms and signs, but their disorders may occur due to ADHD in some severe conditions. For example, if you have been diagnosed with ADHD, you may also have another psychological disorder that the symptoms of ADHD can mask.
According to medical research, about 60 percent of people who have ADHD have a co-existing or comorbid health problem. Anxiety is one of those health problems that often occur in individuals with ADHD. And, it is estimated that about 30 to 50 percent of children with ADHD also have anxiety.
Can ADHD cause Depression and Anxiety?
ADHD generally has co-morbidities, which means that it exists alongside other related problems. People with ADHD symptoms may be wired so that they are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.
Several mental health conditions that go undiagnosed and untreated are likely to worsen, trigger other types of issues, and cause worsening symptoms, including anxiety and depression.
ADHD may result in people taking dangerous risks. These risks can result in unintended consequences, such as work-related problems, relationship problems, and financial problems. People with ADHD are generally more impulsive than others, as those with this mental condition act without knowing the consequences of their actions. These problems can eventually overwhelm the person which may lead to depression and anxiety. The problem of ADHD is often linked to the abuse of substances, especially drugs and alcohol abuse. It can increase an individual’s risk of developing anxiety and depression.
ADHD and Anxiety in adults
Many adults with ADHD also struggle with anxiety that affects their life. Many times this anxiety develops as a result of ADHD symptoms. When you face difficulty in managing the everyday demands of life, it certainly brings about the feeling of chronic anxiety. These include lack of tact in social situations, speaking or acting impulsive, being overwhelmed with finances, and having trouble meeting deadlines.
You may worry about keeping track of all. You get concerned about what will go wrong next. What will I say next to embarrass myself? Sometimes adults who have ADHD also worry differently. It can be so challenging to manage daily activities that you may find yourself experiencing anxiety in a more pressured way as you try to organize yourself.
In such a situation, your mind may get worried and fixated. This is the best way to get remembered and organised for many people. While for some people, this self-imposed pressure becomes even more debilitating. With such extreme burden and worry hanging overhead, you may find that you feel low even more. Many people even experience a sense of paralysis that prevents them from moving forward at all.
Medication that treats ADHD and Anxiety
To treat your anxiety and ADHD in the best way, your health care provider will likely look at which circumstances affects you the most. It is sometimes possible that your ADHD treatment may also ease your anxiety, so you may only need to take medications for ADHD. When you get the proper treatment for ADHD, it can cut your stress, give mental energy to handle anxiety symptoms, and improve attention so you can manage tasks well.
If your anxiety is a separate condition and not an ADHD symptom, you may need to treat both disorders at the same time. Your health care provider suggests many drugs for ADHD are stimulants such as amphetamine and methylphenidate. Even if you are suffering from anxiety, these drugs may work well for your symptoms of ADHD. Anxiety is the general side effect of stimulants. Your health care professional won’t know how a drug will affect you until you take it. But it is possible stimulants can make your symptoms of anxiety even worse.
If that is the case, your professional may recommend other medications, such as non-stimulant drugs viloxazine or atomoxetine. They may also suggest some antidepressants such as bupropion, imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, and venlafaxine. Other high blood pressure drugs may also work.
Depression ADHD and Anxiety
ADHD symptoms often get missed when it co-exists with anxiety or depression, or vice versa. Some research finds that about 80 percent of people with ADHD will have at least one mental disorder in their lifetime. The most common are anxiety disorder and depression, such as OCD or GAD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder without a comorbid disorder is the exception rather than the rule. Suffering from ADHD is challenging enough, but other mental disorders that accompany it affect an individual’s routine life schedule.
ADHD and Social Anxiety
If you have ADHD, you may wonder if your symptoms are linked with other mental conditions, such as social anxiety. Social anxiety and ADHD can exist at the same time. In fact, about 80% of people with ADHD are also diagnosed with one other mental problem throughout their life. It includes anxiety disorders or social anxiety. Just as untreated ADHD can contribute to difficulty in everyday life, social anxiety can also cause problems if it is left untreated.
Anxiety disorder which includes generalized anxiety and social anxiety can occur with ADHD. However, social anxiety is one of the common forms of anxiety to co-exist with ADHD. As we continue to live in this pandemic situation, some social environments continue to return to normal after the pandemic. So, now it is necessary to know that social anxiety and ADHD share some overlapping symptoms. These symptoms may include inattention, difficulty socializing, fidgetiness, or trouble completing tasks.
Supplements for ADHD and Anxiety?
Medicines make a big difference for many children and adults with ADHD and anxiety, but it does not eliminate the symptoms of everyone. Natural supplements, including exercises and herbs, can boost the treatment plan. Experts of ADHD suggest eating lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, and complex carbs.
Omega-3
The fatty acids found in fish like salmon and sardines help to improve cognitive skills, focus, and behavior. Studies found that ADHD-optimized doses are about 40% as effective as stimulant drugs.
Melatonin
It is a natural hormone produced in the body that promotes good sleep. This supplement can help to calm our racing brains that we do not get sleepy on our own.
Iron
many experts believe that deficiency of iron in your body may contribute to symptoms of ADHD, and a supplement can help improve such symptoms. You can include foods that are rich in iron in your everyday meal to decrease the deficiency of iron. Abut, consult an expert but taking too much iron can be dangerous for your health.
Zinc
Zinc is best known for reducing impulsivity and hyperactivity in people with ADHD. A low level of zinc in the body is also correlated with inattention. But, a high level of zinc can also be dangerous, so before taking too much zinc, consult an expert.
Strains for ADHD and Anxiety?
You must have people outlining the best weed strains of ADHD symptoms. However, it is necessary to know that there is no scientific evidence that cannabis can help people suffering from ADHD.
Keep one thing in your mind there is no guarantee that any of these strains may help. And even if they do so, they may not cure ADHD completely.
Sour Diesel
It is the most famous marijuana strain across the globe. It is linked to a shot of espresso as it can burst of energy it provides. Many people say that it is a better morning wake-up cup than a coffee. Even if you are struggling with a lack of energy, it can offer a boost in your mood and a beautiful wave of creativity.
Cannatonic
It is another high-CBT strain. It provides a mild buzz on account of its THC content, which may vary between 7 to 15 percent. However, it also contains more CBT than most of the strains at about 12 percent.
Bottom line
A correct cure is so necessary to make sure that children or adults receive the best possible support to manage the symptoms of ADHD and anxiety and limit the intrusion into their routine lives.
