Individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have more symptoms of anxiety than those without ADHD.
In fact, 60% of people with ADHD have an anxiety disorder. If you have ADHD and anxiety, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced self-distrust. When people self-distrust, they become excessively cautious. They worry about making the right choice. They worry about making the wrong choice. And they avoid taking action on their goals, spending a lot of time second-guessing themselves. As a result, both ADHD and anxiety seem to get more intense. But they also work together: making mistakes, forgetting things, and getting sidetracked (hello, ADHD) leads to excessive rumination, panic, and avoidance (hello, anxiety).
What is Self-Distrust?
In essence, self-distrust means not trusting your own choices and underestimating your abilities. Some of this can be based in reality. Many ADHD people will forget things or make unintended mistakes. When you experience this enough times, the concern of it happening again can create a lot of fear. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of making mistakes. And the fear of failure. As a result, procrastinating and getting distracted can increase. This can then perpetuate a cycle of not meeting one’s goals.
3 Signs of Self-Distrust
Avoidance of Risk
Many people know when it’s time for a change. A new job. New career. Or even a new friend. However, self-distrust can hold a person back from moving forward. For example, maybe you start working on a new resume but then avoid submitting the application. A million other things just keep coming up, right? Taking on risk means someone believes they can handle whatever comes their way.
Analysis Paralysis
Standing frozen with too many choices? Self-distrust makes decisions feel impossible. Everything can feel like a big deal or have too much weight to it. However, the result is often not taking any action (followed by negative self-talk and guilt about not taking any action, leading to more…not taking any action).
Reassurance Seeking
“Did I make the right choice?” Many people with ADHD and self-distrust issues struggle to move forward without validation.
Why Does ADHD Combined with Anxiety Create Distrust?
The ADHD Brain
The ADHD brain tends to overestimate threats––similar to how it’s hard to predict the correct amount of time a task will take. The hyperactive nervous system influences the fear response as well. The fear response further shuts down the frontal lobe of the brain (in a fight or flight response), which causes more avoidance, fear, and loss of confidence in one’s ability. Keep in mind, that ADHD is not a disorder of one’s ability, it’s a disorder of one’s ability to perform in the moment. This means that the smartest person can fail the test, particularly if they lose confidence in themselves.
3 Ways to Start Trusting Yourself
- Know your feelings
And know how to identify when you are coping in an unhealthy way. Avoiding? Numbing with video games? Is what you’re doing hurting you more? The better you understand the feeling and the response, the better you understand how to choose a different path based on facing your fears in healthier ways.
- Know your triggers
When do you feel small? When do you feel like an imposter? The better you know what’s triggering you, the better you can cope in the future.
- Set yourself up for success
Do you tend to put unrealistic deadlines on yourself? Not set boundaries? Overcommit? Learning to say no can help you get more wins (and the more wins, the more confidence… See how that works?).
Learn to trust yourself with ADHD treatment for anxiety in Columbus, OH
You don’t have to live your life feeling overwhelmed. ADHD treatment that uses psychologically proven strategies will help you find real understanding and real solutions. Our Columbus OH-based counseling practice has caring adult ADHD specialists. To start your journey with one of our adult ADHD specialists, follow these simple steps:
- Fill out the contact form to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.
- Meet with one of our adult ADHD specialists.
- Stop feeling unsure. Start finding your way.
Other ADHD Services Offered at Focused Mind ADHD Counseling
We offer a variety of mental health services that go beyond adult ADHD treatment at our Columbus, OH counseling practice. As an adult with ADHD, Focused Mind ADHD Counseling understands you may also benefit from anxiety treatment for ADHD, counseling for men with ADHD, adult ADHD testing, or depression counseling for ADHD. You can also view our blog for more resources and helpful info. We look forward to connecting with you!
