but is experiencing so much anxiety that he or she has problems concentrating and managing daily affairs. The client’s mind never stops running, in rare cases, to the point of obsessions and compulsions. This preoccupation prevents a person from getting anything done. We refer to this as “anxiety-primary.” However, even when we hypothesize this condition, it is tough to prove without a medication trial.
Conversely, we may see a client whose anxiety is the result of ADHD. We call these cases “ADHD-primary.” Such individuals are so overwhelmed by managing ADHD symptoms that they are constantly on edge and fearful. By reducing their ADHD symptoms, their anxiety drops to a tolerable level. The quickest way to find out if this will happen with a given client is to initiate. If anxiety drops, we’ve nailed it. If it rises or remains the same, we’re back to the ADHD-anxious diagnosis.
Any differences in symptom presentation following a stimulant trial are critical for your prescriber to know about and understand. Unfortunately, we see many clients who started a stimulant trial with a previous prescriber, had poor results, and then had the prescriber errantly ignore the ADHD diagnosis and eschew a valuable course of treatment. Getting it right matters. Understanding how your anxiety and ADHD interact will make all the difference in successfully treating both conditions.
Treating co-occurring ADHD and bipolar disorder is tricky because stimulants have the potential to trigger mania. While stimulant-related anxiety is often tolerable and quickly fixed, stimulant-induced mania can create serious trouble. Prescribers are aware of these dangers, so bipolar clients may be under-treated for ADHD symptoms.to keep up with and respond to the changes in personality, emotional state, and brain chemistry that come with any serious mood disorder.
Yes I read that one yesterday x
This where I'm struggling.....finding the right doctor who solely dx ADHDers......I am starting my journey to just this Aug. 28 th....🙃❤️
ADHDFoundation If only. I dont know how many times I have said to people about my child 'this is why he is doing that, becauae I also have ADHD'.