How ADHD can affect your Mental Health
It’s simply a fact that if you have ADHD, you’re more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health issue. (Annoying, right?) Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, learning disabilities, and other comorbidities are all highly prevalent in the ADHD community. Executive dysfunction doesn’t necessarily cause these problems, but it can trigger them. The good news is these other comorbidities will become easier to manage as you find the right treatment and help for your ADHD.
Why do mental health issues often come attached to ADHD?
Researchers who have looked into this trend haven’t reached a full conclusion, but many factors could be at play. Those include:
Quality of Life
ADHD can make productivity, focus, and mundane tasks more challenging. Those everyday stress and setbacks could precipitate problems like depression and anxiety.
Hereditary Genes
Genetic factors that contribute to ADHD are similar to ones that result in other mental health disorders.
Other Disorders
Just like ADHD can inspire mental health issues to form, some disorders can cause ADHD. Anxiety, for instance, might make concentration feel downright impossible.
How do you discern between symptoms of ADHD or a comorbid condition?
With almost half of individuals diagnosed with ADHD developing another psychiatric disorder, it’s imperative to be able to tell the difference between if your ADHD is acting up or if another mental health issue is at play. Many symptoms of these disorders can be mistaken as executive dysfunction, so knowing the root cause of certain behaviors or feelings is essential to obtaining proper treatment.
Notice when your symptoms occur. For example, if you have a big project due that you’ve found yourself unable to focus on, and notice your anxiety kick up a notch, that anxiety is likely secondary to your ADHD, meaning it’s caused by your ADHD and not its own separate condition. Likewise, if that anxiety seems permanent and stays with you through vacations and downtime, an anxiety disorder could be afoot. Pay attention to when, where, and how often you feel these symptoms to decipher what kind of help you may need.
Most importantly, talk to a doctor about how you’re feeling. The first step to managing ADHD symptoms and any mental health issues that may come with it is finding a proper diagnosis. Once you know what you are up against, it’s easier to take action and figure out how to keep control of your mental health.
