Many adults in Ontario reach out for therapy because they feel overwhelmed, scattered, overstimulated, or unable to focus, but they are unsure what is driving their experiences.

ADHD and anxiety share many overlapping symptoms. Both can make it difficult to concentrate, stay organized, remember things, manage time, or keep up with daily responsibilities. Both can create restlessness, irritability, and emotional overwhelm. And both can impact school, work, and relationships.

Understanding the difference can help you get the right support and build strategies that actually work for your brain.

This guide will help you recognize the signs of each, understand their similarities, and explore how therapy can help you manage both conditions with greater clarity and confidence.

What ADHD Looks Like in Adults

ADHD is more than trouble paying attention. In adults, ADHD often affects executive functioning, the part of the brain responsible for planning, organizing, time management, emotional regulation, and follow-through.

Common signs of ADHD in adults include:

Difficulty focusing unless the task is interesting
Trouble starting tasks
Getting easily distracted
Forgetting appointments or deadlines
Frequently losing track of time
Difficulty completing tasks
Interrupting or talking quickly during conversations
Restless thoughts or physical restlessness
Feeling mentally “full” or scattered
Sensitivity to noise, lights, or sensory input
Emotional highs and lows that feel intense

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. You did not cause it, and it is not a character flaw or lack of effort. Many adults are diagnosed later in life after years of feeling misunderstood or “different.”

What Anxiety Looks Like in Adults

Anxiety is a persistent sense of worry, fear, or tension that affects the body and mind. It can make it difficult to relax, think clearly, or feel safe in your own thoughts.

Common signs of anxiety include:

Excessive worry about the future
Racing thoughts
Feeling tense, nervous, or on edge
Difficulty sleeping
Overthinking conversations or decisions
Feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty
Avoiding certain tasks or situations
Physical symptoms like chest tightness, stomach discomfort, sweating, or rapid heartbeat

Anxiety tends to be future-focused: what might go wrong, what could happen, how you might fail, or what others might think.

ADHD and Anxiety: The Key Differences

ADHD and anxiety can feel similar, but there are important distinctions.

Here is how to tell them apart:

1. The Source of Trouble Focusing

ADHD:
Your mind jumps from one thing to another. You struggle to hold attention even when you want to.

Anxiety:
You cannot focus because your mind is busy worrying, planning, or imagining worst-case scenarios.

2. The Tone of Your Thoughts

ADHD:
Thoughts often feel fast, scattered, or multi-directional.

Anxiety:
Thoughts often feel repetitive, intrusive, or fear-based.

3. Emotional Patterns

ADHD:
Emotion can shift quickly. You may feel frustrated, excited, overwhelmed, or overstimulated within short periods of time.

Anxiety:
Emotion often stays in one place: worried, tense, uneasy, or alert.

4. Task Avoidance

Both ADHD and anxiety lead to avoidance, but for different reasons.

ADHD:
You avoid tasks because they feel boring, overwhelming, or require sustained focus.

Anxiety:
You avoid tasks because you fear failure, judgment, or not doing it perfectly.

5. Physical Symptoms

ADHD:
Restlessness, fidgeting, impulsivity, sensory sensitivity.

Anxiety:
Chest tightness, racing heart, dizziness, nausea, shaking, sweating.

6. Patterns From Childhood

ADHD symptoms often show up early in life, even if you were never diagnosed.

Anxiety can appear later, often triggered by stress, trauma, or life transitions.

7. Reaction to Structure

ADHD:
Too much structure can feel restrictive, but lack of structure makes symptoms worse.

Anxiety:
Structure feels comforting. Predictability reduces worry and overwhelm.

Can You Have Both ADHD and Anxiety? Absolutely

Many adults experience both ADHD and anxiety at the same time.

For example:

ADHD makes it hard to keep up with tasks
Falling behind increases anxiety
Anxiety increases pressure and self criticism
Self criticism makes it even harder to focus
Cycle repeats

Therapy can help you understand how these patterns interact and teach you strategies to manage both conditions.

How CBT Helps With ADHD and Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) provides tools to help you understand your thought patterns and develop practical coping strategies.

CBT can help you:

Reduce overthinking
Challenge self critical thoughts
Set realistic goals
Break tasks into small steps
Improve problem solving
Reduce procrastination
Build confidence and self trust

CBT is especially helpful for both anxiety and self-esteem and identity challenges, which often overlap with ADHD.

How DBT Helps With Emotional Regulation

DBT skills support emotional balance and distress tolerance, which benefit people with both ADHD and anxiety.

Helpful DBT tools include:

Grounding exercises
Mindfulness for focus and clarity
Opposite Action to reduce avoidance
Distress tolerance skills for overwhelm
Strategies for managing sensory overload

DBT helps you notice your emotional patterns and respond with more stability.

Mindfulness for ADHD and Anxiety

Mindfulness helps strengthen attention, reduce reactivity, and bring awareness to your internal experience.

Effective mindfulness strategies include:

Focusing on one sense at a time
Slow breathing
Body scans
Guided relaxation
Brief mindful pauses during transitions

You do not need long meditation sessions. Small, consistent practices can make a meaningful difference.

Behavioural Strategies That Support Both Conditions

Behavioural tools can help with executive functioning, overwhelm, and emotional regulation.

Try:

Using timers or visual cues
Working in short intervals
Reducing clutter in your environment
Scheduling rest and meals
Keeping to a consistent sleep routine
Planning tasks the night before
Using external reminders instead of relying on memory

These supports reduce cognitive load and help your brain stay regulated.

When to Seek Support

If you are noticing trouble focusing, difficulty managing responsibilities, emotional overwhelm, or anxiety that feels persistent or draining, therapy can help.

It may be time to reach out if you experience:

Frequent worry or fear
Feeling scattered or disorganized
Emotional intensity or shutdown
Trouble with time management
Difficulty relaxing
Irritability
Perfectionism
Avoidance
Trouble sleeping
Feeling overstimulated or exhausted

Support is available, and you deserve care.

Taking the Next Step

Whether you are experiencing ADHD, anxiety, or a mix of both, you are not alone. Many adults reach out later in life because they finally want answers, clarity, and tools that support their daily functioning.

At Tiny Therapy Collective, our therapists use CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and strengths-based approaches to help you understand your symptoms, develop practical skills, and feel more grounded in your daily life.

Book a free 15-minute consultation to connect with a therapist who understands both ADHD and anxiety and can help you navigate your next steps with clarity and compassion.