ADHD vs Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering:
“Why can’t I focus, even though I’m so worried all the time?”
Or:
“Why do I feel constantly overwhelmed, even when nothing is technically wrong?”
You might be asking an important question:
Is it anxiety… or is it ADHD?
Or maybe even both?
In our therapy practice here in Toronto, we meet many people—teens, students, professionals—struggling with that exact confusion. And it’s completely valid. ADHD and anxiety often show up in very similar ways on the surface. But underneath, they have different roots.
What’s the Difference?
Here’s a simple way to understand it:
Anxiety is fear-based. Your mind constantly worries about what might go wrong, and it tries to stay in control to prevent disaster.
ADHD is regulation-based. Your brain has trouble organizing attention, tasks, emotions, and time. It’s not driven by fear—it’s often a mismatch between your environment and how your brain processes information.
That said, ADHD and anxiety frequently overlap. Someone with undiagnosed ADHD might grow anxious over time because they keep forgetting things, missing deadlines, or feeling “not good enough.” On the other hand, someone with anxiety may struggle to focus because their brain is preoccupied with worrying.
Why They’re So Often Confused
Let’s say you constantly procrastinate on important tasks.
If you have anxiety, it might be because you’re afraid of failure or not doing it perfectly.
If you have ADHD, it might be because your brain struggles to initiate tasks that aren’t immediately engaging.
Same behaviour. Different reason.
Another example: You feel restless and can’t sit still.
Anxiety might make you pace because you’re tense and jittery.
ADHD might make you fidget or move because your brain needs stimulation.
Again—on the outside it can look similar, but what’s going on internally is very different.
That’s why understanding the why behind your experience is so important. We explore more of this overlap in Managing Everyday Anxiety and also talk about school-related stress in Five Strategies for Academic Anxiety.
A Helpful Tip: Track Your “Why”
If you’re trying to make sense of your patterns, here’s a tip we often use in session:
For one week, jot down:
What triggered your stress or shutdown
How you felt in your body
What story your mind told you in that moment
You might begin to notice a pattern. Are you mostly reacting to fear? Or are you often confused about why something felt hard, or overwhelmed for “no reason”? These small observations can point toward whether anxiety, ADHD, or both are at play.
It’s also something you can bring to therapy or an ADHD assessment to help guide the conversation.
How Therapy Can Help
Whether you’re exploring ADHD, managing anxiety, or just trying to function better, therapy offers more than coping strategies. It helps you:
Build clarity about how your brain and nervous system work
Untangle the layers of shame or self-doubt that often come with chronic overwhelm
Find tools that actually fit your experience—not generic advice
Get support if you’re considering an ADHD assessment or wondering what’s next
We help clients across Toronto feel more grounded in their own minds—and supported in making meaningful changes, step by step.
📞 Book a free 15-minute consultation with a therapist in Toronto if you’re feeling unsure, stuck, or ready to better understand what’s going on beneath the surface.
