Anxiety and adhd: treatment options

Jess Dinsmore – Administrative Coordinator

In May’s blog post, we explored ADHD and anxiety and how they so often intertwine. If you are interested, you can read about this here. Despite the complexity and common misdiagnosis of both ADHD and anxiety, many treatment options can assist individuals to live a more balanced life.  
Treatment approaches are different for everyone, but it often takes a holistic approach to manage symptoms of ADHD and anxiety. Let’s explore some of these options.

ADHD Coaching:
ADHD and executive functioning coaching can help individuals work collaboratively to address academic, vocational, emotional, and interpersonal life challenges experienced by ADHD. Coaching can also help individuals form healthy habits for a more balanced lifestyle, including managing daily life stressors, nutrition, exercise and sleep, which all correlate with both symptoms of anxiety and ADHD.
Read more about ADHD coaching here.

Therapy:
Various therapeutic modalities can help manage anxiety and ADHD, including:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an excellent option for addressing and restructuring unhelpful thoughts and emotions. Often, individuals who live with ADHD experience unwanted thoughts regarding their ability to focus, motivation, productivity, and overall ability. CBT therapists can help work with individuals to identify time management, procrastination, planning, and coping strategies.
 
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is an extension of CBT that focuses more on acceptance of our thoughts and emotions rather than altering them. ACT can help individuals become mindful, commit to change, and embrace values rather than fight who they are.
 
Mindfulness-Based Therapies
Mindfulness helps individuals learn to regulate emotions, focus on the present to improve attention and distractibility, sit with their emotions, and improve executive functioning. Mindfulness strategies have been suggested to reduce anxiety and symptoms of ADHD in folks of all ages.
 
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
DBT is a helpful modality for individuals with ADHD and anxiety as it helps the individual build skills around emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, impulsivity, and attention.

Medication:
Research suggests that medication can be beneficial in treating both ADHD and anxiety. However, it is essential to monitor your symptoms as sometimes medication can worsen one symptom or the other. Working with your doctor to find the best fit for you is best. In addition, research has found that medication is most helpful when used in conjunction with therapy!

Exercise:
More research is coming out surrounding the wonderful benefits of exercise and managing symptoms of anxiety and ADHD.

When you exercise, your brain releases neurotransmitters, including dopamine and norephedrine, which play essential roles in our attention and impulse control.

In addition, exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which reduce stress and anxiety and can improve your mood.

If you’re thinking, “I hate exercising, I have no time, and do I have to?!” Try starting small and finding something you enjoy. It could be long walks outside, a yoga class, a bike ride, or dancing alone in your bedroom for 20 minutes.

Diet:
It is common for folks with ADHD to have nutrient deficiencies that need to be addressed to manage symptoms. This includes:
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• Being low in omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D, which all contribute to brain function and cognitive development

• Imbalanced blood sugar levels: When people have imbalanced blood sugar, it can affect energy levels, mood, and concentration. Consuming too much sugar increases brain dysregulation, which can worsen ADHD symptoms. The spike in blood sugar and eventual crash can also worsen inattention.

• Quick tip: Before you opt for a sugary treat, try eating a more balanced meal consisting of protein to balance blood sugar levels.

• Gut Health: As we are starting to learn, the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in brain health and neurotransmitter production. The brain and the gut communicate, and any changes in gut microbiota can affect brain function and behaviour. Newer research suggests that targeting the gut microbiome as a therapeutic intervention may help regulate symptoms of ADHD.

Most importantly, everything is about balance! What works for one person may not work for another. Focusing on a more holistic approach may help improve attention, regulate emotions, improve motivation, executive functioning, and overall well-being.

There are many other treatment options and tools available for managing symptoms of ADHD and anxiety. What’s something that helps you? Leave us a comment!