Organizing with ADHD and Anxiety

Some people with ADHD may have additional mental health disorders. Over 60% of people with ADHD have a comorbid (coexisting) condition. Many of my clients have anxiety along with their ADHD. In general about 50% of adults with ADHD and 30% of children with ADHD also have anxiety. Often the symptoms of the ADHD hide the other mental health condition; anxiety or others. Diagnoses are important and tricky. You should research your doctor and advocate for yourself or your child if you think something is being missed.

organizing with adhd and anxiety

We all feel anxious from time to time but a diagnosis of anxiety is serious and need the correct treatment for a doctor. Someone with anxiety may feel distressed, uneasy, and frightened. If the symptoms are severe it can affect their ability to work, study, perform basic self-care, or enjoy friendships and families.

How can ADHD hide anxiety? They do have a few overlapping symptoms.

  • Difficulty concentrating – for ADHD this means your mind wonders because you have multiple thoughts or you see something else that catches your eye or you remember something at the wrong time, for Anxiety this means you are thinking about something that is bothering you either in the future that you are worried about or in the past that you don’t think when well, or you are having negative self-talk about something
  • Inability to relax or feelings of restlessness – for ADHD this means because they have the hyperactive type and can’t stop moving, for Anxiety this has more to do with fear.
  • Emotional control/irritability – for ADHD this means they have used up all their energy for their prefrontal cortex and no longer have access to their executive functions, for Anxiety this means they are acting out of fear or worry.
  • Trouble sleeping –  for ADHD this means they can’t stop thinking long enough to fall asleep and can’t wake up because they didn’t get enough sleep, for Anxiety this mean they are worrying or fearful something will happen or has happened.

So while on a list the symptoms may look the same the causes of the symptoms is different.

Here are additional symptoms of Anxiety:

  • Chronic feeling of worry
  • Fear without an obvious cause
  • Headaches and stomachaches
  • Fear of trying new things

Here are additional symptoms of ADHD:

  • Trouble completing tasks/follow through
  • Trouble transitioning from one thing to another
  • Forgetfulness
  • Difficult listening and following dishes
  • Trouble focusing for a long period of time

Without out systems, routines and habits, our homes and office can become cluttered. This clutter makes your home look bad (an organized home always looks clean and a disorganized home looks dirty) but in addition, it makes us feel bad as well. Often the environment we are in is a reflection of what is happening inside of us.

Organizing a space has three big steps that can and should be broken down.

Step one: Time to let it go or as in “We bought a Zoo” time to “let that one start over.” As Americans, many of us own too much. Pair down as much as you can. Often for people with anxiety, this process is hard emotional work. Get support from someone who will do what is right and not just what you want. A good friend or an organizing coach are good choices.Set a deadline but don’t try and do it all in one day. Make space for yourself by clearing out items you haven’t used within the last year. Ask yourself what is the benefit of this item?  Belongings that are sentimental are fine but they shouldn’t be under a bed, in the back of a closet or in a box in the basement. Honor it by displaying it and truly remembering that person. I have my grandfather’s cameras on display in my home. But these items should be limited. Think about how much is reasonable to keep without causing visual clutter.  

Step two: Find a place for everything. Items should be kept in the room where they are used. Everything should have a place. Keep alike items together – the theme needs to make sense to everyone who lives in the home. What will make you put something away? More than one step is a deal breaker for some people. What sort of effort are you willing to put into it?

Step three: Build habits. What does your morning and evening look like? Do you have self-care habits in place for yourself to maintain your mood? What helps when you have a bad day? What distracts you? And how do you avoid it when you need to focus? There are loads of topics and questions here to think about and discuss with a friend, therapist or coach.

 

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