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ADHD and ADD Anxiety and Women with Adhd

The main symptoms of ADHD include inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity. In most cases of adult ADHD, these symptoms are present in childhood but don’t become problematic until adulthood. ADHD affects 4.4% of adults.

How common are anxiety disorders in women with adult ADHD?

The lifetime prevalence of three or more anxiety disorders in women with adult ADHD is 52%. This is three times the prevalence in women with no ADHD and about the same rate as that in men with ADHD.

Anxiety disorders include:.

  1. panic disorder
  2. generalized anxiety disorder
  3. social anxiety
  4. PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
  5. OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)

ADHD symptoms frequently worsen when an anxiety disorder worsens. And the reciprocal is true as well. When ADHD symptoms worsen (due to school, work, or child care requiring more planning, organization, and focus), anxiety conditions are liable to worsen. Frequently, patients with these disorders get more relief from their anxiety than they have been getting from previous treatments when their ADHD is treated effectively. Occasionally, some anxiety symptoms improve or remit without need for any other medication besides the ADHD treatment.

If you need more information about anxiety and ADHD in women, call us today at 770-458-0007 or email us.