ADHD or Anxiety? Why Screeners Can Feel Confusing When You’re Stressed: ADHD vs anxiety symptoms adults
- Ryan Burns
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
Last reviewed: 02/19/2026
Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly
When you’re overwhelmed, ADHD vs anxiety symptoms adults can feel identical: distractibility, restlessness, irritability, and a brain that won’t “stay on track.” Screeners can add to the confusion because stress can push both attention and anxiety symptoms higher.
In this article, you’ll learn:
Why ADHD and anxiety overlap so often
Anxiety patterns that can look like ADHD (and vice versa)
Gentle clues to sort “worry vs distractibility” without self-diagnosing
How the ASRS screener and GAD-7 screening fit into the picture
Next steps for support, including telehealth options in Tennessee
Why ADHD and Anxiety Overlap So Much
Shared symptoms: restlessness, focus issues, irritability
Both ADHD and anxiety can interfere with attention and self-regulation, so the surface symptoms often match. Comorbidity is also common in adults, which can make the picture even murkier. [1-3]
🧩 Key takeaway: Overlap is expected. Similar symptoms can come from different causes, and sometimes both conditions are present.
Different drivers: “interest-based attention” vs “threat-based attention”
One way to make sense of overlap is to ask what’s pulling your attention away.
With ADHD, attention can be inconsistent: you may do fine when something is novel, urgent, or genuinely interesting, then stall hard on routine tasks.
With anxiety, attention often gets captured by threat. Anxiety can reduce “attentional control” (the mental gear-shifting you use to prioritize and stay on task) and increase monitoring for danger cues. [4,5]
ADHD-Looking Symptoms That Can Be Anxiety
Overthinking and mental noise
Anxiety can feel like “ADHD racing thoughts,” but the content is often worry-based and repetitive: what-if loops, replaying conversations, scanning for mistakes, seeking certainty. [4]
⚠️ Key takeaway: Racing thoughts happen in both ADHD and anxiety. The theme (worry loop vs idea-hopping) and what triggers it often matter more than speed.
Avoidance that looks like procrastination
Anxiety can create avoidance that looks like procrastination or executive dysfunction anxiety. You delay because starting feels risky: “If I do this wrong, something bad will happen,” or “I’ll be judged.”
Example: You avoid replying to an email because you’re worried you’ll sound incompetent. The delay increases the perceived threat, and now it feels even harder to start.
Misconception check #1: “If I procrastinate, I must have ADHD.” Procrastination can be an attention issue, a fear response, or both.
Sleep disruption → focus collapse
Sleep loss can mimic ADHD inattention by weakening attention and working memory. Neurocognitive research consistently shows that insufficient sleep reduces daytime cognitive performance, including executive attention. [6]
💤 Key takeaway: If a screener day follows poor sleep, high stress, or illness, interpret results cautiously and consider retesting when you’re more regulated.
Anxiety-Looking Symptoms That Can Be ADHD
Chronic “behind” feeling and shame
Many adults seeking an ADHD assessment Tennessee describe a long history of “I’m always behind,” even when they’re capable and motivated. Over time, repeated friction can generate real anxiety and shame. Comorbid anxiety is common in adults with ADHD. [1-3]
Missed details → fear of consequences
If you’ve learned (the hard way) that you miss steps or forget details, it’s normal to become hypervigilant. That hypervigilance can look like generalized anxiety, but the fear may be downstream of attention and organization problems.
Time blindness → last-minute panic
Time blindness can trigger last-minute panic: you intend to start early, but the task doesn’t feel real until it’s urgent. Then your nervous system spikes, and you either sprint into hyperfocus or freeze.
Example: You can’t begin a report all week, then write it in a late-night rush with a racing heart and shaky concentration.
⏱️ Key takeaway: Anxiety that shows up mainly around the consequences of disorganization can be a clue that ADHD is contributing.
Clues to Tell Them Apart (Gently, Without Self-Diagnosing)
What happens when the threat is removed?
If the stakes were low, would the problem shrink?
If reassurance, clarity, or a “safe plan” quickly lowers symptoms, anxiety may be a bigger driver.
If you still can’t initiate, sequence, or sustain attention even when you feel safe, ADHD may be playing a larger role.
What happens when the task is interesting?
This is where anxiety vs ADHD inattention can diverge.
ADHD often improves with novelty, urgency, or genuine interest.
Anxiety can still block action if the task feels risky, because threat overrides curiosity. [4]
Misconception check #2: “If you can hyperfocus, you can’t have ADHD.” Hyperfocus can occur in ADHD, especially when the task is stimulating or urgent.
Body anxiety vs cognitive overwhelm
Anxiety often has a body signature (tension, chest tightness, stomach churn). ADHD overload can feel more like cognitive overwhelm and “overwhelm shutdown”: too many inputs, too many steps, too many choices.
🧪 Key takeaway: You don’t need a perfect label to take a helpful next step. Pattern-spotting is enough to guide support.
How Screeners Fit In (ASRS + GAD-7)
What each tool is best at
Screeners are designed to flag possibilities, not diagnose.
The ASRS screener (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) helps identify adults who may benefit from a full ADHD evaluation. [7,8]
The GAD-7 is a brief measure used to identify likely generalized anxiety and track severity over time. [9]
Why results can conflict (and what that means)
Conflicting results are common because stress, burnout, poor sleep, trauma symptoms, and depression can raise both anxiety and attention scores. Anxiety can reduce attentional control, and ADHD can create real-life consequences that keep your brain on alert. [1-5]
Misconception check #3: “A high score means I definitely have the disorder.” Diagnosis requires clinical context and history. For ADHD, clinicians look for symptoms starting earlier in life, occurring across settings, and causing impairment. [10,11]
✅ Key takeaway: Treat screeners like a flashlight, not a verdict. Use them to guide what to explore next with a clinician.
What Helps Either Way (No Wrong Door)
Sleep, routines, and reducing load
Try reducing baseline load first:
Protect a consistent sleep window
Write down open loops (don’t carry them in working memory)
Use a 10-minute daily reset (plan, prioritize, transition)
Skills: planning supports + nervous system supports
Two tracks can help at the same time.
Planning supports:
Externalize time (timers, visual calendars)
Break “start” into tiny steps
Add structure and accountability
Nervous system supports:
Ground before you start (breath, brief movement)
Name the worry story and return to the next step
Practice “good enough” completion
For routines, follow-through, and practical systems, executive function coaching can be a useful bridge.
When to seek an evaluation
Consider an evaluation if symptoms are longstanding, show up across areas of life, or keep causing impairment despite good-faith efforts. A structured assessment can clarify whether you’re dealing with ADHD, anxiety, both, or something else, and what treatment plan fits best.
You can learn more about our psychological assessment options and reach out via our contact page to discuss next steps.
🌿 Key takeaway: There’s no wrong door. Therapy can reduce distress now, and assessment can clarify the longer-term picture.
Next Steps: Take the Screeners
Access the ASRS
Start with our Adult ADHD screener (ASRS) if you’re noticing persistent inattention, disorganization, time blindness, or shutdown, especially when the task is boring or routine.
Access the GAD-7
Try our GAD-7 anxiety screener if your baseline feels like worry, tension, scanning for problems, or you’re stuck in what-if loops.
Check out additional resources
Not sure where to begin? Visit the ScienceWorks mental health screening hub to choose the right tools and next steps.
A quick recap
When you’re stressed, ADHD and anxiety can masquerade as each other. Screeners can help you decide what to explore, but they can’t replace a full clinical evaluation. If you’re stuck, the most helpful move is often the simplest: get support, reduce load, and let a professional help you sort the pattern.
About ScienceWorks
ScienceWorks is led by Dr. Kiesa Kelly. She is a psychologist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology (concentration in Neuropsychology). Her training includes practica, internship, and postdoctoral work at academic medical centers, including the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Florida, and Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Kelly provides therapy and psychological assessment services, including ADHD and autism assessments, and integrates an executive function coaching approach when helpful. She also offers telehealth services in Tennessee and several other states.
References
Kessler RC, Adler L, Barkley R, et al. The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(4):716-723. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.4.716
Quenneville AF, Kalogeropoulou E, Nicastro R, Weibel S, Chanut F, Perroud N. Anxiety disorders in adult ADHD: A frequent comorbidity and a risk factor for externalizing problems. Psychiatry Res. 2022;310:114423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114423
D’Agati E, Curatolo P, Mazzone L. Comorbidity between ADHD and anxiety disorders across the lifespan. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract. 2019;23(4):238-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/13651501.2019.1628277
Eysenck MW, Derakshan N, Santos R, Calvo MG. Anxiety and cognitive performance: attentional control theory. Emotion. 2007;7(2):336-353. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.7.2.336
Bar-Haim Y, Lamy D, Pergamin L, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH. Threat-related attentional bias in anxious and nonanxious individuals: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Bull. 2007;133(1):1-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.1
Durmer JS, Dinges DF. Neurocognitive consequences of sleep deprivation. Semin Neurol. 2005;25(1):117-129. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2005-867080
Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, et al. The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychol Med. 2005;35(2):245-256. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291704002892
Ustun B, Adler LA, Rudin C, et al. The World Health Organization Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(5):520-527. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0298
Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosing ADHD. Updated 10/03/2024. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/diagnosis/index.html
American Psychiatric Association. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (fact sheet). https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-ADHD.pdf
Disclaimer
This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. If you’re concerned about your symptoms, talk with a qualified healthcare professional. If you feel unsafe or are in crisis, call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.
