Overthinking can be an all-natural process, it can also be the result if the creative and overly active ADHD brain. While most believe overthinking to be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it' actually relates more to ADHD.
ADHD vs Anxiety: What's the Difference? The difference between ADHD and anxiety ultimately comes down to whether or not the individual is not focused because of fearful, apprehensive thoughts, or is not focused because of being easily distracted even though their mind is calm.
It's not uncommon for people with anxiety to be misdiagnosed with ADHD, or vice versa.
Is overthinking a mental illness? No, overthinking isn't a recognized mental health condition, but it can be a symptom of depression or anxiety. Overthinking is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Duke. GAD is characterized by the tendency to worry excessively about several things.
Because your brain works faster than people without ADHD, you can do more thinking loops than your non-ADHD peers. This means you experience more of these negative feelings. It is helpful to reflect back on a situation and see what worked and what you would do differently next time.
ADHD medication can help children and adults with ADHD approach their challenges and symptoms with more ease, one of which may be ruminating thoughts. So, medication for ADHD may aid with negative thought patterns, and help you get things back on track.
Having obsessive thoughts in an ADHD brain is quite common, but the problem arises when you cannot control these thoughts. These intrusive thoughts can trigger certain behaviors that are often considered unusual or inappropriate, making it hard for the person to interact with others.
Fear is one of the most common causes of overthinking. When people are afraid, they tend to ruminate on their thoughts and become fixated on worst-case scenarios. This can lead to a cycle of negative thinking and can make it difficult to focus on positive outcomes.
Do you often find yourself worrying about everyday issues for no obvious reason? Are you always waiting for disaster to strike or excessively worried about things such as health, money, family, work, or school? If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
The presence of anxiety can make it more likely for ADHD to be missed during diagnosis. This is due to several reasons. ✦ Firstly, anxiety symptoms may mask ADHD symptoms as anxiety can lower impulsivity.
Certain attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications can help treat a person's co-occurring anxiety, while others, including Adderall, may worsen it.
More often than not, when a person over the age of 10 is diagnosed with ADHD, he or she complains of feeling anxious, depressed, or sad. Sometimes the complaint indicates a co-existing anxiety disorder or depression, but often, symptoms of anxiety and unhappiness arise because of untreated ADD.
Sometimes, anxiety can occur independently of ADHD. Other times, it can be as a result of living with ADHD. A person who has ADHD and misses a work deadline or forgets to study for an important exam can become stressed and worried. Even the fear of forgetting to do such important tasks may cause them anxiety.
Instead, it usually is diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder. The term "high-functioning anxiety" represents people who exhibit anxiety symptoms while maintaining a high level of functionality in various aspects of their lives.
Signs that you might be overthinking include: Dwelling on past events or situations. Second-guessing decisions you've made. Replaying your mistakes in your mind.
Worry prods you to use problem-solving skills to address your concerns. Anxiety is persistent, even when concerns are unrealistic. It often compromises your ability to function. Worry doesn't impair function.
While both mental health conditions involve repetitive worrying, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often engage in unwanted and repetitive behavior in response to their worry. People with anxiety, however, tend to overthink their worry, but don't act in specific responsive manners.
What Causes Overthinking? While overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it is associated with conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use disorders.
Meanwhile, overthinking may be associated with increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Following a traumatic event, it's also common to be hypervigilant — which is when you're on high alert for danger at all times. Some people experience hypervigilance as overthinking about potential signs of trouble.
Overthinking will impact the brain
Overthinking changes the structure and connectivity of the brain leading to mood disorders therefore it can lead to mental illnesses such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Moreover, it can decrease your energy to focus and can affect your problem solving and decision making power.
With ADHD, that part of the brain is always turned on, which causes the endless look of intrusive thoughts to replay in your head like a bad song. In short, when you have ADHD and your Default Mode Network region is wired neurodivergent, it makes your mind wander on a continuous loop.
The thoughts a person with ADHD tend to jump without stopping to worry about the details. Additionally, many people with ADHD report feeling more relaxed when they're most active, so this activity stream can often be comforting. This lack of inhibition in thought can also result in more tangential connections.