When ADHD and Anxiety Show Up Together

How the Two Can Feed Each Other

Missed details and late tasks can lead to worry about the next mistake. That worry can then make it harder to focus, which leads to more missed details. Some people also use anxiety as fuel, staying on high alert to avoid forgetting things. That can work for a while, but it often leaves you tired and tense. Noticing the cycle is a useful starting point. Once you can see the loop, it becomes easier to choose where to step in first.

Look at a Specific Moment

General questions like am I anxious or distracted are hard to answer. Specific moments are easier. Think of the last time you sat down to work and could not start. What were you thinking? Were you scanning for what could go wrong, or was your attention pulled elsewhere? CBT uses examples like these to separate the patterns and choose strategies that fit. Over several weeks, these examples often reveal which pattern shows up more in which settings, such as work versus home.

Strategies May Differ

Something that helps with attention, like breaking a task into steps or using a timer, may not touch anxious thoughts. Something that helps with worry, like examining the evidence for a feared outcome, may not help you remember an appointment. Marie's approach is to try targeted changes, review what happened, and adjust. That keeps the work grounded in your real week rather than a generic plan. Sometimes one targeted change eases both, and that is worth noticing too.

Care That Stays in Its Lane

Formal ADHD testing and medication questions belong with a qualified evaluator or prescriber. If questions come up about evaluation or medication, those belong with a qualified evaluator or prescriber. Therapy can focus on the thoughts, behaviors and routines you can work on together, and it can sit alongside other care you already have in place. Clear roles help you get the right kind of support for each part of what you are dealing with. If you are unsure where a question belongs, you can raise it in a consultation and talk through options.

Start a Conversation

Marie offers a free 15-minute consultation to talk through what is happening and whether her practical, collaborative CBT approach seems like a fit. Sessions are 50 minutes, and individual sessions are $200. Online therapy is available anywhere in Oregon, and you can ask about current Portland office availability if meeting in person matters to you. Bringing one or two concrete examples to the call is usually more useful than a full history.

Questions You May Have