ADHD and Childhood Anxiety Disorders: What’s the Difference?

Almost everyone has heard the terms “ADHD” and “childhood anxiety,” but it can be difficult to distinguish between the two – in fact, even clinicians can have trouble drawing distinctions between the two issues, since the symptoms can overlap or be so similar that it’s difficult to make a clear diagnosis. Compounding the confusion, it can be very hard to diagnose either disorder in children under the age of five since toddlers often exhibit behaviors similar to both disorders as they grow and develop. Although the disorders can sometimes be puzzling to narrow down in your child, read through the basic characteristics of both below so that you can obtain a better understanding of how each disorder manifests itself in children. Then you can find out more about how to treat these disorders as a parent in a way that is nonthreatening and comfortable for your child.

ADHD: Understanding the Basics

Almost everyone knows another parent with a child who is diagnosed as ADHD. This disorder has gained some notoriety, often blamed as a scapegoat for bad behavior in kids or too-permissive parenting. But ADHD, also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a real concern for many parents. Children with ADHD exhibit the following symptoms:

• Inability to play quietly
• Inability to listen and follow directions
• Child is in constant motion, squirming and fidgeting
• They are easily distractible and often forget to finish routine tasks
• They talk a lot and frequently interrupt others

There are a specific set of guidelines that pediatricians and psychologists use to diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children ages 6-12. The doctor will take these guidelines into account as well as your child’s medical history when making the diagnosis.

The most common treatment for ADHD in children is controversial because it involves placing kids on medication. These types of medications include stimulants and non-stimulants. However, kids with ADHD also respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy, which allows them to develop positive behavioral reactions to stressful situations. They also respond well to self-help therapy, which can help reduce the stress involved with dealing with ADHD, and can give them the power to take control of the disorder through positive coping techniques.

Anxiety Disorder: Understanding the Basics

Kids with ADHD can develop anxiety disorder, but a child can also have anxiety disorder without having ADHD as well. In fact, anxiety disorders can affect as many as 1 in 8 children. Anxiety disorder can also be coupled with other disorders such as eating problems and depression.

A child with anxiety will typically exhibit both physical and emotional symptoms, such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Sweating
• Fearful thoughts or behaviors
• Disastrous thinking patterns
• Refusal to go to school, ride the bus, etc.

Major life events can trigger anxiety in children, such as moving to a new city or school, a death in the family, moving up in school, or a car accident. However, other seemingly-benign experiences can trigger anxiety as well.

The clinical guidelines for anxiety aren’t as hard and fast as for ADHD. Usually, a clinician can help get to the root of your child’s fears. While anxiety can be treated with medicine, the side effects of most antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can make it difficult for a parent to choose that option. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help children learn to cope with anxiety, while self-help techniques aimed at stress reduction and stopping panic attacks can help your child seize control of her life.

Creating a Home Base of Support

Many parents are afraid to confront the source of their child’s anxiety or to get that final diagnosis of ADHD. They are afraid that their parenting is somehow to blame for their child’s situation. However, both disorders are incredibly common in childhood and can be dealt with effectively. Rarely are these issues the result of “bad parenting.”

Once you have accepted the fact that your child needs help, you can create a home base of support to help her through this trying time. Finding ways to nurture and support your child, as well as ways to help her cope with stress efficiently, are two of the most precious gifts you can bestow upon your child.

By implementing stress relief methods in your home and encouraging your child to take part, you can give her the tools she needs to eliminate stress, halt panic attacks as they start, and go on to live a healthy life.

Getting the Whole Family Involved

A self-help regimen for reducing stress can be adopted and implemented by the whole family. This helps take the stigma away from ADHD and from anxiety – reducing it from the “elephant in the room” to a manageable problem that everyone takes part in confronting. Children with ADHD can benefit from these techniques as well as children with anxiety. In fact, stressed out parents and siblings can also reap the rewards of a self-help regimen. So make it a family goal to reduce stress effectively on a daily basis, and you will be helping everyone in your family.

A good self-help regimen will employ the following techniques:

• Yoga – called meditation through movement, yoga is a great exercise in stress relief for the whole family. Gyms and recreation centers often offer yoga for the whole family, or you can just pop a DVD in and grab your yoga mats.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) – by alternately tensing and relaxing your muscles, you can promote blood flow and relaxation, creating a sense of calm and lowering your blood pressure.
• Visualization – encourage everyone in your family to visualize a peaceful or happy scene or place and then bring that visual guide to mind when stressed out.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing – this deep breathing exercise increases the amount of oxygen in your blood stream, reducing the “fight or flight” response and releasing stress.
• Laughter Therapy – by learning to laugh together, you and your family members can help keep things in perspective. Laughter therapy has also been shown to increase the quality and quantity of sleep you get at night.