Medications For ADHD and Anxiety
Medications that treat ADHD generally work well for anxiety too. Stimulants like methylphenidate or amphetamine increase the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Antidepressants as well as nonstimulants like atomoxetine could also be helpful.
In certain instances, stimulant medication may worsen anxiety symptoms. If this is the case, your doctor may prescribe another medication or switch medications altogether.
Stimulants
Stimulants are usually the drug of choice for people suffering from ADHD who also suffer from anxiety. These drugs are believed to help with both ADHD and anxiety because they boost the brain's production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which promotes concentration and decreases the impulsivity. It also aids in motivation and memory.
Stimulant drugs like methylphenidate and amphetamines block the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine, which helps keep their levels higher in the brain. This improves concentration and decreases impulse-driven behavior which makes it easier to manage anger and other emotions that make anxiety worse.
Stimulants can also have unintended effects, for instance, they can occasionally increase anxiety symptoms. Your child or you could also have difficulty getting enough sleep. They can also reduce appetite, which can hinder in eating enough to maintain healthy growth. Read Home Page experience tics, which are sudden movements or sounds like eye blinking and throat clearing. Although these symptoms are common they can be controlled or eliminated with some simple strategies.
It is important to keep in mind that each person responds differently to stimulants and non-stimulant ADHD medications. It could take a bit of trial and error to find the appropriate combination of medication, dosages, and schedules for your children or yourself.
When creating a treatment plan, your physician will consider your individual symptoms and your lifestyle. They will likely recommend a treatment to reduce anxiety and will monitor your reaction to medication to determine the best solutions for you.
Treatments for anxiety can interact with other ADHD medications. For instance, Adderall can make anxiety more severe in children with co-occurring ADHD and anxiety. This is because psychostimulants affect how the brain processes information regarding possible threats within the internal and external environments It is possible that they could hinder this normal process.
However, this doesn't mean that ADHD and anxiety can't be treated in tandem. It's also possible that improving ADHD symptoms can help reduce anxiety as they may reduce the amount of stressful situations and conflicts that children with untreated ADHD have to deal with.
Psychostimulants are generally found to be effective in improving both ADHD and anxiety in a variety of studies. They're generally more effective than traditional antianxiety medications for both disorders. It's possible that the decrease of anxiety with psychostimulants was a result of the improved ADHD symptoms, not the medication itself.