ADD and Anxiety: Strategies to Counter It

I am a worrier – my ability to focus my attention on the worry de jour  is really quite exceptional. While people who know me well, already know this, others are often surprised to learn this.

As you know, having difficulty being able to focus when and where you want is one of the hallmark symptoms of ADD. And feeling inordinately anxious, stressed or worried can make it only  harder to concentrate where you want.

I will always be a worrier, but there are several strategies that I use that allow me to move through these times more quickly, so that my ability to attend to other aspects of my life is not severely compromised. I offer these to you.

Being Proactive

One way to address these thoughts is to take a moment to identify the cause of your stress. Then create a plan, using the questions below. (I have also  included hypothetical answers.)

Q: What are you thinking/worrying/ruminating about?

A: my credit card debt

Q: What are the facts of the situation?

A: I have 5k in credit card debt, and I am only paying the minimum.

Q: What control do you have in changing the situation?

A: I could assess all of my spending, fixed and discretionary. Based on this, I could make different choices about how I spend my money, as well as check into other cards or loans.

Q. What choices are you willing to make in order to be more proactive and get out of your head about the issues that are causing you to worry?

A: By next Thursday I will create a list of all of my fixed expenses.

In situations where you do have some control, being proactive can help reduce your anxiety and stress.

Adopting A More Useful Perspective

In cases where you do not have as much control, adopting more useful thoughts can also help reduce your anxiety.

To get to the core of what is bothering you might require that you peel the onion. This is the process of peeling the layers of your thoughts until you get to the core of what is really bothering you.

In this example, Joe is worried about not getting his report done on time at work. He has been working on it for a long time. But the stress of worrying about the report is causing him to not work efficiently and even procrastinate working on it at all. It is time for Joe to peel the onion.

If I don’t get the report done on time, my boss and colleagues will think I am incompetent.

If my boss thinks I am incompetent, he will question my value as an employee.

If my boss starts questioning my value to the company, he will fire me.

If I get fired, I will not be able to support my family.

So, he is really worried about not being able to support his family – the worst possible scenario. Rather than countering this thought by saying that he would never get fired, he could go with it. Asking himself:

Is this really true?

Can I be sure that this is true?

And then, if it is not really true, he can replace this thought with a more productive thought that can help him lower his anxiety and stress level.

I have always been able to support my family. If I lose this job, I will figure what I need to do, get help and get another job. People lose their jobs all the time and are able to get new ones. I will, too.

(I feel obligated to note that, indeed, there are people for whom a loss of a job would be catastrophic; not all have the capacity that Joe seems to have.)

In getting to the core of what is bothering you, you may  also see where you do have some control in addressing your concern. In the above example, perhaps Joe could notify his boss of his progress and clarify expectations.

What can you do about your worries? Is there a more helpful perspective you could adopt?