Understanding anxiety and its complexities can be challenging, especially when trying to determine if it falls under the umbrella term of neurodivergence. With increasing awareness about mental health and neurodiversity, many people wonder whether anxiety is a form of neurodivergence.
This question arises from the overlapping symptoms and the unique ways anxiety can affect individuals. The distinction is important for those seeking the right support and understanding.
What is neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence refers to the different ways that brains can function and process information. It includes conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other developmental or neurological differences. 1
Instead of viewing these differences as problems, neurodivergence recognizes them as natural variations in how people think, learn, and behave. This perspective emphasizes that there is no single “normal” way for brains to work and that these differences should be valued and understood.
Signs of being neurodivergent
Recognizing neurodivergence involves identifying signs indicating different ways of thinking, learning, and behaving.
While these signs are often associated with specific conditions, they can also be present in individuals without formal diagnoses. Here are some common indicators associated with several neurodivergent conditions:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Autism spectrum disorder is considered neurodivergent and manifests through unique social and communication challenges, as well as distinct behavioral patterns. Common signs of neurodivergence in autistic people include:
- Social interaction difficulties: Trouble understanding social cues, maintaining eye contact, and forming relationships.
- Repetitive behaviors: Engaging in repetitive actions or routines, such as hand-flapping, rocking, or strict schedule adherence.
- Intense focus: Deep interest in specific topics, often leading to extensive knowledge in those areas.
- Sensory sensitivities: Over- or under-reactivity to sensory input like lights, sounds, textures, or smells.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
ADHD, another condition considered neurodivergent, is characterized by ongoing patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that affect daily activities. Signs of ADHD include:
- Inattention: The person struggles with maintaining focus, is easily distracted, forgets, and frequently loses items. This is often referred to as an attention deficit.
- Hyperactivity: Excessive restlessness and difficulty staying seated or quiet when required.
- Impulsivity: Tendency to act without thinking, interrupting others, difficulty waiting for turns, and making hasty decisions.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to understand and work with numbers, causing difficulties in math-related tasks. Signs of dyscalculia include:
- Math difficulties: Struggling with basic arithmetic, understanding numbers, and performing math-related tasks.
- Number sense issues: Difficulty grasping quantities, comparing amounts, and recognizing numerical patterns.
- Math anxiety: Feeling stressed or anxious when dealing with numbers or math problems.
Dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder)
Dyspraxia impacts motor skills and coordination, making daily tasks more challenging. Common signs include:
- Coordination problems: Clumsiness and trouble with tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as tying shoelaces or using utensils.
- Spatial awareness issues: Difficulty judging distances and navigating spaces.
- Planning difficulties: Challenges in planning and executing tasks in an organized manner, often linked to issues with executive function (mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control).
Other neurodivergent conditions
Various other neurodivergent conditions present unique signs and challenges. These include:
- Tourette syndrome: Characterized by involuntary tics, such as repeated movements or vocalizations.
- Sensory processing disorder: Marked by extreme reactions to sensory stimuli, leading to discomfort or distress.
- Nonverbal learning disorder: Difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues, spatial awareness, and motor skills, despite strong verbal abilities.
Is anxiety neurodivergent?
Anxiety is not classified as neurodivergent because neurodivergent refers to conditions like autism and ADHD, which involve different ways the brain is wired and works. Anxiety is a mental health issue that involves feelings of excessive worry and fear, but it doesn’t mean the brain is wired differently. Anyone can experience anxiety, no matter how their brain is wired.
Anxiety and neurodivergent conditions
While anxiety is not neurodivergent by itself, it often coexists with neurodivergent conditions. Here’s how anxiety intersects with some neurodivergent conditions:
Autism
- People with autism frequently experience anxiety related to social interactions, changes in routine, and sensory sensitivities.
- The unpredictability of social situations and intense sensory experiences can trigger significant anxiety. 2
ADHD
- Those with ADHD may face anxiety due to challenges with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
- Managing daily tasks, meeting expectations, and dealing with impulsive actions can lead to heightened anxiety levels. 3
Dyslexia and other learning differences
- Individuals with dyslexia or other learning differences may experience anxiety from academic performance pressures, fear of failure, and social stigma. 4
- Keeping up with peers and meeting academic demands can be a source of ongoing anxiety.
What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive and persistent feelings of worry, fear, and nervousness. Unlike neurodivergent conditions, which are related to differences in brain function and development, anxiety disorders primarily involve emotional and psychological symptoms. Here are some common types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- GAD involves chronic and excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, or personal relationships.
- People with GAD find it difficult to control their worry, and this anxiety is often disproportionate to the actual situation.
- While neurodivergent conditions involve cognitive differences, GAD is marked by persistent worry and tension.
Social anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might be judged, embarrassed, or scrutinized by others.
- This fear can lead to avoidance of social interactions and significantly impact personal and professional life.
- Social anxiety focuses on the fear of social scenarios rather than differences in social processing or communication styles seen in neurodivergent conditions.
Panic disorder
- Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks.
- A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions, such as a racing heart, sweating, and shortness of breath.
- People with panic disorder often live in fear of the next attack and may avoid places or situations where previous attacks have occurred.
- Acute episodes of fear characterize panic disorder. This is different from the ongoing cognitive or developmental differences in neurodivergent conditions.
Specific phobias
- Specific phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations, such as heights, flying, or certain animals.
- The fear is disproportionate to the actual danger posed by the object or situation, leading to avoidance behaviors that can interfere with daily life.
- Phobias are focused on specific triggers, unlike the consistent cognitive or behavioral patterns in neurodivergent conditions.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- OCD is characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce the anxiety caused by these thoughts.
- These compulsions can take up a significant amount of time and interfere with daily functioning.
- While OCD involves repetitive behaviors, it differs from neurodivergent conditions, which typically involve broader patterns of behavior and thought.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- PTSD can develop after exposure to a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, serious accident, or violent assault.
- Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
- PTSD results from specific traumatic experiences, in contrast to neurodivergence, which is often present from early development.
Separation anxiety disorder
- It involves excessive fear or anxiety about being separated from those to whom one is attached.
- This can lead to avoidance of leaving home or being alone.
- Separation anxiety is an emotional response to separation from loved ones, differing from the inherent cognitive differences in neurodivergent conditions.
Health anxiety (Hypochondriasis)
- Health anxiety involves excessive worry about having a serious illness despite medical reassurance.
- People with health anxiety frequently check their bodies for signs of illness, seek medical tests, and avoid activities they fear might harm their health.
- This condition is driven by fear and worry, distinct from the consistent cognitive processing differences in neurodivergence.
How to know if you are neurodivergent
Determining if you are neurodivergent means noticing if the way you think, learn, and behave differs from most people. Here are some steps and things to consider to help you understand if you might be neurodivergent:
Self-reflection
- Personal history: Reflect on your childhood and developmental milestones. Did you experience any delays or challenges in areas such as language, social skills, or motor skills?
- Behavior patterns: Consider if you have any repetitive behaviors, intense interests, or sensory sensitivities that have been consistent throughout your life.
- Learning style: Think about whether you have unique ways of processing information, learning new things, or solving problems. Do you often need to use different strategies compared to your peers?
Common signs to look out for
- Social interaction: Difficulty understanding social cues, maintaining eye contact, or forming relationships.
- Communication: Challenges with verbal or nonverbal communication, such as interpreting body language or tone of voice.
- Sensory sensitivities: Over- or under-reactivity to sensory input like lights, sounds, textures, or smells.
- Attention and focus: Difficulty sustaining attention, easily distracted, or hyperfocused on specific topics.
- Motor skills: Clumsiness or difficulty with tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as writing or using utensils.
Seek professional assessment
- Educational psychologist: A specialist who can evaluate learning disabilities and cognitive differences, such as dyslexia or ADHD.
- Clinical psychologist or psychiatrist: Professionals who can diagnose conditions like autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent conditions through clinical assessments and diagnostic criteria.
- Occupational therapist: They can assess and provide support for sensory processing issues and motor skill development.
Diagnostic tools
- Questionnaires and checklists: Tools like the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) or the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) can provide insights into whether you might have traits associated with neurodivergent conditions.
- Observations: Professional assessments often include observing behavior in different settings, such as at home, work, or school, to understand how neurodivergent traits manifest in daily life.
- Interviews: Detailed interviews with you and sometimes with family members can help professionals gather comprehensive information about your developmental history and current challenges.
Final thoughts
Living with anxiety and neurodivergence can be challenging. While anxiety isn’t typically considered neurodivergent, it often co-occurs with conditions like autism or ADHD.
The symptoms of anxiety in neurodivergent individuals can look different from those in neurotypical individuals, which is why a better understanding of these experiences is so important.
If you or someone you love is dealing with anxiety, especially alongside neurodivergent conditions, it’s essential to get the right support from a mental health specialist.
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Sources
- 1. Dwyer, P. (2022). The neurodiversity approach(es): What are they and what do they mean for researchers? Human Development, 66(2), 73–92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000523723
- 2. Rodgers, J., & Ofield, A. (2018). Understanding, recognizing, and treating co-occurring anxiety in autism. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 5(1), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-018-0132-4
- 3. Pliszka, S. R. (2019). ADHD and anxiety: Clinical implications. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(3), 203–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054718817365
- 4. Georgiou, G. K., Parrila, R., & McArthur, G. (2024). Dyslexia and mental health problems: Introduction to the special issue. Annals of Dyslexia, 74(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-023-00255-0