Why are ADHD patients more prone to anxiety and depression? ——Scientific interpretation + improvement plan
1. Anxiety and depression are the " hidden " emotional crises of ADHD
ADHD not only affects cognitive function, but also significantly affects emotional regulation and internal psychological state. Many patients gradually show the following symptoms during their growth:
• “ Why do I always do bad things? ”
• " Am I just useless? "
• “ I tried hard, but I failed. ”
This kind of long-term experience of frustration and negative external feedback can easily turn into chronic anxiety, low self-esteem and depression .
1.1 Why are ADHD patients more prone to anxiety?
• Executive dysfunction → task processing anxiety : When faced with work or study tasks, ADHD patients often don’t know how to start or plan, thus falling into an anxious cycle of “ not being able to finish, not having enough time, and not being able to catch up. ”
• Attention fluctuation → Information overload anxiety : The brain has difficulty blocking out irrelevant stimuli, and external information is chaotic, leading to a long-term state of mental fatigue and tension.
• Increased social sensitivity → anxiety about being evaluated : Due to social barriers such as speaking impulsively and interrupting others, people are often misunderstood as " impolite " or " low emotional intelligence " , which leads to a fear of socializing.
1.2 Why are ADHD patients more prone to depression?
• Limited achievements → Long-term experience of failure : poor academic performance, unstable work performance, confused concept of time, these real setbacks continue to undermine self-confidence.
• Being labeled negatively → increasing self-denial : Being evaluated as " lazy ", " procrastinating " and " short-lived " for a long time makes patients disappointed in themselves.
• Emotional regulation disorder → Increased psychological rumination : It is difficult to withdraw from negative events, and people constantly recall, blame themselves, and magnify mistakes, leading to persistent low mood.
These anxieties and depressions are not simple " emotional problems " but the result of systemic influences brought about by ADHD .
2. From the perspective of brain mechanisms: the neural connection between anxiety, depression and ADHD
2.1 Abnormal dopamine and norepinephrine function
The low function of dopamine (regulating motivation and reward) and norepinephrine (regulating attention and stress response) in the brain of ADHD patients directly leads to:
• Difficulty concentrating
• Muted reward (difficulty getting satisfaction from completing tasks)
• Poor ability to cope with stress
Abnormalities in this type of neurotransmitter are also considered to be one of the important mechanisms for the formation of anxiety and depression ( Arnsten, 2009 ).
2.2 Disorders in connectivity between the prefrontal lobe and the limbic system
• People with ADHD have underactivity in the prefrontal cortex (which controls emotions and decision-making);
• And the amygdala (responsible for emotional responses) tends to overreact;
This structural imbalance makes patients more susceptible to excessive anxiety or depression when faced with stress, criticism, and failure ( Shaw et al., 2007 ).
3. Zestar: A non-stimulant drug that takes into account both attention and mood regulation
Xestrazoxane is a non-stimulant ADHD medication that helps patients improve their attention by regulating the norepinephrine pathway , while also providing an auxiliary improvement effect on comorbid problems such as anxiety and mood swings ( Michelson et al., 2002 ).
3.1 How does Zestar relieve emotional problems?
✅ Enhance the brain's executive functions : Increase prefrontal cortex activity to help you deal with challenges more rationally.
✅ Weaken amygdala response : reduce overreaction to emotional stimuli and improve stress resistance.
✅ Improve emotion regulation ability : The drug effect is stable, does not cause " peak - rebound " , and avoids large fluctuations in emotions.
✅ Does not affect sleep and does not cause addiction : Compared with stimulant drugs, Cialis is more suitable for adult ADHD patients with anxiety and emotional instability .
3.2 Who is particularly suitable?
• People who suffer from chronic anxiety, self-blame, and procrastination due to attention problems;
• People who tend to " magnify the consequences " and fall into repetitive thinking and depression ;
• People with mild anxiety and depression symptoms who are not suitable for or unwilling to use antidepressants.
4. In addition to medication, what other strategies are there to improve mood?
Drug intervention is the basis, while behavioral and cognitive training is the key to stabilizing long-term emotions:
✅ Mood Journal: Identify Your “ Tipping Points ”
Daily records:
• When anxiety / depression occurs
• The situation and thoughts at that time
• Self-response style (rumination, avoidance, communication)
• Suggestions for improvement (how I can handle it next time)
By recognizing patterns → adjusting responses → increasing a sense of control.
✅ Cognitive restructuring exercises (core CBT approach)
• Original Thought: “ I always screw up and everyone hates me. ”
• Alternative thinking: " This was just a mistake, it doesn't represent the whole thing, I can improve. "
CBT has been repeatedly shown to significantly improve anxiety and depression associated with ADHD .
✅ Exercise and mindfulness meditation
• 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise per week (such as brisk walking and cycling) can increase dopamine levels and reduce anxiety ;
• Meditate for 10 minutes every day to train emotional awareness and self-soothing skills ( Young et al., 2016 ).
5. Conclusion: Emotional distress is not your fault, but a systemic problem that can be improved
ADHD patients are more prone to anxiety and depression, which is the result of the combined effects of brain function structure, reality dilemma and self-cognition . This is not a personality defect, but a psychological distress caused by an imbalance in neural mechanisms .
Through scientific medication (such as Zestar), emotional cognitive training and lifestyle optimization , you can:
• Take back control of your attention.
• Improve internal mood swings,
• Improve self-confidence and rebuild stable interpersonal and work status.
Instead of continuing to blame yourself for " why I'm always so anxious " , why not start today - use scientific methods to get out of the emotional dilemma of ADHD . Consult a professional doctor and start your journey of system improvement.
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