#147: The ADHD Family Series: The Anxiety ADHD Connection (And What To Do About It)

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Anxiety and ADHD—are they twins or conjoined at the hip? In this episode, we dive deep into the tangled relationship between these two conditions. Our guests, Dr. Deanna Barrett and Dr. Lynn Baldwin, break down why so many ADHD women struggle with anxiety, how it manifests in kids and adults, and what we can actually do about it.

We cover:
 ✅ The chicken-or-egg question: Does ADHD cause anxiety, or is it the other way around?
 ✅ Why anxiety often goes undiagnosed in ADHD women
 ✅ The science of anxiety: what’s happening in the brain and body
 ✅ Parenting kids with ADHD & anxiety (and decoding their mysterious “headaches” and tummy aches)
 ✅ The best strategies for managing anxiety—from mindfulness to cold showers to cognitive behavioral therapy
 ✅ The roundabout analogy for understanding anxiety (this one’s a game changer!)

If anxiety has been your constant companion, this episode will help you make sense of it—and more importantly, find ways to work with your brain, not against it.

Resources Mentioned:
📌 Meditation & mindfulness apps: Calm, Headspace
📌 Journaling techniques: Morning Pages, Worry Stuffed Animals for kids
📌 Therapy approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Dr. Lynne Baldwin, Ph.D. is a learning specialist consultant who has provided coaching and advocacy services for children with ADHD and their parents. While with the Abbey Neuropsychology clinic, she developed a program for executive functioning coaching for children and teenagers. Lynne earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Stanford University.

Diana Barrett, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with 16 years of dedicated service at the Abbey Clinic, where she currently serves as the Director of Assessment. She also is a member of the consultation team, bringing her knowledge and experience to collaborate efforts that enhance client care.  Her expertise encompasses the learning disabilities, developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and traumatic brain injury.  

💬 Join the conversation in our ADHD Moms Club and let’s talk about what helps you manage anxiety!

Sometimes, when you feel like you're drowning, the answer is an assistant. One who can actually take some of the physical -- and therefore -- mental load off your hands. For this, our answer is Faye. Find your Faye family advisor for 15% off with code MOTHERPLUS. 

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