Pandemic Anxiety and the ADHD Brain: Areas of Worry

Apr 13, 2020

Is it disappointment? Fearfulness? Gratitude? No, the strongest and most pervasive emotion among ADDitude readers living through the coronavirus pandemic today is feet.

Yous are worried. You are likewise overwhelmed and exhausted. More than two-thirds of the 3,561 individuals who answered ADDitude'due south recent reader survey said as much. And with good reason.

More than 95% of you tell u.s. that you lot take experienced significant life upheaval since coronavirus shut down offices, schools, and whole cities final month. Roughly xiii% of ADDitude readers have lost their jobs; 38% have started working from home for the commencement fourth dimension; and almost xiii% continue to work equally essential employees — in both medical and non-medical positions. Most all of your children are now learning (or trying to larn) from home. For nigh of us, aught is as it was before — and that is stressful.

Unwelcome change is a common source of stress for adults and children alike. On meridian of the broiling turmoil of life endmost downwards very suddenly and very drastically, now, is also a hearty dose of incertitude. No ane knows when the stay-calm orders will cease. When a vaccination might be available. When the curve volition flatten. And that bed of doubt is where anxiety takes root.

"Yous cannot discuss ADHD without including anxiety, equally information technology is the #1 comorbid diagnosis, at least among adults," says J. Russell Ramsay, Ph.D., co-founder and co-director of the University of Pennsylvania's Adult ADHD Handling and Research Programme. "The thing that has emerged from research is that anxiety is the perception of risk/threat, merely the driving strength underlying all of that is inherent uncertainty."

[Self-Examination: Signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults]

Indeed, 88% of survey respondents said they are concerned or very concerned with their mental, emotional, and physical wellness right now. 50-nine percent of the readers who completed our survey reported comorbid anxiety; l-four percent reported comorbid depression. Battling the symptoms of these very real and menacing conditions is quickly becoming a daily preoccupation for many.

Coronavirus Survey: Adults with ADHD

For some, working from home — with all of the distractions, technologies, and problems associated with doing so — is a primary source of feet. "My disability to focus and be productive (in work, my household, my hobbies and keeping in touch with friends and family) in this unstructured time is very stressful to me, and a source of guilt, feet and depression," wrote one respondent. "It is perhaps exacerbated by the demand to find out information in this uncertain time – another distraction. I spend likewise much time on social media or surfing websites. And when I'thousand working, I feel I'g not working fast plenty or producing enough output. I feel incredibly guilty that my manager will think I'm being lazy, unproductive, and unfocused, and might be comparing me to others who are doing more than."

For most of y'all, though, it'due south the dissolution of all boundaries — the melding of work and family, office and home, responsibilities and medical conditions — that is causing feet to fasten.

"My primary emotion is anxiety about how to rest the combined demands of supporting my 2 sons with online learning as our school term begins side by side week, working from home, and trying to manage the household," wrote ane reader. "I normally rely on the structures and boundaries that are naturally provided past sending my kids to school, going to my workplace to piece of work, and doing household and family responsibilities when at domicile. Now it'south all jumbled together. My kids will need my support with school, just I accept a full-time job that involves supporting other parents, families, children and schools. I know that I'k better qualified than nigh to do it (equally a psychologist and sometime instructor) but I'm feeling anxious and overwhelmed."

"I have ADHD and anxiety," wrote another mother. "Managing this unstructured fourth dimension and working from domicile is killing me! I am a high school teacher taking Masters classes and there are non enough hours or medication in the day for the levels of distractions I face. Non to mention a husband and son who also take ADHD, and my sugariness girl that struggles with anxiety and has reverted dorsum to wanting ALL of my attention even though she knows that I'grand trying to exercise a 1000000 other things besides."

[Cocky-Test: Signs of Generalized Feet Disorder in Children]

This challenge of "managing unstructured time" was the second more prevalent worry amongst survey respondents, 46% of whom chosen it a serious business concern and 35% of whom called it a concern. The trouble is not boredom; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Trapped in a home with to-do lists that stretch seven or eight years long, y'all don't know where or how to begin. Suddenly unshackled from the confines of a morning bell or conference phone call, you now experience listless and directionless. The routines and schedules that sometimes felt confining before are at present sorely missed for the guidance they provided. And then there is also the loneliness associated with a calendar devoid of all social engagements.

"The unstructured time is misery," wrote ane reader. "I am used to an automatic construction existence in place — kids' activities, school, my own activities, appointments, errands, etc. Now that it is 'all up to me' to structure the twenty-four hour period, it is overwhelming. I tend to freeze or sink into the Television."

"It is extremely difficult for me to manage the unstructured fourth dimension and consider how to teach my kids (11 and v) in addition to working from abode and maintaining my household correct at present. I accept tried to construction our days to assistance with this usual time, but it is not proving successful for myself or my son who also has ADHD. Trying to balance and manage all of my responsibilities causes me a lot of stress and anxiety."

Balancing information technology all — and specifically managing the household at a fourth dimension when germs are mortal enemies, grocery stores accept barren shelves, and everyone is around dirtying the house all the time — is the 3rd most mutual business organization among ADDitude readers, 69% of whom cited the balancing act every bit a stress. Unhealthy expectations about what you tin and should achieve during a global wellness pandemic is part of this equation for sure.

"I experience such guilt virtually not having a make clean house, now that I have fourth dimension; about not existence able to occupy and amuse my iii children while I am working," wrote one reader. "I feel guilt that I am struggling and unable to help them all with schoolwork at the aforementioned time."

"Less structure each day means the days can run together easily," wrote another respondent. "Activities seem to collapse – spreading out like tentacles – tasks getting increasingly bigger, making incrementally slower progress and struggling more with time blindness. Also, beingness habitation all the time (and with very limited time to myself to try and piece of work myself up to starting and actually tackling my 'household mess and chaos' projects) makes this period of time in the house feel like I'thousand living in some kind of twisted 'ADHD theme park' – a fully immersive experience that showcases many overlapping issues…where at times I can feel powerless to achieve positive changes I am struggling to make, and can't 'unsee' the reality of the mean solar day to day life I am juggling and my responsibility for creating it, and shame of failing to change for the improve…"

At the same time, we are seeing prove of ADDitude readers looking at stay-at-home orders through a positive lens. Xxx-iv per centum reported a sense of calm resulting from less daily stress, and 42% said the extra time to consummate projects or pursue hobbies is a surprising upside to being stuck at habitation. Forty per centum are taking advantage of the opportunity to cease, breathe, and reflect. Sleep is improving, symptoms of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria are fading, and families are eating dinner together every night.

"I am being more intentional about small acts of cocky-care," wrote 1 respondent.

"I am learning and practicing new skills (counterpoint in music)," wrote another reader. "I'm actually reading a book I've wanted to read for years. I enjoy watching the educational shows existence circulate for high schoolers (even though I'g 57!)."

"I feel like this is an opportunity to rethink my lifestyle — how I work, what I want to do for piece of work, how to improve the quality of my life overall," said i ADDitude reader. "I promise others are able to make that shift, likewise."

Coronavirus Survey: Parents of Children with ADHD

Among parents with children at present learning at home, the tiptop concerns centered around remote learning, screen time, and schedules. Managing eastward-learning was cited past 82% of caregivers as a top concern. The specifics of that range from motivating students to take their new course load seriously and supporting students with learning challenges who need more resource to mastering new technologies and encouraging independence without allowing a child to fail. Parents who had no desire to homeschool their children are left with piffling pick merely to do and so, while likewise holding downward a full-time job and trying to salvage some sense of family harmony, and it'southward proving simply equally impossible as information technology sounds.

"E-learning on a screen has been incredibly debilitating for our highly distracted son who also struggles with processing," wrote one reader. "Not having a instructor who is constantly redirecting him and engaging him is failing him. He'southward independent to the degree that he won't have help from parents – rarely has – and at present that the manner of learning requires more support from united states, he withal refuses to accept it. When he gets frustrated, he jumps right onto YouTube or an online game. We have tried blocking sites and apps, but the reality is we would have to cake the Internet. And his teachers are providing links for instruction on sites like YouTube. He feels incapable of learning this way and information technology'south diminishing his chapters to complete expected work."

Screens are the ultimate double-edged sword for ADHD families right at present. Your children rely on screens now to learn, merely on the other side of every Google Classroom tab is a video game or Insta post or YouTube video beckoning their ADHD brains. Digital distractibility is an escalating business organization among parents, who too rely on game consoles more and more to occupy their kids and facilitate connections with friends who can no longer play together in person. All of this results in absurdly high screen time counts, and extremely worried parents.

"My 6th grader's work is entirely on his Chromebook, which is like giving an alcoholic a canteen of whiskey and asking them to spend the whole 24-hour interval reading the label without taking a sip," wrote one reader. "Distracting video games are one tab abroad, and many of his lessons are simply a YouTube video featuring flashing pictures and words and music that is too overwhelming."

"My son's feet, rage, melt-downs are becoming more intense equally the days go along," wrote one respondent. "He'due south extremely fond to his iPad to the point he needs to know where it is at all times, has farthermost meltdowns and rage issues if I say he needs a break from screen time. He doesn't wish to participate in anything other than iPad time. I find information technology extremely challenging to keep him focused on whatever schoolhouse work."

The antidote to screen time run wild seems to be a regular schedule with daily time slots for digital rewards once work is completed. Simply putting these routines into place two-thirds of the way through the school year, when everyone is stuck sharing the aforementioned physical space, is more than a little challenging.

"A schedule is needed for sanity but I am working full-fourth dimension remotely and cannot manage the schedule," wrote one mother. "Plus we relaxed our rules around screen fourth dimension significantly, which has resulted in aggression towards wanting even more screen fourth dimension – screens seem to be addictive. The schoolhouse remote learning demands are extraordinary and unorganized. I cannot continue up with school demands for 2 children plus manage full time work and the extra footstep of securing food."

For caregivers, the Number One benefit to stay-at-home orders is a less stressful morning and evening routine. With some flexibility to sleep in longer, kids are less argumentative in the morning and less likely to miss something actually critical like that 7:30 am double-decker. Parents besides capeesh the fact that a homeschool schedule allows their children with ADHD to become upwardly and move their bodies more often. This energy release is a positive matter, and often encourages siblings to observe ways to play together cooperatively. The lightened academic load — less nightly homework squeezed in before and after activities — and break from schoolhouse reprimands and social struggles has improved daily life for many families touched by ADHD.

"School is one of my biggest stresses," wrote one reader. "My son not going ways I don't accept the worry and anxiety of getting a call every day to pick him up"

"I appreciate the time to focus on educational activities similar puzzles, cooking, baking, and board games that teach both social and academic skills in a not-structured, non-academic setting, almost like passive learning," wrote 1 parent. "My children don't know their learning almost fractions while baking cookies or counting while playing mancala!"

"We got a new puppy and my daughter's life has transformed," wrote some other respondent. "There is so much joy in our business firm and the puppy is loving everyone at home."

"It'southward been wonderful… Our kids are outdoors a ton right now, rain or smooth, and that helps a lot. They are relaxed and happy!"

---

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF ADDITUDE'S Complimentary PANDEMIC COVERAGE
To support our squad as information technology pursues helpful and timely content throughout this pandemic, please bring together u.s.a. as a subscriber. Your readership and support aid make this possible. Cheers.

tierneyadered.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.additudemag.com/pandemic-anxiety-adhd-survey/

Share this post