Talk to me about Anxiety and Adult ADHD

[CathyEarnshawsGhost]

I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for from this post - advice, reassurance, shared experiences, or just to offload. I have also name changed.

I think I might have two separate, though possibly related, conditions: an anxiety disorder and adult ADHD. I haven't seen a medical professional about this yet (except for one GP appointment over a decade ago, which didn't result in anything other than being told to slow down and rethink my goals!).

The main problem is that I have always been very capable and, in many ways, confident in my abilities, which has meant that I'm probably the last person many people would expect to have these problems. Although I seem to fluctuate between periods of relative calm and then almost crippling anxiety, restlessness, obsession and frustration, I think to most people, I come across as a bit of swan. I'm also pretty certain that this isn't depressive. I do not feel worthless or a hindrance. It's more that I feel trapped, restrained and unfulfilled.

Despite my struggles, I've not been a complete failure in life and have managed so far without medication or therapy. I'm now 30 though, and I'm starting to think that the next 40-50 years could be a very different experience if I did seek out some kind of support and treatment.

I'm happy to provide more details about why I think I might have these, but didn't want to write a thesis on it to begin with.

How do others cope? What are your experiences?