🎥 Wired & Wiggly: Understanding Anxiety and ADHD in Kids

If you’ve ever wondered whether your child’s struggles come from ADHD, anxiety, or both — you’re not alone. You can now watch the recording of our most recent ADHDKC Parent Group talk: Wired & Wiggly: Understanding Anxiety and ADHD in Kids with pediatrician and childhood mental health advocate Dr. Natasha Burgert.

Sara Whelan, our ADHDKC Parent Group volunteer coordinator, opened the evening by welcoming families and sharing a reminder of ADHDKC’s connection to CHADD — our national parent organization dedicated to evidence-based ADHD education and support. Then Dr. Burgert guided us through an engaging, fast-paced, and practical discussion designed with busy parents in mind.

💡 What You’ll Learn About Anxiety and ADHD in This Recording

Dr. Burgert shares real-world insights from her work as a full-time pediatrician caring for children with ADHD, anxiety, and everyday pediatric challenges. In this talk, she explains:

• Why ADHD and anxiety often show up together — and how easily they can be confused

• How similar behaviors (like inattention, restlessness, or avoidance) can come from very different causes

• What’s happening in the brain — including executive function challenges vs. perceived threat responses

• Questions parents can use to better understand the why behind behaviors

• The importance of comprehensive evaluation and working with your pediatrician as a first step

• Evidence-based supports including therapy approaches, school accommodations, lifestyle foundations, and medication considerations

• Practical strategies for co-regulation, routines, sleep, and everyday family functioning

  
  

As Dr. Burgert reminds us, we aren’t treating “alphabet soup” — we’re supporting kids who are trying their best in a fast, loud world.

🧠 Want to Keep Learning?

Dr. Burgert also writes about ADHD, anxiety, and child mental health for parents and caregivers. You can explore more of her work in her Substack, starting with the article with this talk’s resources.

💬 Stay Connected

We encourage you to explore upcoming ADHDKC events and parent group meetings — a welcoming space for learning, connection, and support. Use the menu above to find the Event Page.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ADHDKC and Event Overview

02:06 Understanding ADHD and Anxiety: A Pediatrician’s Perspective

11:53 Diagnosis and Treatment: Navigating ADHD and Anxiety

19:12 Comprehensive Treatment Plans for ADHD and Anxiety

25:56 Treating ADHD and Anxiety Together

28:27 Understanding SSRIs and Their Role

33:09 Monitoring Medication and Adjustments

35:16 Common Questions About ADHD and Anxiety

39:31 Practical Strategies for Parents

45:38 Community Support and Resources

Transcript

AI generated, excuse the mistakes.

Welcome! If you're just coming in, we are very excited to have you joining us tonight. My name is Sara Whalen, and I am a volunteer coordinator for the parent group here at ADHDKC. We are a chapter that is part of CHADD, which stands for Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

I just have a little bit of business tonight before we get down to why you're really here. But before I talk about some of the CHADD requirements, I want to point you to our ADHDKC events page as a resource.

Many aren’t aware of CHADD, but it is an extremely reliable go-to resource for all things ADHD, including research and evidence-based information.

Now, CHADD has some participation agreement requirements. I won’t read every single thing here, but we always promote respect and inclusion at all of our events. We want to support everyone in terms of their identity and authenticity. We also want to maintain confidentiality, so we won’t be discussing specific situations about clients, patients, or our own individual children's exact situations. We ask for self-management in our community space tonight.

Again, we are extremely excited to have Dr. Natasha Burgert here! Yay! She is a pediatrician, author, parent, and expert in anxiety and ADHD. She’s going to share with us “Wired and Wiggly” tonight. So welcome, Dr. Burgert! Thank you so much for being here.

Tonight, we’re going to unpack what happens when ADHD and anxiety share the same brain. If you’re here tonight, I’m guessing you either have ADHD or anxiety, or both. I’ll be intentionally fast to keep your attention. I appreciate you being here. I’m a busy parent too, and I understand how valuable your time is.

I hope to be helpful for you tonight. My lens is that I am a full-time pediatrician. I’m not an ADHD specialist per se, but I care for kids with ADHD and anxiety every day. My special interest in mental health led me to write a book called Managing Childhood Anxiety as part of the iconic For Dummies series. You can mostly find me online as a childhood advocate and digital creator.

Understanding ADHD and Anxiety

Let’s start by comparing ADHD and anxiety brains. We’ll see what’s the same, what’s different, and examine how those look in the brain. It’s important to understand that ADHD and anxiety often show up together. Depending on where you read, about 20 to 40% of kids with ADHD also have anxiety. However, this overlap can lead to missed or mistreated symptoms.

ADHD and anxiety can look exactly the same. Symptoms like inattention, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, emotional dysregulation, and irritability can occur in both conditions. When parents come to me with these symptoms, I remind them that just because we observe these behaviors, we still don’t know the primary diagnosis. We need to dig deeper.

What’s Different Between ADHD and Anxiety?

In a child with an ADHD brain, symptoms are caused by executive function challenges. Their distraction is scattered, and they jump from thought to thought. Forgetfulness is pervasive across multiple contexts. They’re impulsive and seek stimulation.

In contrast, anxiety causes similar symptoms, but the core issue is different. Anxiety is about perceived threats. The distraction is focused; they’re stuck on their worries. Their memory works overtime, remembering every worst-case scenario. Avoidance is driven by fear, and their energy seeks escape or control.

For example, an ADHD brain might not finish work because they’re distracted by ideas, while an anxious child may not finish their work due to a fear of failure. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective treatment.

The Neurobiology of ADHD and Anxiety

Both ADHD and anxiety involve neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, but in different ways. ADHD kids have underregulated dopamine and norepinephrine, affecting motivation and focus. In contrast, anxious kids have low serotonin and GABA, leading to heightened emotional responses.

When kids have both ADHD and anxiety, they’re putting a foot on the gas and a foot on the brake at the same time. They want to do well, but their brains aren’t cooperating. This is why it’s essential to understand the neurobiological differences when developing treatment plans.

Comprehensive Treatment Plans

If you suspect your child has ADHD, anxiety, or both, I recommend starting with your pediatrician. They’re uniquely positioned to understand your child’s overall health. They can coordinate care with schools and specialists to see the complete picture.

The diagnostic process involves gathering developmental history and using validated tools. We interview parents and teachers to get information across multiple settings. Effective questions are key to teasing apart ADHD and anxiety.

Critical Questions for Parents

Here are some critical questions for you to consider:

• When your child can’t focus, what are they thinking about?

• How do they work in different situations?

• What happens when the pressure is removed?

• How do they respond to new situations?

  
  

These questions can help your pediatrician develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your child’s needs.

Treatment Strategies

For kids with both ADHD and anxiety, we prioritize what’s causing the most trouble. This includes behavioral supports, cognitive supports at school, and thoughtful medication use. We’re not treating “alphabet soup”; we’re treating a child trying their best in a loud, fast world.

Lifestyle factors are also crucial. Sleep, nutrition, and routines can significantly impact both conditions. We need to ensure kids are getting enough sleep, eating well, and having predictable routines to support their development.

Medication Considerations

When it comes to medication, we often start with ADHD treatment. Better control of ADHD symptoms can improve therapy engagement and emotional regulation. SSRIs are commonly used for anxiety, and they can be effective when combined with ADHD medications.

It’s essential to monitor your child closely when starting any medication. Regular follow-ups with your pediatrician can help ensure the best outcomes.

Conclusion

With the right support, kids with ADHD and anxiety can thrive. Your awareness and advocacy make all the difference. You don’t have to do this alone; you’re part of a community that understands and supports you.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!