After working with tens of thousands of patients and their brain SPECT scans, we know that ADD is not a “one-size-fits-all” issue.
At Amen Clinics, we have identified many unique types of ADD within the brain; all of which respond to the same treatments in very different ways.
ADD + Anxiety
We’ve seen the combination of anxiety and ADD symptoms occurring together more frequently — and when they do, the symptoms of ADD become magnified. The frequency of this pattern led us to discover a 7th ADD brain type, appropriately named Anxious ADD.
People with Anxious ADD have most of the hallmark ADD symptoms, plus:
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Tension
• Predicting the worst
• Fear of being judged
• Freezing during anxiety-provoking situations, such as test taking
• Suffering the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as headaches or stomach aches
What is Anxious ADD?
Anxious ADD is very different from the other types, such as Classic ADD, where people tend to be excitement or conflict seeking. Although both experience the same underlying ADD symptoms, Classic ADD types tend to have lower levels of anxiety that make them more “fearless” and get them in hot water, where the Anxious types avoid conflict like the plague.
Without looking at the brain, traditional diagnostic methods may focus on the anxiety symptoms exclusively, missing the underlying ADD all together. When left improperly diagnosed and ineffectively treated, ADD will continue to cause problems in a person’s life, making the anxiety issues that much worse.
Instead of simply prescribing medication in response to a cluster of symptoms, The Amen Clinics Method includes a custom-tailored combination of treatments, all geared toward optimizing the specific ADD brain type and reprogramming the person’s life.
Our Effective Interventions Include:
• Dietary changes
• Smart exercise
• The right medications
• Supplements
• Behavioral interventions
• Relaxation techniques
• Sleep strategies
• ADD education
• Parenting strategies
• School strategies
• Neurofeedback
We Can Help
At Amen Clinics, we can help you or your family overcome the challenges of living with ADD, while providing treatment options that address more than just symptoms. Our experienced clinical staff will assess all areas of your biological, psychological, social, and spiritual needs with our 4 Circles Approach before beginning treatment with brain SPECT imaging or any other interventions. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or tell us more to schedule an appointment.
I have had problems most of my life.Learning, behavioral issues. During and after Marines things got a lot worse.many years later I was told after some testing that I have ‘adult add. This was after three years of heavy theraphy.was told once that I could have ptsd. However I was never given further testing.Va kind of passed over that. Just recently I had to take a Blue lite scalp treatment.It was extremely painful.The tach would not stop procedure..I felt as though my brain was cooking. Ended up with some confusetion and convultions.They sent me to emergency to get extay. Nothing no stroke. I was feeling ok by then.what do you think might have happened?
Comment by William courter — May 22, 2018 @ 6:27 PM
I I have this type and so does my son. I remember reading about it in one of your books and I just thought oh my God I cannot believe this this is exactly me. The rest of the field has not caught on yet but I can tell you this is absolutely a subtype of adhd for sure.
Comment by Scott L — July 1, 2018 @ 11:35 AM
Sure wish there was as Amen Clinic on the East Coast. We live in Florida & can’t afford to travel to California.
Comment by Pat — July 9, 2018 @ 2:22 AM
I have been to the Amen clinics in the past, but this type ADD was never addressed. I have all the symptoms described above.
I have all my life told physicians about freezing and they just brush me off, sometimes I’m so cold I will go wrap myself up in a blanket. Headaches, Double over in stomach pain fear of being judged,
and all the others.
I think it was around 1990 in Fairfield that I saw Dr. Amen
Comment by Frank B. Paris — July 9, 2018 @ 5:39 AM
Once again, the individual displays a personality quark and the psychologists and psychiatrists rush to develop a tag. Humans are designed to be different. Stop finding ways to provide individuals a recourse to become a victim. Children raised with a competent mother and employed, engaged mother, with a spiritual foundation, usually develop, regardless of personality differences as normal humans. Provide a diagnosis and you’ll find individuals seeking a path to become a victim…
Comment by Dr. Henry Sinopoli — July 9, 2018 @ 6:51 AM
Hello Pat, thank you for reaching out to us. We have several clinics on the East Coast, our locations can be viewed here: https://amenclinics.com/locations/. To speak to a Care Coordinator about treatment options, travel to clinics, or referrals in your area to a practice that utilizes The Amen Clinics Method, please call 888-288-9834 or submit this form for a response via email: https://amenclinics.com/schedule-visit/.
Comment by Amen Clinics — July 9, 2018 @ 8:03 AM
@drhenrysinopoli let’s presume your limited assessment is the whole story. Would there not be downstream fallout for individuals that did not have the things abouve you described? Would it not be possible their brains developed differently because of a lack of secure, stable, loving environment? How are we to treat their new reality? Are we not to give it a name and find tools to help them… or are they lost causes because they lacked the foundational support required to become healthy adults?
It’s becoming more apparent that we’re discovering different spokes on the same wheel of human development. Rather than stay attached to your lens/spoke, let’s look at the many people in pain and help them with as many tools as we’ve yet to discover.
Comment by Sara — July 9, 2018 @ 8:18 AM
Difficulty focusing attention used to be a symptom of many disorders. Now as a consequence of short-term improvement with medication. circular reason and the profit motive, it has become a disorder. (not speaking of classic hyperactivity here). That being said it is encouraging to see that the AMEN clinic is among few that are recognizing that there are different kinds of ADHD and developing approaches for each. Lumping them all together maintains the illusion that the only treatment that works is medication. Medication which is only superior in very short term trials = usually less than 6 months. Longer term studies are rare and medication loses its superiority over other interventions in 2 years. (MTA) study.
I applaud the AMEN clinic for doing the work of sorting how to best treat these very different types of problems. Main stream psychiatry not only reject his work, they seem proud of the fact that they are the only specialist who never actually look at the organ they treat. How is it possible to effectively treat a multi-faceted disorder (if it can even be considered one thing) when it is so poorly defined? If you want effective treatments for ADHD, demand that psychiatry get it’s act together and figure out what they are treating.
Comment by bruce — July 9, 2018 @ 10:27 AM
A Canadian researcher was surprised to find that children of divorce have twice the stroke rates as children from intact families down the line. There were a couple of other chronic illnesses that the research showed was related to the extra stress The researcher had asked the divorce question for some completely different reason and was surprised to find the results. She was also surprised to find that the psych profession completely ignored children of divorce. the ACE study has found the same thing although the psych community has trouble catching on to that research as well. These are both huge studies of more than 10,000 participants who lead high functioning lives. Would you tell a stroke victim to quit being a victim?
Comment by B. Jones — July 9, 2018 @ 11:04 AM
Does anyone know what type of medication is best for patients with Anxious ADD? This information might be helpful for me.
Comment by Margaret — July 9, 2018 @ 12:20 PM
Thank you for this, Amen Clinics. I realize now aged 58, that I have had this type of ADD all of my life, especially with Anxiety.
I was given Valium from the age of 11 and throughout my teens to manage the anxiety. I wish that an alternative had been known then.
My son also has the condition and it has caused him much struggle.
Unfortunately, as we live in ISRAEL we have no access to Amen Clinics.
Comment by Anya — July 10, 2018 @ 2:03 AM
Margaret, I was first diagnosed with anxiety and started on Zoloft. About 10 years later i was diagnosed with Adult ADHD and am now on a combination of Zoloft and Vyvanse. This seems to have been a good combo for me.
Comment by Jana — July 10, 2018 @ 10:04 AM
Bob,
I am an extremely shallow breather. When I notice I’m doing this I sit up straighter and try to breath more deeply.
I am very anxious and extremely forgetful.
Can you tell me how you achieved this chest expansion? Was it simply reminding to breath deeply. How did you “work” with this person?
Comment by Liz — July 11, 2018 @ 8:22 PM
Thank you for your reply. I will look into these medications.
Comment by Margaret — July 12, 2018 @ 4:16 PM