ADHD or Anxiety? Understanding the Difference

About this episode

This episode explores the differences between ADHD and anxiety, featuring insights from ADHD coach Kristen Carder.

Want your time and attention back? The Brick helps reduce screen time and block distracting apps in away that actually works.  Get 10% off here!  Is it ADHD or anxiety? If you've ever asked yourself this question, you're not alone. In this final episode of our 3-part ADHD series, host Jackie MacDougall sits down with ADHD coach Kristen Carder to unpack what ADHD actually looks like when it overlaps with anxiety, shame, overstimulation, and the constant pressure to keep it all together. This conversation goes deep into: ✨ How to tell the difference between ADHD and anxiety (and why so many women are misdiagnosed) ✨ The "too much and not enough" paradox that defines untreated ADHD ✨ Why shame keeps us stuck—and how to break free from it ✨ Phone addiction, social media, and self-medicating behaviors ✨ Practical coping strategies that actually work (hello, productive procrastination!) ✨ How to work WITH your ADHD brain instead of against it ✨ Setting boundaries around your capacity and energy ✨ Why there's no "perfect system" that will fix everything Key Takeaway: Whether you have ADHD or not, you are not broken. You don't need fixing—you need understanding, compassion, and…

People in this episode

Host: Jackie MacDougall

Guest: Kristen Carder

Topics covered

• ADHD
• anxiety
• mental health
• women's health
• coping strategies
• self-understanding

Keywords

• ADHD
• anxiety
• mental health
• women
• coping strategies
• self-medication
• screen time
• shame
• boundaries

Sponsors

The Brick

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The Brick

More episodes of Grown-Ass Woman's Guide

• How to Get Your Affairs in Order (Before Someone Else Has To) · June 9, 2026 · 39 min
• The Disability Insurance Gap Nobody Told You About · June 2, 2026 · 20 min
• Could Your Elderly Parent Be Scammed? · May 5, 2026 · 51 min
• Navigating Grief: The Lifelong Journey of Motherless Daughters · April 27, 2026 · 57 min
• Why You Can't Get Your Sh*t Together (And It's Not Your Fault) · April 9, 2026 · 45 min
• The Life Insurance Wake-Up Call for Women Over 40 · March 30, 2026 · 32 min