Anxiety

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or fear. Everyone experiences it at times - before a job interview, when facing a difficult decision, or in unfamiliar situations. That is normal and can even be helpful.

But when anxiety becomes persistent, overwhelming, or out of proportion to the situation, it can take over daily life. It can affect how you think, how you feel physically, and what you are able to do.

For neurodivergent people, anxiety is not just common - it is often deeply woven into everyday experience. And it does not always look the way people expect.

Anxiety and neurodivergence in numbers

• 36-56% of autistic people meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, compared to around 15% of the general population.3
• Anxiety was the most common presenting issue for children referred to NHS mental health services in 2024, with neurodevelopmental conditions as the second most common reason.4
• People with ADHD are 3-4 times more likely to develop generalised anxiety disorder than the general population.2
• 62% of therapists in the UK reported seeing more anxiety-related issues in their clients in 2024, with neurodivergence-related concerns also at the top.5

How anxiety shows up differently in neurodivergent people

Anxiety in neurodivergent people is not always the same as textbook descriptions. It can be harder to recognise, differently expressed, and easily confused with traits of the neurodivergent condition itself.

Anxiety or ADHD?

For people with ADHD, the line between anxiety and ADHD traits can blur. Restlessness, difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts, and sleep problems are features of both. This means anxiety in people with ADHD is often missed - or dismissed as "just your ADHD."

But they are not the same thing. ADHD restlessness tends to be about energy and stimulation. Anxiety restlessness is driven by worry and threat. Many people with ADHD experience both at the same time, and each can make the other worse.

Anxiety or autism?

Autistic anxiety often has specific triggers that may not be obvious to others. Changes in routine, social situations, sensory environments, and uncertainty can all provoke intense anxiety. This is sometimes mistaken for "rigidity" or "resistance to change" rather than recognised as genuine distress.

Social anxiety in autistic people may also look different. It is not always about a fear of being judged - it can be about the sheer cognitive effort of navigating social rules, the unpredictability of other people, or past experiences of being misunderstood.

The role of masking

Masking - hiding neurodivergent traits to appear neurotypical - is itself a significant driver of anxiety. The constant self-monitoring, the fear of being "found out", and the disconnect between inner experience and outward performance all create a persistent state of stress.

For many neurodivergent people, anxiety is not separate from their daily life - it is built into the way they have learned to survive in a neurotypical world.

Types of anxiety in neurodivergent people

Generalised anxiety

Persistent, low-level worry that runs in the background. For neurodivergent people, this often centres on keeping up with demands, forgetting things, or managing sensory and social overload. People with ADHD may describe a constant feeling that something is about to go wrong.

Social anxiety

Difficulty in social situations. For autistic people, this may relate to the processing demands of social interaction rather than a fear of negative evaluation. For people with ADHD, it may connect to rejection sensitivity - a deep vulnerability to perceived criticism or disapproval.

Health anxiety

Worry about physical symptoms or illness. Neurodivergent people often have a different relationship with their bodies - heightened interoception (internal body awareness) in some, reduced interoception in others. Both can fuel health anxiety in different ways.

Anticipatory anxiety

Intense worry before events or transitions. This is particularly common in autistic people, where uncertainty about what will happen, what will be expected, and whether the environment will be manageable can become overwhelming.

Performance anxiety

Anxiety about being able to perform tasks, meet deadlines, or function in structured environments like work or education. For people with ADHD, this often connects to a long history of underperformance despite effort - leading to a fear of failure that becomes self-reinforcing.

Why anxiety is so common in neurodivergent people

The reasons are both biological and environmental.

Neurological differences

Research suggests that neurodivergent brains may process threat and uncertainty differently. The amygdala - the brain's threat detection system - may be more reactive, and the pathways that regulate emotional responses may work differently.⁴

A lifetime of accumulated stress

Many neurodivergent people have experienced years of social difficulty, academic struggle, bullying, misunderstanding, and self-doubt. Even without a single traumatic event, this accumulation of small stresses - sometimes called "minority stress" - can create a baseline of anxiety that is always present.

Unpredictable environments

The neurotypical world is full of unwritten rules, implicit expectations, sensory demands, and social complexity. For neurodivergent people, navigating this daily can feel like walking through a minefield. Anxiety is a natural response to an environment that feels unpredictable and unsafe.

Executive functioning challenges

When planning, organising, and managing time are genuinely harder - as they are for many people with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions - there is always something to worry about. Missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, and unfinished tasks create real consequences that feed anxiety.

Getting support for anxiety

What helps

Anxiety in neurodivergent people often needs a different approach from standard treatments. What works for neurotypical anxiety may not be the right fit.

• Understanding your anxiety triggers is the first step. For many neurodivergent people, anxiety is not "irrational" - it is a response to real challenges. Identifying the specific triggers (sensory, social, executive functioning, uncertainty) helps target support.
• Therapy adapted for neurodivergence can be helpful. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often recommended, but may need to be adapted - standard CBT can feel too rigid or abstract for some neurodivergent people. Look for therapists with experience of neurodivergence.
• Medication may be appropriate for some people, particularly when anxiety is severe or co-occurs with ADHD or depression. Your GP or psychiatrist can discuss options.
• Environmental adjustments can reduce the load that drives anxiety. This might include noise-cancelling headphones, flexible working arrangements, clear routines, or reducing social demands.
• Self-compassion matters. Recognising that your anxiety makes sense in context - rather than treating it as a personal failing - can itself reduce its power.

Where to find help

• Your GP can refer you to NHS talking therapies or discuss medication
• Use our Local Services directory to find NHS and private providers near you
• Our Ask a Counsellor service lets you put a question to a registered counsellor
• Our Online Community connects you with other neurodivergent people who understand

Charities and organisations

• Mind - comprehensive information on anxiety and panic attacks
• Anxiety UK - support for people living with anxiety
• No Panic - help for people with panic attacks, phobias, and OCD
• Samaritans - free 24/7 listening service (call 116 123)

neurobetter resources

• Mental health and neurodivergence - overview of mental health conditions and neurodivergence
• Masking - how masking drives anxiety and exhaustion
• Co-occurrence - when you have more than one condition
• Depression - anxiety and depression often occur together