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How Psychologists Distinguish Between Anxiety, ADHD, and Trauma

  • Writer: Daniel Steinberg, PhD
    Daniel Steinberg, PhD
  • Dec 23
  • 2 min read
Black-and-white illustration of a person sitting at a desk facing two visual representations on the wall: scattered icons labeled “ADHD” and fragmented shapes labeled “Trauma,” symbolizing how different conditions can overlap until clarified through evaluation.
ADHD, anxiety, and trauma can look similar on the surface; assessment helps separate the noise from the pattern.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your symptoms are ADHD, anxiety, trauma, or some combination of all three, you’re asking a question psychologists spend their careers answering.


These conditions overlap, sometimes dramatically, but the patterns behind them are different.


Here’s how we sort them out. 

1. ADHD: Inconsistency, not anxiety

ADHD shows up as:

  • Variability

  • Inconsistent focus

  • Peaks and crashes

  • Performance tied to interest

Anxiety does the opposite, it creates consistent overthinking. 

2. Anxiety: Over-control, not under-control

Anxiety presents as:

  • Tension

  • Rumination

  • Catastrophizing

  • Perfectionism

  • Fear of making mistakes

ADHD doesn’t fear mistakes, it forgets them. 

3. Trauma: Patterned responses, not random ones

Trauma symptoms follow a logic based on past danger:

  • Hypervigilance

  • Startle response

  • Avoidance

  • Emotional reactivity

  • Memory intrusions

ADHD has no trauma “triggers.”

It’s not situational, it’s consistent across environments. 

4. The interview reveals the deeper story

Psychologists use structured interviews like the DIVA-5, CAPS-5, or clinical equivalents.

We ask:

  • When did this start?

  • What makes it worse?

  • What makes it better?

  • Is this consistent or situational?

  • Does the environment change the symptom?

Patterns tell the truth. 

5. Testing fills in the final gaps

We use:

  • ADHD-specific scales

  • Executive functioning measures

  • Trauma instruments

  • Anxiety/depression inventories

  • Behavioral attention tests

The strength of assessment is convergence.

Different data points pointing to the same conclusion. 

The Bottom Line

Anxiety, ADHD, and trauma overlap, but they’re not identical.

A well-designed evaluation can cut through the ambiguity and give you a clean answer.

If you’re tired of trying to untangle ADHD, anxiety, and trauma on your own, this is exactly where a structured evaluation changes the game. My assessments are built to trace the real pattern behind your symptoms and give you an answer you can rely on, not another guess, not another label you’re unsure about.


If you’d like to explore whether an evaluation is the right next step, you can schedule a brief consultation.


Either way, you deserve clarity grounded in data, not doubt. Let’s get you there. Explore more here.

Dr. Daniel Steinberg is a licensed clinical psychologist providing comprehensive telehealth-based psychological assessments for adults across PSYPACT-participating states. His evaluations emphasize precision, clinical depth, and recommendations that translate clearly into real-world action.

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