ADHD Psychiatrist for North Haven, CT — When Anxiety and ADHD Show Up Together

A lot of people who come in asking about anxiety actually have ADHD — or both. And a lot of people who come in asking about ADHD leave with a plan that also addresses anxiety, because the two conditions run together more often than most people realize. If you're in North Haven and you've been anxious for as long as you can remember, always running slightly behind, perpetually worried about what you forgot or what you're about to miss — that pattern is worth looking at carefully. Sindhia Shyras, APRN is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with nine years of experience who sees exactly this kind of complexity and knows how to untangle it. She offers telehealth appointments anywhere in Connecticut and sees patients in-person at 1 Liberty Sq, Ste 301, New Britain, CT 06051.

Which Came First — the ADHD or the Anxiety?

Most of the time, ADHD comes first. The anxiety grows out of it. When you spend years struggling to keep up, missing things you meant to do, feeling like you're always a step behind, anxiety is a natural response. Your nervous system learns to be on alert — scanning for what you might be forgetting, bracing for the next thing that slips through. That vigilance becomes chronic. So by the time someone walks in for help, they're carrying both: the ADHD that started the cycle and the anxiety that built up around it. Treating only the anxiety — without touching the ADHD — often means the anxiety keeps coming back, because the source is still there.

Why This Combination Gets Missed So Often

Anxiety is the louder symptom. It's uncomfortable enough that people go get help for it. The ADHD is quieter, more embedded in who you think you are — it feels like personality, not a condition. So a lot of adults end up treated for anxiety for years without anyone looking at whether ADHD is underneath it. Some get partial relief but never quite stabilize. Others find that anxiety medication makes the ADHD worse, or at least more visible, because the anxious hypervigilance was doing some of the work of keeping things together. Getting a complete picture — from someone who knows what she's looking for — changes what treatment is possible. Sindhia looks for both, always.

Treating Both at the Same Time

The good news is that ADHD and anxiety are both treatable, and there are medication strategies that address both effectively. Stimulants alone can sometimes increase anxiety, which is why Sindhia evaluates the full picture before making any recommendations. Some patients do well on stimulants plus a low-dose SSRI. Others start with a non-stimulant ADHD medication that also has anxiety benefits. There's no one-size answer — which is exactly why the evaluation matters so much. What she builds for you is based on your specific combination, your history, and what you want to feel like at the end of all this. Insurance accepted includes Aetna, Cigna, Husky Health, Medicaid, United Healthcare, Anthem, ConnectiCare, and self-pay.

Frequently Asked Questions