ADHD Co-occurring Conditions: Hypermobility, Anxiety and More

What is hypermobility and ADHD?

Hypermobility and ADHD can both show up in the same person or family, and it is natural to wonder whether the two are connected.

Your own clinician can tell you whether a link applies, so bring a list of what you notice to your GP appointment.

Comorbid ADHD: how common are co-occurring conditions?

Co-occurring conditions are common with ADHD, so it helps to tell your clinician about your whole health.

• Around 6–8% of children and 3–5% of adults in Australia have ADHD, which is more than 1 million people (Australian ADHD Guideline GP factsheet).
• Around two-thirds of children and adolescents with ADHD have a co-occurring mental health condition, according to the Australian ADHD Guideline (About ADHD).
• Up to 70% of preschoolers with ADHD meet criteria for one or more co-occurring disorders.
• Up to 80% of adults with ADHD have at least one additional mental health disorder.
• healthdirect says obstructive sleep apnoea, a blocking of the airway during sleep, happens more often in people with ADHD (healthdirect).

ADHD comorbidities by age group

The conditions the guideline lists as common differ between childhood and adulthood, as the Australian ADHD Guideline sets out (co-occurring conditions).

The guideline also describes higher risk in some groups, which a clinician can explain in your situation.

• Children and adolescents with autism, epilepsy, intellectual disability, anxiety disorders, tic disorders or preterm birth have a significantly higher risk of ADHD (high-risk groups).
• Adults with borderline personality disorder, psychotic disorders, substance use disorder or a family history of ADHD also have a significantly higher risk.

TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.

Neurodevelopmental overlaps with ADHD

The Australian ADHD Guideline lists several neurodevelopmental conditions that commonly occur with ADHD or are linked to a higher risk of it.

• Autism co-occurs in 20–50% of people with ADHD, a figure about people with ADHD rather than about autistic people. Read ADHD vs autism spectrum disorder to see how they differ and overlap.
• Dyslexia and ADHD covers specific learning disorders, which the guideline lists as commonly co-occurring, and the reading and writing supports available.
• Tics and ADHD covers tic disorders, which the guideline lists among conditions linked to a higher risk of ADHD in children and adolescents.
• The demand avoidance and ADHD guide looks at extreme avoidance of everyday demands and how it is discussed alongside ADHD and autism.
• The guide to autism and co-occurring conditions, including aphantasia, looks at conditions that occur alongside autism.

Dyspraxia and ADHD

Dyspraxia affects movement and coordination, and a clinician can explain how it relates to ADHD for you.

• Describe clumsiness, handwriting effort or trouble with sports to your GP, who can refer you to an occupational therapist or paediatrician.
• Ask the therapist how coordination difficulties affect daily tasks like dressing, cooking and writing.

Auditory processing disorder and ADHD

Auditory processing disorder is a term for difficulty making sense of what you hear, and an audiologist can explain what it means for you.

• Ask your GP whether a hearing test or an audiologist assessment is needed.
• Tell the clinician about any attention difficulties as well as listening difficulties.

Aphantasia and ADHD

Aphantasia is the experience of not being able to picture images in your mind.

• It is a way of describing how someone experiences mental imagery.
• Mention it to your clinician if it affects memory, learning or how you plan, so strategies can fit how you think.

Hypermobility and ADHD: physical health conditions

If you are wondering whether physical conditions such as hypermobility are connected to ADHD, a GP can look at the whole picture.

• Keep a diary of pain, dizziness, headaches, sleep and attention, so your GP sees patterns rather than single bad days.
• Tell every treating clinician about all your conditions, so everyone has the full picture.
• Never stop or change a medicine on your own because of something you read online; ask your GP, specialist or pharmacist first.
• Ask for a clear written summary of what has been assessed, and keep copies of every report.

Hormonal conditions: PCOS, PMS and ADHD

If you are wondering how hormonal conditions and life stages relate to ADHD, a GP can look at your situation.

• PCOS and ADHD: polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal health condition, so raise both with your GP and ask whether a gynaecologist or endocrinologist should be involved.
• ADHD and PMS: track mood, focus and energy against your cycle for a few months, then bring the record to your appointment.
• ADHD and PMDD explains premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and how it differs from PMS.
• ADHD and menopause covers the changes in focus, memory and mood that some women describe at this life stage.

If low mood becomes heavy or you have thoughts of suicide, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, and call 000 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

Mental health conditions that occur with ADHD

The guideline reports high rates of co-occurring mental health conditions, and these guides each take one pairing in detail.

• ADHD and social anxiety looks at worry, avoidance and how anxiety is separated from attention difficulties.
• Depression and ADHD in women looks at depression alongside ADHD.
• ADHD and OCD compares obsessive thoughts and compulsions with ADHD restlessness and checking habits.
• BPD and ADHD sets out where emotional intensity overlaps and how clinicians tell the two apart.
• ADHD vs bipolar explains how mood episodes differ from day-to-day changes in energy and focus.
• ADHD and trauma describes how past trauma and ADHD can look alike and why both need attention.

The guideline also lists suicidal ideation or behaviour among the adult groups with a significantly higher risk of ADHD. If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, and call 000 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

Inattentive vs hyperactive ADHD

The Australian ADHD Guideline describes three presentations of ADHD.

• ReachOut Australia states teenage girls are more likely to have the inattentive type and boys the hyperactive type (ReachOut).
• Read inattentive ADHD in women for more on how this presentation can look in girls and women.
• Ask people who know you well to describe what they see, and share this with your clinician.

Brain scan: ADHD brain vs typical brain

People often ask whether a brain scan can show ADHD, or how an ADHD brain differs from a typical one.

• Ask your specialist how ADHD is assessed in Australia, because assessment is done by a qualified clinician.
• Read our ADHD brain guide for a plain-language look at how attention and regulation work.
• Read autism brain vs typical brain for a related look at the brain.
• Be careful with online images claiming to show an ADHD scan, and check claims with your GP or specialist.

Hypermobility, ADHD and the NDIS

NDIS funding depends on meeting the NDIS access requirements. These steps help you get organised before you ask.

1. 1Collect reports from every treating clinician. Include your GP, specialists and therapists, and ask each to describe how the condition affects daily life.
2. 2Write down daily support needs. Note tasks like showering, planning meals, getting out and managing appointments, and how often you need help.
3. 3Read the basics on eligibility. Our guide on whether ADHD is a disability explains how ADHD is treated for support purposes.
4. 4Talk to the NDIA or a local area coordinator. Ask what evidence they need before you start an access request.
5. 5Bring everything to your planning meeting if you become a participant. Reports, your diary and your goals help explain what supports you need.

• See whether ADHD is a mental illness if you are unsure how to describe it in paperwork.
• What ADHD is and common ADHD traits give the background if you are new to this.
• Browse NDIS support services to see the kinds of in-home and community support workers can provide.

When to talk to a GP or specialist

You do not need to wait for a crisis to ask for help. Consider talking to a GP or specialist if any of these apply.

• Attention, organisation or restlessness is affecting work, study, relationships or daily routines and has been for a long time.
• Pain, dizziness, headaches or exhaustion are limiting what you can do and you have not had them checked recently.
• Mood, anxiety or sleep problems are getting worse, or you are using alcohol or other substances to cope.
• A child is struggling at school, with friends or at home, and teachers or family have raised concerns.
• You are caring for someone and feel exhausted or overwhelmed; call Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you need to talk now.

For advice at any hour, healthdirect on 1800 022 222 is staffed by registered nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency, call 000.

TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.

Your next step

Once you have spoken with your GP and gathered your reports, you can look at what daily support would help. At TQN Care, we provide support workers for personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). See our NDIS services, or make a referral and we will call you back to talk through what you need.