Question:

"I was recently diagnosed with anxiety, and I'm worried I might have ADHD too. Will my doctor judge me or think I'm lying if I go back to ask about ADHD so soon?"

Answered by psychiatrist Howard Liu, MD, MBA:

Having more than one diagnosis at a time is as common in psychiatry as in any other field. We wouldn't judge someone with diabetes for also having high blood pressure. A psychiatrist wouldn't be surprised to find more than one diagnosis.

At the first visit, a psychiatrist will perform a thorough screening interview to check for conditions. The longer a psychiatrist works with a patient, the more information is revealed.

It's not uncommon for anxiety and ADHD to coexist, so you shouldn't be worried about judgment for raising the question.