Why Can’t I Focus Anymore Since I Started Treating My Anxiety?

Sometimes anxiety can be like a weird superpower. That pressure to get things right can actually help us focus. It allows us to push through tasks, meet deadlines, and somehow get things done, even if it comes at the cost of stress and overwhelm. But once you start therapy or other treatments that ease anxiety, that “pressure fuel” disappears, and suddenly, concentrating feels much harder.

Anxiety Can Mask ADHD

For many people, anxiety can hide underlying attention challenges. The hyper-alertness and tension it creates can mimic some of the motivators that help people with ADHD focus, like urgency. When anxiety eases, that artificial push disappears, revealing patterns that were previously hidden, such as distractibility, executive function struggles, or difficulty starting tasks. This is especially common in women, which is one reason ADHD often goes undiagnosed or is diagnosed later in life.

Understanding INCUP: ADHD Motivators

People with ADHD are driven by specific motivators, sometimes called INCUP:

• Interest – you focus easily on things that truly grab your attention

• Novelty – new or different tasks stimulate your brain

• Challenge – tasks that feel difficult or engaging capture your focus

• Urgency – time pressure or high stakes can temporarily boost concentration

• Passion – things you care deeply about hold your attention naturally

Anxiety can unknowingly create a sense of urgency, temporarily giving your brain the stimulation it craves. When that anxiety is treated, the urgency fades, and you may feel like your focus has disappeared, but really, your brain's natural ADHD patterns have been unmasked.

Recognizing Your Focus Patterns

Even though anxiety can temporarily hide ADHD struggles by creating urgency, there are often other signs that were present all along. Maybe your room or workspace is messy, tasks pile up unfinished, or you start projects without completing them. Perhaps you notice yourself procrastinating until the last minute, strategically leveraging that anxiety-driven urgency to get things done. Recognizing these patterns is an important first step toward rebuilding focus. Recognizing these patterns is an important first step. Identifying ADHD symptoms and understanding how they show up in your life can help you to begin to create new, healthy coping mechanisms. Embracing an ADHD diagnosis, rather than feeling shame about not being able to focus the same way everyone else does, helps unlearn self-criticism and opens the door to strategies that work with your brain instead of against it.

Therapy Treatments That Can Help

 For ADHD specifically, skills-based therapy or coaching can improve organization, time management, and task follow-through. Therapy also provides space to unlearn shame, build self-compassion, and develop strategies that work with your brain rather than against it. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, including mindfulness and distress tolerance, can further support focus and reduce overwhelm.

Takeaway

Feeling less focused after starting anxiety treatment is common, especially for women whose ADHD was previously masked. Anxiety can mimic urgency and drive your attention, so when it eases, your natural ADHD patterns become more visible. With awareness, strategies, and support, you can rebuild focus without relying on anxiety to keep you on track.

If this sounds familiar, Casa Sol Psychology Group in Coral Gables can help you explore ADHD and anxiety, develop coping strategies, and regain focus with a plan that works for you.