Can Dyspraxia Lead to Anxiety Disorders?

[JayHender]

I was recently just dyinosed with dyspraxia and ever since I have started reading about it I am seeing how much it has effected my life without my knowledge. After some reading about it I realised that it can make a person over anxious causing high levels of anxiety. I have noticed this a great deal in my day to day life, I can get very anxious over something quite normal. I am expressing many signs of a anxiety disorder now and if someone could answer this question it would be very helpful Is it possible to get an anxiety disorder from dyspraxia.
-Thanks

[Tom fod]

Hi Jay

Welcome to the forums (or fora).

I do believe being dyspraxic makes us much more likely to be affected by the various anxiety disorders. I wonder if there ought to be a study into psychological wellbeing of adults who are dyspraxic in an effort to prove more funding should be made available to help more people accept their difficulties and also unlock/develop coping strategies to help realise their full potential.

Support for those who have just been diagnosed seems to be patchy at best. Have you been able to or been offered any time to speak to someone who will answer your questions and or try to help you work through your problems/concerns?

Feel free to look at the various discussions here and don't be afraid to contribute where you feel able. We're a friendly and non judgemental lot and you really are not alone.

I guess I'm biased, but I have found this site to be most help to myself.

[screengreen]

Yes this site is good Tom, as to dyspraxia leading to anxiety I am certain that it does for a number of reasons, slow processing speed means it can take longer for us to cotton on which in my case means that I worry that people think I am thick and when I use coping strategies that I am being awkward, sensory overload also often looks and feels like anxiety, and our disorganisation leads to us rushing and forgetting/loosing things more stress and anxiety so there you have it.

[JayHender]

Thanks you for all your help in this matter. As I was just diagnosed I am just making these connections now.

[nickye]

Yes I can definitely relate to this! And on a positive note since I was diagnosed in March things are much better. I think a lot of the anxiety has come from feeling I can't do things as well as other people and that they're going to laugh at me. When I was at school and couldn't ride a bike for ages, play sports etc it really knocks your confidence. And I am always losing and forgetting things! Although weirdly I can remember peoples names easily and loads so facts, some of it useless information, but where did I just put my keys?!

The anxiety and depression have become a big problem for me in the past and also I get very very tired because it takes so much concentration to do simple things. Since I've known about dyspraxia though - which I'd hardly heard of til just over a year ago - this has helped me to relax more.

I now have a job working with students with learning disabilities which I love. I also find thAt when I am not stressing so much I remember more. Fortunately I did well at English and things like that but anything practical was a nightmare! I know we can't all be good at everything but when you struggle with everyday things it knocks your confidence and makes you anxious.

I think this forum is brilliant because it means you don't feel so alone. Not that I'm alone because I have good family and friends but people don't understand and often say things like you just need to concentrate a bit harder! I'm sure they mean well but it just makes it worse!!

[desertboy]

Anxiety is a natural response to stress.A common definition of stress is "the psychological and emotional strain that is an experienced by a person if they are unable (or feel unable) to meet goals that are personally important to them."

It is highly likely that dyspraxics will experience stress especially when undiagnosed. They will feel pressured by family & society to perform well at sports, get good grades at school, do practical tasks around the house, hold down a regular job, keep their rooms tidy etc. As a previous poster said, dyspraxia is often associated with a slow processing speed which makes achievement of these goals much more difficult for dyspraxics than it is for their peers.

Of course once diagnosis has occurred, dyspraxics can ,to some extent, reduce stress and anxiety by adjusting their goals somewhat.

[JayHender]

I can really relate to what you guys posted. I too could never ride a bike or tie my shoe laces and I was always labeled as lazy. Being called lazy really did Get on my nerves as I was trying hard but I just couldn't get my head around something a lot of the time. In my eyes teachers were never fair to me in that respect as they never reported that they thought I might have something wrong with me instead they labeled me as lazy and a time waster. I personally thought there was nothing I could do right as even the teachers called me "names". While this was a while ago and I am now over it, it really knocked my convideince and still effects me today.

[Captain_Ludd]

I certainly think being dyspraxic make you more prone to being anxious (I know it does with me). Like the others have mentioned I think a lot of it is to do with the fact that or condition means we have to deal with the world slightly differently than most and this can some times make us feel like were not "fitting in" or not doing things the way we are meant to.
I always just try to be pragmatic and just keep doing the best I can, what more can anyone do ? Still doesn't stop me getting anxed at time but it helps.

[Moot]

Oh for sure it does! The level of awkwardness I still feel at my age I'm sure could be included as a disorder. Experiences mould us... lots of bad experiences, especially started at a young age, well of course they'll impact negatively as we grow up. Then it can become 'too little, too late' to ever feel completely free of any social anxiety whatsoever. That's my thoughts at the moment, anyway; sorry it doesn't sound very hopeful!

[JayHender]

Thanks guys for all your help! I also have a problem known as HH - hyberhidroise (Can't spell it exactly, stupid declexyia) it is bassically constant sweating in hands and feet mainly. No matter the temperature. (I have not shared this with anyone before) So on top of feeling awkward in public I can't make any contact with people due to my hands. This sounds like a really bad thing but I have ways of dealing with it! It would be nice to know if anyone else suffers with something on top of dyspraxia and how they deal with it?