They are anxious about tomorrow and cannot switch it off

What to do right now

Tomorrow has not arrived and they are already in it. The test, the social event, the change in routine. ADHD plus anxiety means the uncertainty is producing worst-case scenarios at full emotional intensity. Do not say 'it will be fine.' They do not believe you because their brain is showing them evidence it will not be. Write down what will actually happen, step by step. Make the unknown known.

What your brain just did

Your body

Your nervous system is activated. Cortisol and adrenaline are influencing how you think and react right now. This is physiology, not a character flaw.

Your brain

The ADHD prefrontal cortex provides less reliable braking between feeling and action. The gap between trigger and response is neurologically shorter than in a neurotypical brain.

What this did

What happened makes sense when you understand how your brain is wired. The reaction isn't the problem to solve. The conditions that led to it are.

What your child is experiencing

Their body

Their body is reacting to something that has not happened yet. The anxiety is producing real physical symptoms: stomach ache, headache, restlessness, tears.

Their brain

The ADHD brain cannot distinguish between imagining a future event and experiencing it. The anticipatory anxiety activates the same stress circuits as the actual event would. Tomorrow's worry is producing today's suffering.

What they need

Make the unknown known. Write down the steps of what will happen. Show them the plan. Reduce uncertainty wherever you can. And: 'Whatever happens, we will handle it together.' The reassurance is not about the outcome. It is about not being alone in it.