I have Attention Deficit, and severe test anxiety. What works for test anxiety?

Question

I take Strattera, which has helped, but still having testing issues.

Answer 1

Resources For Test Anxiety
Test anxiety is stress directly related to testing situations, for many, testing is stressful and can unchecked - can even make you ill. Because exam results can determine whether you pass or fail a class, earn a scholarship, get admitted to a desired program, or even earn entry into a professional school, graduate program, job or career, it is natural to feel some anxiety when you take a test.
Test anxiety can develop for a number of reasons. There may be some prior negative experience with test taking that serves as the activating event. Students who have experienced, or have a fear of, blanking out on tests or the inability to perform in testing situations can develop anticipatory anxiety. Worrying about how anxiety will affect you can be as debilitating as the anxiety itself. This kind of anxiety can build as the testing situation approaches, and can interfere with the student’s ability to prepare adequately. Also, having a medical problem like asthma, sleep wake disorder, insomnia, attention deficits, obesity, or dyslexia can exacerbate the stress during the test situation.
Symptoms of test anxiety can be both emotional and psychophysiological.
Emotional symptoms can be anger, low self esteem, embarrassment, crying, frustration, negative ruminating thoughts. Math phobia is an extreme example where people are afraid of math because it is hard for them. In younger children- disturbing a class in order to avoid taking a test is better than admitting to " being stupid" for having low grades.
Psychosophysiological symptoms are feelings of panic, confusion, disorientation, loss of memory, depression, rapid heart beat, nausea, shakiness, tight muscles, headaches, stomach aches, excessive sweating, flushing or feeling cold.
Dealing with Test Anxiety
Keep things in perspective. Be satisfied and give yourself credit for your hard work. Resist the temptation to blame your circumstances and outcomes on situations and people you can't control.• Develop a sense for your role in your outcomes. Remember that grades are not a measure of self-worth. Instead- turn a negative into a positive. Tell yourself that solving your own "test anxiety" is a project that you will take up and succeed in.
Improve concentration and attention. Improve, listening skills in the class room. Fight the urge to become preoccupied and distracted by thoughts and concerns unrelated to exam content. Learn to recognize negative self-talk and combat it with positive, self-supportive statements (affirmations) such as "I am prepared and understand the material. I am happy today." "Life is fun." I am lucky to be in school getting an education." Get a book with jokes- smiling will loosen you up before an exam and help memory too.

Learn and use relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, visualization, seated yoga. Buy a relaxation tape or video with relaxation exercises. There are natural exercises to improve concentration like holding a smooth stone while staring at a liquid timer for a few minutes. If your stress is high and you also have a concentration problem, you might want to try out a home biofeedback system. Alternatively, you might go to a biofeedback specialist.
Other natural thinks that help anxiety during exams. Bach Flower Remedy- Rescue Remedy. Use a combination of aromatic oils for relaxed concentration like lavender, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon.
Familiarize yourself with study strategies skills like being able to anticipate what the exam will cover.

Before the exam :

1) Get a good night's sleep before hand --- DONT CRAM!
2) Eat a healthy breakfast every day so you'll be energized and able to think clearly.
3) As you take the exam, breathe slowly and evenly to relax and increase blood flow to the brain.
4) Do some seated yoga exercises like those stretching exercises shown in air flights.
5) Dress up, you will feel more confident.
6) Close your eyes and visualize answering questions and worse case scenarios. Then you will be prepared for anything.
What can you do to control test anxiety?
• If you feel very anxious in the exam, take a few minutes to calm yourself down. Stretch your arms and legs and then relax them again. Do this a couple of times. Take a few slow deep breaths. Do some positive internal self-talk; say to yourself, "I will be OK, I can do this." Then direct your focus on questions; link questions to their corresponding lecture and/or chapter.
• If the exam is more difficult than you anticipated, try to focus and just do your best. It might be enough to get you through, even with a reasonable grade! Remember- you can get points for guessing a correct answer.
• When the exam is over, treat yourself. Go to a movie, restaurant, or outing.
Break down any problem into smaller problems so that you do not not get overwhelmed
• Reviewing your past performance on tests
to improve and learn from experience
Test preparation to reduce anxiety:
•
Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: vizualization, logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.
View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done
•
• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach
Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.
Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, sugar, white flour products, fried foods or oily foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices and MSG.
• Take a small snack, or some other nourishment.

During the test:
• Read the directions carefully
• Budget your test taking time
• If you go blank, skip the question and go on
• If you're taking an essay test
and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind
•
There's no reward for being the first done
Mind mapping
Tony Buzon
Bach Flower remedy
Aromatic oils.
Speed reading
Associative memory techniques
Seated Yoga
Attention skills
Study strategies skills – how to listen and take notes
Biofeedback to improve concentration
Keep your exams and make sure you know why you did not get the question correct- even ask the teacher. People have a tendency to repeat mistakes. So look to see if there is a pattern to your mistakes.

Answer 2

Rather than taking medications, I have found amino acid therapy to work well for ADD , anxiety and mood disorders. I have loaned my own book out so I cannot look it up for you right now but I suggest you check out from the library, buy or borrow The Diet Cure. It gives you a self test so you can figure out what amino acids you may be lacking and you will get a great explanantion of each amino acid and what ti does for you- I have seen incredible improvements in all of these conditions in several people who have taken them. The best thing is after taking them for a few weeks to a couple of months, your body will self regulate and you will not need to be on them permanantly. You may need a boost now and then but it is not a permanant thing and most amino acids are fairly inexpensive

Answer 3

Me too. But I really did'nt like Strattera. It just did'nt work for me...
But I had serious problems with test's too!
I found that if you think you are ready for the test, go out and do something with your friends or whatever you like to do the night b4. It helps relax you b/c it is hard to think of school when your out with your friends. Just don't drink while your out, wait till after the test...
As for the day of, just try to think in slow motion...my mind would really race and I would keep looking at the clock, and I only had 40 mins. and the time would fly by and I NEVER finnished any tests! I concentrated on the clock more than the test... if you slow down and just keep the time in the back of your mind, & have a bunch of printer paper that you can use as scratch paper...Eat b4 the test....and don't worry, as long as you studied you'll do as well as you can....that part sux
I also took UNTIMED TESTING due to ADD & ADHD. It was offered by my school to kid's diagnosed with add & adhd... Ask your Dr. & your Advisor, or Maybe you have a school Phyciatrist(sp?) This is what helped me the most b/c I would fail every test b/c I could'nt finnish half the test....if your like me you would have been done reading this after like one sentance,
Good Luck wit it

Answer 4

Try deep breathing before taking a test. Inhale through your nose deeply and slowly. It should take around 7 seconds. And exhale through your mouth deeply and slowly. This will help you relax before taking it.

Don't cram for a test. Study a little everyday. If you know the material, there is no reason to be worried!

Answer 5

Okay, relaxation exercises.

Do this at home in a relaxed environment. Close your eyes tight, inhale, and scrunch up every single muscle in your body as tight as you possibly can, then release your muscles and exhale and say in your head "relax". Do this for a few minutes a day.

In time, you will be able to do it once before or during a test, and it will become second nature to you.

Also, remember that you've studied and you're ready.

Answer 6

Yes, it is possible. While these can be separate conditions, and one can have one without the other, Attention Deficit Disorder is often coupled with other disorders. It can be coupled with any number of things, including OCD or depression. Anxiety disorder is one of these. For more information, you can read the books Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction.

Answer 7

JUst realize that you will get some sort of score somewhere on the continuum. Its ok whatever it is. If you want a higher score, spend 1000 hours learning whatever you have to know for the test. If it doesn't help then you have real learning problems and then address those.

Answer 8

I have them too. What usually helps is studying for the test far before its time to test. That way, you will convinve yourself that you have enough knowledge to pass even with your eyes closed.

Do not study a day prior to the exam, feel free to review, relax and enjoy the day. Stressing yourself at this point never does any good.

Answer 9

Hi there, I just laugh about my past 3 years of panic now. I was not able to go anywhere without carrying xanax. Fear of having another attack was the most important subject of my days.When i first found joe barry's web site i started to cry because of my happiness.

Free audio to end anxiety and panic attacks fast?

Answer 10

You should ask your doctor b/c she will know what other anti-anxiety drugs you can take with the one you are on now . Mixing medications can be serious.