ADHD and Depression

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by cj on May 17, 2011 at 12:08pm

I don't think you need to listen to the the GP concerning your ADHD. You're right in concentrating on getting control of your depression. If he pushes the issue just tell him you have already discussed it with your specialist. I hope your depression lifts soon

Permalink Reply by KellyB on May 26, 2011 at 7:24am

my colleague annoying me and making me feel low. i didn't know if i booked on some training and i had a doctor appointment. I not heard from my boss and was contemplating calling senior to find out what going on. then my colleague called the senior to ask for me. heard her saying: i was anxious about it as i had doctors appoinment and needed to know and well you know how she (me) gets...

i could have made that call myself. it's hard but i know people try and help me. i not ask for it and sometimes differential treatment that is meant well gets me down. they'd not do that call for another colleague and it was a private matter. sometimes help can be "toxic" and i feel low!

Permalink Reply by KellyB on May 26, 2011 at 6:14pm

i asked same colleague to go easy on me as i felt low and she can be blunt with me. She gave me a lecture about how: my adhd behaviour is annoying and how they (staff) are not equipped to deal with it and should not have to?! ah ah! yep my adhd gets me down as it is - depresses me having it - so why not depress me more?!

Permalink Reply by Brittney on June 19, 2011 at 11:54pm

This probably isn't realistic, but I'd avoid that lady as much as possible! Don't tell her things because she clearly doesn't think you can do things on your own, which you can. I have this problem a lot because people try to come to my rescue, but then it makes me feel like I'm not capable of doing things on my own so it gets me down. I have depression, ADHD, anxiety, OCD and Lord knows what else! You're perfectly capable of doing things on your own and you don't need some colleague to fix your problems for you. 

 

Oh, and screw her for saying your ADHD behavior is annoying! The staff isn't equipped to deal with her attitude yet there she is! If you ask me, she needs to mind her own business. You may have ADHD and depression, but at least you have emotion, sympathy, compassion, and empathy. There's plenty of people that don't (and from the sounds of it, this lady is one of them). Just remember that ADHD and depression are out of your control, and anyone that tries to get you down because of it would be like someone putting me down for having blue eyes or freckles.... Everything I have is part of what makes me who I am and I would rather be a depressed, random, anxious, blue eyed, freckley girl with feelings than a bitter woman that puts everyone else down for things that are out of their control. I can't stand people like that. 

Permalink Reply by KellyB on June 20, 2011 at 8:32am

Thanks for those words. It's been a hard week. As my boyfriend of two years who is a collegue dumped me. I got a bit upset and text messaged my immediate collegues about it. They never knew we were together. My boss got a bit cross but was understanding :o) It is hard working alongside my ex. especially when he made a comment that: he was putting on weight because his new woman is such a prolific cook and feeding him up!! I got up and walked away from that remark. It sucked. Proud of myself for how i am managing it all!!

I am doing well on my anti depressants and my doctor does not need to see me fopr 2 months now :o) The doctor tried not to laugh when i relayed that I ahd text my colleagues about my ex!!

I try and use my adhd quirks to my advantage. I get on well with my pupils i care for. I have alot of experiences to draw on and able to sympathise and also alot of interests. Karaoke, art, computer games I am there and encourage the young people i work with. 

Permalink Reply by Sharon Hildebrandt on July 16, 2011 at 7:25am

Dont let them take you off CONCERTA. Untreated ADD will only make your depression worse. Every time I

have gone off my Add meda I have ended up in the hospital with deep depression. I take antidepresent ZOlaft and Ritalan. And with the two i am depression free

Permalink Reply by Sharon Hildebrandt on August 13, 2011 at 8:31am

my name is sharon. I suffer from depression also and I have found that to go off the ADD/ADHD meds make the depresion much worse. try to get them to leave you on your add meds and put u on a antidepressant. I take Ritilan and the antidepressant Zolaft and it helps me. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!

Permalink Reply by justtrying on August 29, 2011 at 9:22am

I was on Concerta 54 mg but had to many physical side effects so I was switched to Dexedrine and it seems to be a little better. I think that you need to have a specialist and a GP that communicate with each other better. Perhaps you can change GP's? My GP was smart enough to realize that my therapist is the expert, not him, so he promised to always defer to the therapists recommendations. That is the way it should be. I think depression comes and goes in varying degrees, regardless of the ADHD meds you take. I no longer take any anti-depressents, and I am no worse off than I was before as far as that particular symptom goes. I have my down days and my not-so-down days, but when you are dealing with so much all at the same time, it is a normal reaction, don't you think? I have far less sleep issues being just on the Dexedrine than I used to have with the anti-depressents. Those meds kept me up way too much! Like everything else with doctors, they all act like they are the experts when in fact they are not, especially a GP that spends all of 10 minutes with a patient to diagnose and treat a medical problem! So, bottom line, I agree with all those that say do not stop the ADHD meds and I will add that maybe you should look into getting a different GP, maybe one recommended by the specialist so they can work together not against each other. Hope you feel better soon, and if not, keep in touch! We are here for you.

Permalink Reply by KellyB on August 30, 2011 at 7:16am

Thank you all for the advice and kind words. after 3 months i am feeling alot better. i still have the odd bad days. But on the mend. I swear my adhd mind ruminates and gets me feeling down. trying hard to retrain it into feeling up-beat! things are hard as my dad who never drinks, drank 2 bottles of wine. then he got aggresssive and arrested and was unconcious in hospital. He has now been diagnosed with depression and my step-mum has stood by him. Dad is supporting me, with a new understanding now. I think we can help eachother through this time. He was on anti smoking meds and doing well and with family stresses he just flipped.

Permalink Reply by Dana on September 15, 2011 at 3:59pm

Hi all, I would just like to take a moment here and vent. I have been seeing this new psychiatrist for med management. Smooth sailing, I did not love him as a professional, and I did not find him horrific either. No big deal. Today I went for the monthly check in and he was such a jerk. He never turned his chair to speak to me, he worked on his computer. Everything I said he replied "I don't understand," correct me, or tell me I am wrong. That made me anxious and a bit attached. Not safe at all, like that environment is suppose to be. So I told him the med's were great and I see major improvements. He spewed out the possibility of me having alternative diagnoses than ADHD, as he ushered me to the door. Telling me to research it and get back to him.  Being a therapist myself, I understood the criteria for the disorders he was talking about. I told him I was uncomfortable with this random "you could have" statements, and told him my current symptoms for depression and adhd which both a well managed by med's. I told him I journal, and joined two online groups, am reading the literature, and he said why? "What do you write about," "where do you write" and if everything is so good, then why are you discussing as far as your on going concerns? I said I want additional tools to better manage myself in society and even at home. Forgetting, hyperfocused on med's at times, and impulsive were some points I discussed, and he said he would help me feel better with whatever I had, and then he gave his final boot to get me to leave. Before I left well still sitting in his office, I asked he to explain what he is seeing, hearing that is causing him to make alternative suggestions to what I "had." And he did not answer and was seemingly so irritated, and put off by my question. It was a real crappy session. I was thankful I was only there a 1/2 or so. I am going to look into an alternative professional to work with me, even just for med management like this joker does. 

 

Thanks for the vent period.

 

 

D

Permalink Reply by justtrying on September 15, 2011 at 4:03pm

Change doctors!  Don't go back to this guy...he's not respectful and you deserve better!

Permalink Reply by Sharon Hildebrandt on June 29, 2012 at 8:07am

I am ad and suffer from depression. Im on an antidepressant and ritalin. when im not on my add meds i get more depressed. I would fight going off of them if I were you Sharon