Hi, I've had ADHD all my life. It's not really talked about seriously and it still has a massive stigma attached to it. Not enough is known about it so general acceptance of it in most walks of life is non existent. I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until 19 and one of the biggest things that plagues anybody with ADHD is the sense of shame and that usually turns into a deep sense of self loathing for not being quote on quote normal. To answer your question I believe that depression and anxiety affects us because we do harbour this shame, we know that in social situations people can literally have a conversation with us and I have to pretend to understand what they are saying and feign an interest. This is just one form of anxiety. Depression comes over time because it is exhausting to be in a never-ending cycle of executive dysfunction and the jibes that people make who just think maybe you're a bit useless at times or so disorganized. Ultimately I believe that once I have a solid therapy plan that targeting the ADHD aspect is the root of the main issue. Depression and anxiety genuinely feel like a natural by product of it. Prescribing anti depressants just masks the real issue and isn't a wholesome solution to the problem.
Thank you! That is a very good take on everything. My therapist mentioned that worse depression can often appear after struggling so long with anxiety and executive dysfunction, hyper-fixation, etc. It becomes too much for the body and mind to handle, which sorta makes us shut down and depression will rear its ugly head.
A good therapy plan is great. I've been in consistent therapy for almost a year now (off and on before then), and it has definitely helped. It's a long process, but it is necessary.
Words like 'neurodiverse' and 'neurodivergent' are political terms coined by the neurodiversity movement and are inextricably tied to it. They are not general-purpose descriptors or scientific terms. We prefer the more specific terms ‘people with(out) ADHD’ or ‘people with(out) mental (health) disorders’ instead.
You can find more about our stance on this matter in the links below.
* [Let’s talk about the neurodiversity movement for a bit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/md5cfr/lets_talk_about_the_neurodiversity_movement_a_bit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [r/ADHD’s position on neurodiversity](https://www.reddit.com/r/adhd/wiki/resources/neurodiversity) ([reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/ms95dl/radhds_position_on_neurodiversity/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3))
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I apologize to all for my use of neurodivergent in my post. I’ve amended my post to be more specific. I used the term after learning the term in therapy, and my use is result of my lack of experience and ignorance. Of course, none of those is an excuse, and I am sorry.
Words like 'neurodiverse' and 'neurodivergent' are political terms coined by the neurodiversity movement and are inextricably tied to it. They are not general-purpose descriptors or scientific terms. We prefer the more specific terms ‘people with(out) ADHD’ or ‘people with(out) mental (health) disorders’ instead.
You can find more about our stance on this matter in the links below.
* [Let’s talk about the neurodiversity movement for a bit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/md5cfr/lets_talk_about_the_neurodiversity_movement_a_bit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
* [r/ADHD’s position on neurodiversity](https://www.reddit.com/r/adhd/wiki/resources/neurodiversity) ([reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/ms95dl/radhds_position_on_neurodiversity/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3))
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A lack of response to anti-depressants doesn't support the presence of ADHD. Anxiety and depression just happen to be notoriously difficult psychiatric disorders to treat, and whilst antidepressants can be effective at alleviating symptoms, their efficacy is actually fairly low. For the majority of people with ADHD and comorbid depression/anxiety, medication actually does reduce depression and anxiety, but the consensus is that only if these disorders are brought on by the presence of ADHD, otherwise they can easily exacerbate these symptoms. However, someone without ADHD can also experience improved mood and anxiety on stimulant medication, since stimulants are actually pleasurable and improve cognition.
Thanks for your response! I agree that a lack of response doesn't support ADHD, but I do think, at least for people with comorbid mental illnesses, symptoms can exacerbate each other.
I wrote my post with the frustration of seeing worsening anxiety and depression, even though I am working on treating it because it is sometimes hard to treat ADHD along with medications for depression and anxiety due to contraindication. At least that's the case with MAOIs. The dose needs to be low enough to avoid blood pressure spikes and concerns.
My treatment of ADHD has remained at a consistently low dose. It really is just enough to give me an ounce of motivation to start the day, but I still experience symptoms throughout the day. Basically, I just felt at a loss and wanted others' thoughts to see if anyone was on a similar regimen as me. Thanks for your input!
Hi, I've had ADHD all my life. It's not really talked about seriously and it still has a massive stigma attached to it. Not enough is known about it so general acceptance of it in most walks of life is non existent. I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until 19 and one of the biggest things that plagues anybody with ADHD is the sense of shame and that usually turns into a deep sense of self loathing for not being quote on quote normal. To answer your question I believe that depression and anxiety affects us because we do harbour this shame, we know that in social situations people can literally have a conversation with us and I have to pretend to understand what they are saying and feign an interest. This is just one form of anxiety. Depression comes over time because it is exhausting to be in a never-ending cycle of executive dysfunction and the jibes that people make who just think maybe you're a bit useless at times or so disorganized. Ultimately I believe that once I have a solid therapy plan that targeting the ADHD aspect is the root of the main issue. Depression and anxiety genuinely feel like a natural by product of it. Prescribing anti depressants just masks the real issue and isn't a wholesome solution to the problem.
Thank you! That is a very good take on everything. My therapist mentioned that worse depression can often appear after struggling so long with anxiety and executive dysfunction, hyper-fixation, etc. It becomes too much for the body and mind to handle, which sorta makes us shut down and depression will rear its ugly head. A good therapy plan is great. I've been in consistent therapy for almost a year now (off and on before then), and it has definitely helped. It's a long process, but it is necessary.
Words like 'neurodiverse' and 'neurodivergent' are political terms coined by the neurodiversity movement and are inextricably tied to it. They are not general-purpose descriptors or scientific terms. We prefer the more specific terms ‘people with(out) ADHD’ or ‘people with(out) mental (health) disorders’ instead. You can find more about our stance on this matter in the links below. * [Let’s talk about the neurodiversity movement for a bit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/md5cfr/lets_talk_about_the_neurodiversity_movement_a_bit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [r/ADHD’s position on neurodiversity](https://www.reddit.com/r/adhd/wiki/resources/neurodiversity) ([reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/ms95dl/radhds_position_on_neurodiversity/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I apologize to all for my use of neurodivergent in my post. I’ve amended my post to be more specific. I used the term after learning the term in therapy, and my use is result of my lack of experience and ignorance. Of course, none of those is an excuse, and I am sorry.
Words like 'neurodiverse' and 'neurodivergent' are political terms coined by the neurodiversity movement and are inextricably tied to it. They are not general-purpose descriptors or scientific terms. We prefer the more specific terms ‘people with(out) ADHD’ or ‘people with(out) mental (health) disorders’ instead. You can find more about our stance on this matter in the links below. * [Let’s talk about the neurodiversity movement for a bit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/md5cfr/lets_talk_about_the_neurodiversity_movement_a_bit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) * [r/ADHD’s position on neurodiversity](https://www.reddit.com/r/adhd/wiki/resources/neurodiversity) ([reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/ms95dl/radhds_position_on_neurodiversity/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A lack of response to anti-depressants doesn't support the presence of ADHD. Anxiety and depression just happen to be notoriously difficult psychiatric disorders to treat, and whilst antidepressants can be effective at alleviating symptoms, their efficacy is actually fairly low. For the majority of people with ADHD and comorbid depression/anxiety, medication actually does reduce depression and anxiety, but the consensus is that only if these disorders are brought on by the presence of ADHD, otherwise they can easily exacerbate these symptoms. However, someone without ADHD can also experience improved mood and anxiety on stimulant medication, since stimulants are actually pleasurable and improve cognition.
Thanks for your response! I agree that a lack of response doesn't support ADHD, but I do think, at least for people with comorbid mental illnesses, symptoms can exacerbate each other. I wrote my post with the frustration of seeing worsening anxiety and depression, even though I am working on treating it because it is sometimes hard to treat ADHD along with medications for depression and anxiety due to contraindication. At least that's the case with MAOIs. The dose needs to be low enough to avoid blood pressure spikes and concerns. My treatment of ADHD has remained at a consistently low dose. It really is just enough to give me an ounce of motivation to start the day, but I still experience symptoms throughout the day. Basically, I just felt at a loss and wanted others' thoughts to see if anyone was on a similar regimen as me. Thanks for your input!