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Thread : On the Topic of Depression  
19 May 2008 @ 5:21 PM
KateA Join Date: Sun 24th Feb 2008
Threads: 2 Posts: 0
On the Topic of Depression

Some days I am hyper effective. Some days I can barely function and don't want to bother. I just want to go back to bed.

I just don't know if it has to be so hard. I am exhausted. I don't even know what the first step is to help myself.

I have a kid with autism and I should have clear cut routines to help him succeed and ultimately make life easier for all of us. I don't think I can stick to them myself, though. I am inconsistent with all of the kids sometimes I am very insistent about taking care of their things other times I really don't care if toys are scattered all over the place.

I understand depression is a common issue with ADD. I am taking zoloft have been for a long time, Adderall XR as well, 40mg daily.

I feel like I am shutting down most days. I don't leave the house unless I have to, cook dinner sporadically, don't return phone calls or make plans with people if I can avoid it. I can put on a poker happy face if need be, pull it together for the sake of appearing normal at school events and such. Although I never never have company to our house. Each morning I start the day with the hope I might get it together and can be a TV mom. Then we have yogurt or pizza for dinner, the house is disgusting and I can hardly wait to take a bath, go to bed and read.

When the Adderall kicks in there is hope which diminishes as the morning passes.

How do people do it? Why is it getting harder?

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19 May 2008 @ 10:15 PM Reply # 1
Anni Join Date: Thu 25th Oct 2007
Threads: 2 Posts: 179
A Little Help

Hi KateA:

You're right that depression is common in adults with ADD, especially those trying to juggle a household and children with special needs, as you are. Of the 17 million Americans suffering from depression, a strikingly large portion are adults with ADD. The best advice I can offer is to take things one day at a time and not linger too much on what coulda/shoulda been - take pride in the small victories and go from there. You might also talk to your doctor about your feelings/symptoms and, finally, find some help in the following resources I found for you online:

Symptoms of Depression: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1628.html

Recognizing and Treating Depression in ADD Adults: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/748.html

How to Battle Depression with Exercise: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/915.html

Six Ways to Build Better Moods with Adult ADHD: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/678.html

I hope this helps!

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20 May 2008 @ 2:20 PM Reply # 2
Laura P Join Date: Wed 14th May 2008
Threads: 0 Posts: 3
You're not alone

You are not the only one out there working well one day and barely functioning the next. I'm sure you think that since you are on medication that you should not only be functioning every day, but that you should be feeling good too. I was on Prozac and then Zoloft for many years and thought that since I was on medicine that "getting by" was the best I was going to feel. I thought that maybe I was just being lazy on those days I couldn't get going. It took some pushing from friends to learn that doctors are not always right and sometimes medicine doesn't keep working. Maybe you are not on the best medicine for you.

Go see a doctor and make sure that they hear you. Make sure they are willing to keep working with you until you feel good again. Obviously, this is not just affecting you, but your family. It is important for to your family for you to feel better.

Until you see the doctor, one thing that has helped me get by is to make sure I have something to look forward to every day. Something good enough that is worth getting out of bed for and that pampers me a little. This is your reward for getting up that day and taking care of your family. You have to take care of yourself too, you deserve it.

Laura

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22 May 2008 @ 7:55 PM Reply # 3
ADD RN Join Date: Wed 21st Nov 2007
Threads: 6 Posts: 120
On the topic of Depression an dADHD

It is so true many of us look for a reason why we are ADHD and don't realize of the other things we tend to be such as depressed, OCD and that is because we know we ae feeling disorganized and many of cases called "crazy" because of the silly things we do. Wetend to believe a negative comment rather than heariing the positives of being ADHD . Thinking out of the box is a kind of genius, and seeing thing before many other sensing something is rarely a bad thing that unless about someone affair and you open your big mouthAdd has many faces and sometimes depression come a long with it I however felt best on Welbutrin XL I had so much life and it did not impair my sex life which I found the other did. ADHD can make it hard to focus but so can depression so it means we need know what we are dealing with

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