ADD and Depression - Discussion

Adult attention deficit disorder, or adult ADD and depression represent two faces of the same coin because both conditions are closely interlinked and manifest together in several adults. However, more often than not, depression goes completely undiagnosed and treated because people concentrate on treating ADD.

The line of thought is that once ADD is treated, depression will subside and all symptoms pertaining to depression will end. This line of thinking is slightly flawed, mainly because research and data indicate that ADD and depression are two distinct problems and need to be addressed separately. Therefore, it is important for physicians and psychiatrists or psychologists to concentrate on both conditions and treat both equally, one at a time or simultaneously.

The various symptoms of depression that appear in people suffering from ADD include the following:

• A constant feeling of emptiness or hollowness that lasts beyond two weeks and ends up making the person feel hopeless, sad, and miserable.
• Lack of appetite and irregular eating habits.
• Inability to sleep well at night resulting in exhaustion, physical tiredness, and fatigue.
• Inability to concentrate, focus and execute tasks and day-to-day activities.
• Total lack of interest in social activities, outdoor activities involving people, friends, and family.
• Isolating oneself from people at home, and absenting oneself from work and / or school.
• Constant thoughts of suicide.

If more than three or four of the abovementioned symptoms persist for over two weeks, one can firmly conclude that there are high chances of confirming depression as a diagnosis along with the pre-existing condition of ADD.

People suffering from ADD often feel down for the most part and are unable to break this pattern and become optimistic and positive. They seem to sink deeper and deeper into depression and negativity, which eats away any semblance of self worth and self confidence, resulting in serious depression.

It is therefore extremely important for friends and family to boost the morale of adults suffering from ADD and depression. This can be done by trying to engage them in activities that will occupy their mind, or keep them physically engaged in some activity that will help them gain knowledge, develop focus and concentration, and above all build their self confidence. This is extremely important because most of their problems stem from their inability to shift their focus from feeling negative to feeling positive.

By constantly talking to them and encouraging them to participate in a meaningful activity, it will help them gain a different perspective about themselves, about the work they are doing, and above all divert their thoughts from depression to a balanced form of thinking.

Adults suffering from ADD and depression should also be encouraged to learn and practice yoga on a regular basis so that they learn to relax, calm their mind, and improve their levels of concentration. Meditating for 15-20 minutes everyday also helps improve their focus and ability to execute tasks smoothly without getting stressed or frustrated. Physical activities like walking in a park, watching the sunset, etc, help relax the mind, which is important for people suffering from ADD and depression.

While several pharmacological drugs like Deprex and Extress etc, help relieve symptoms of ADD and depression, one must realize that all these drugs come with their own set of problems which manifest in the form of side effects. Therefore, it is important to try and minimize the use of drugs and decrease dependency on them.

One must seriously explore other alternative and natural treatment modalities and remedies that are available so that one can find an effective way of recovering from both depression and ADD. Acupuncture, naturopathic treatment, massages, detoxification programs, yoga, etc, are all alternative and natural forms of treating various psychological and physiological conditions without any side effects, and need to be considered while selecting treatment options for both depression and ADD.

Useful Depression Resources