Hello all,
I've been away for a while, but I think about this site often. I just wanted to post a little update on myself, and to encourage others to keep looking for answers.
Several months ago I began treatment for adult ADHD. Some of the signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults are poor work history, not finishing school, poor or no planning skills, and the more well known problems with focus and concentration. As you can see some of these are very common in discussions of depression as well. And depression occurs quite often in people with ADHD, triggered by frustration and failure to cope with things in life that others seem to handle very easily.
I had never been diagnosed with ADHD as a child (it would have been called ADD back then), but looking back, it sure explains a lot. I was always an 'underacheiver', and my report cards always said I could do much better if only I applied myself. And any time I've been successful enough at work to be given management type responsibilities, I quickly become overwhelmed and depressed.
Last summer I became quite ill, and stopped taking my antidepressants very suddenly, no tapering off. The side effects of this were some very vivid dreams, so vivid that I looked it up to see if stopping my medication (Effexor) could be the cause. And yes, it probably was. I also found a post by someone who was experiencing vivid dream while stopping Effexor and starting on Ritalin, because he had been diagnosed with adult ADHD. So I looked up the symptoms of ADHD, and saw my entire past described. Long story short, my doctor arranged for me to see a psychiatrist, and he agreed that it was quite probable that not only have I had ADHD all my life, but it was very possibly the trigger for depression.
I'm doing better now, not perfect, but better. I work on coping strategies to help me plan, and have medication to help me focus. I still get frustrated with myself from time to time, and a little depressed that there are things I'll never be able to do well. But now I know that there is a reason behind how I feel, and things I can do to help myself, and that has been the biggest change for me.
I realize many people here do suffer from MDD, and have to deal with that. But there is always the chance that the feelings of depression have another cause, like in my case. So please take a look at your symptoms and your past, and discuss things with your doctor to see if there could be another condition that is the problem.
Sorry for the over long post, but if this helps even one other person, it's worth it.
Greg
