I have to compliment busterangel on a very astute post.
I haven't had a depressive problem since getting the ADHD under control with Adderall XR. There is a critical sequence here that must be understood. The depression I experienced was similar to if not identical to busterangel's. For a while I took Lexapro along with Ritalin then later Adderall. Lex stabilized me. Without the Lex I could manage the depressive episodes by simply telling myself that my brain was sending a faulty signal. Problem was, the depression still robbed my of energy.
I got depressed same as busterangel. "Damn, screwed up again." And, as per busterangel, fatigue/stress would set me up for a fall. Hunger? No. That's cause I eat like a pig.
As time progressed and my confidence grew, I started realizing it was unlikely that I was going to screw up anymore than the normals. Heck, maybe even less. My self-image strengthened so the thoughtless remarks we all experience stopped messing with me. I haven't had an "attack" (of depression that is) in several weeks. I think it would be unrealistic to think I'll never again get depressed. However, I feel confident I can handle it without an antidepressant. So the Lexapro was very helpful in getting me here - and it took some time - in the order of a year - but now here, Forest Pharmaceuticals cured a customer and lost my biz.
You should be aware that Adderall causes a degree of euphoria for the first few days to a week or two of therapy. That euphoria can mask depression. But it is a big mistake to use Adderall as antidepressant because you need to continually up the dose and before you know you are looking at amphetamine addiction.
Bob
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Originally Posted by busterangel I am not on any medications at this time, but I do experience some depression. I think that depression often goes hand in hand with ADD.
For me,it's not a chronic, debilitating depression but I often get depressed because I screw up or because of something somebody says that affects my self-esteem. This has been a life-long issue for me.
I used to think that depression was my problem but now I realize that because ADD people are often different, we get labeled as being flakey or wacky or whatever. This can undermine our ability to bounce back against these remarks.
Depression can come on very quickly and disperse as quickly depending on the situation. Sometimes I can simply feel depressed when I am tired or stressed or even hungry.
If your medication is the cause of your depression then you should talk to your doctor. |
