[Hazel Glitter]

I have been reading several of the posts in this section and can relate completely. However, when I talked to my doctor she said I was depressed and prescribed me medication for that. Are the symptoms the same for depression and ADD/ADHD or can you have both at the same time?

[slowinmi]

Hi Hazel Glitter. You can have both things at the same time. In fact, you can have several things at the same time. In those of us with ADD, sometimes the effort to control ourselves in order to do the same work, projects, etc, causes depression, anxiety, etc.

It may be beneficial for you to see someone who can do some testing with you to help you pinpoint what is bothering you, whether ADD or depression or both. Then you can get medication to treat the issues you're having.

I hope you find some answers - slow

[BatsAndButterflies]

You can definitely have both, but Depression can lead to distraction and junk and ADD can lead to depression so I think a therapist would definitely be helpful if you can get one.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by Hazel Glitter

I have been reading several of the posts in this section and can relate completely. However, when I talked to my doctor she said I was depressed and prescribed me medication for that. Are the symptoms the same for depression and ADD/ADHD or can you have both at the same time?

Yes, you can definitely have both. Wellbutrin is a medication that is prescribed for both depression and ADHD so it might be a good starting point if you have both. Is that the anti-depressant that your doctor prescribed? Is this your general doctor who is doing the diagnosing and prescribing? Sometimes a GP doesn't have the expertise to prescribe for someone with ADHD and depression, or they don't have the diagnostic skills to tease apart what you have. So seeing a specialist with experience in diagnosing ADHD might be helpful (if the doc you are seeing is not a specialist).

[Queen of Chaos]

I'm convinced I've had ADD my entire life and I've told practically every doctor I've seen for the past forty years what my symptoms were but it took over 20 years to ever get correctly diagnosed and then, even after that, I couldn't find doctors who believed me, doctors who believed in Adult ADD/ADHD.

Miraculously, through pure happenstance, I have found a psychiatrist who seems to understand and is willing to treat me for ADD instead of depression.

One day I asked this psychiatrist one question that seemed to turn the tide in my direction. I asked wouldn't it appear that if someone was prescribed antidepressants for 40 years and not one ever helped their symptoms, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume their problem was not true depression?

At that same appointment, we began discussing the possibility of ADD and things have been so much better.

I was and to some extent still am "depressed" but I believe it is more a depression born from a lifetime of frustration than a chemical imbalance.

I've probably been prescribed Wellbutrin by 3-4 different doctors over the past 10 years and I will say it came the closest to making a difference but it has taken Vyvanse (a stimulant) to really give me any relief whatsoever.

I guarantee you having any mental health issue, ADD/ADHD or anything else, that seems to defy accurate diagnosis and treatment will lead to depression but I personally don't know if antidepressants can help what is more (IMHO) frustration and desperation than clinical depression? They've never helped me.

[slowinmi]

Wow Queen - what a great way to describe the frustration of not having an accurate diagnosis. Thank you so much for saying that so clearly! Again, our lives and symptoms are so very similar. - slow

[Night*Blossum]

Yes you can have both. With ADHD often comes with anxiety, depression, conduct disorders, and learning disabilities. You might not have some of those but those are the most common things that ADHD often come with it. Hope that helped.

[Hazel Glitter]

Originally Posted by sunrise

Yes, you can definitely have both. Wellbutrin is a medication that is prescribed for both depression and ADHD so it might be a good starting point if you have both. Is that the anti-depressant that your doctor prescribed? Is this your general doctor who is doing the diagnosing and prescribing? Sometimes a GP doesn't have the expertise to prescribe for someone with ADHD and depression, or they don't have the diagnostic skills to tease apart what you have. So seeing a specialist with experience in diagnosing ADHD might be helpful (if the doc you are seeing is not a specialist).

My primary care doctor is not helpful. When I went in to her she just enters my symptoms in the computer and prescribes something. I sort of just took it as her being the expert. She prescribed me celexa 20mg, once a day. It is not cutting it. I can't focus on anything. I believe I am depressed too though. I can't seem to focus on anything. My boss can tell me to do something and I will walk to my desk and completely and absolutely forget what he asked me to do. This is not just a once in a while thing. It is more like everyday. I feel like such an idiot because I sit and try to recall what it was and I have to end up asking him again. My forgetfulness seems as though it is getting worse with age. I don't remember being this forgetful when I was a kid.

[7NKI]

I can relate to all of these posts in one way or another, and agree with the advice about getting a dr/psychiatrist/SOMEONE who has extensive ADHD knowledge. I also suffered for decades depressed and undiagnosed and yes, the depression may or may not be an illness of it's own, and I am prescribed Zoloft by my pcp to help with that, and adderall by my psychiatrist which has literally transformed my life. As I said to my psychiatrist during our initial meeting (and her diagnosis of me having "one of the most severe cases of ADHD she's ever seen" she said), "In an attempt to function around my ADHD my life has gotten smaller and smaller and now there's not much left- I don't have friends, I don't do ANY social activities, I can't talk on the phone, and I can't even play with my kids- obviously, this is horrendously depressing." As one ADHD says, "Treat the ADHD and then see what disorders are left." For me, it took taking Zoloft for several months before I was even capable of the hope and motivation necessary to seek help for my ADHD- it is a vicious cycle that requires tenacity and focus just to find a psychiatrist who takes my insurance, and to keep repeating my story until someone finally listened. There IS help out there; sadly, the way the system works it is next to impossible to get help for mental health unless you're mentally healthy. The only advice I can truly give is to NOT GIVE UP- you deserve to be healthy, happy, and to LIVE your life- not just survive it! DON'T GIVE UP!!!!