Theory on ADD/ADHD/Bipolar Disorder

I've recently been developing a theory as to the possible cause of ADD/ADHD which also extends itself into Bipolar Disorder. According to my theory, I believe that ADD/ADHD and Bipolar Disorder are in fact the same disorder only at perhaps different stages. The root cause of the disorders stems from the deep repression of emotions. Why might an adult with repressed emotions not share symptoms with one who has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD at an early age? The answer is the age at which the emotions began to be repressed. A child who has repressed his or her emotions differs from an adult who has repressed his or her emotions because the child's brain is still in development. I speculate that the emotions being repressed in the child causes a change in the way their brain functions, hence causing the symptoms seen as ADD/ADHD. I personally do not believe ADD/ADHD are genetic disorders. I believe them to be developed disorders, caused by the repression of emotions. What IS genetic, at least what I think, is the hyperactivity one finds in a child. It seems to me that those affected by ADD/ADHD are generally either born hyper or naturally emotionally sensitive. Perhaps that is a gross generalization but the notion still stands. Anyone else feel that repressed emotions may play a key role in ADD/ADHD?

I love your assessment!

If I may, from my own journey to self acceptance, can I go a little deeper?

Why does the child need to repress emotions? Because he isn't allowed to be himself. Something about him is getting a negative or weird response consistently from others and he's learned essentially to keep his ideas and emotions to himself...repression.

What I saw (and see) in my own life is that I could see deeper into life than my peers and that manifested itself into different likes, dislikes, activities, needs, wants, etc...

For example, I never cared for sports. I just didn't see the joy in all the effort just to move a ball to the goal and then love myself for the effort.

What was important to others simply wasn't important to me. That made me an outsider but I didnt' understand why.

I also agree that bipolar may be simply a more extreme form of ADD/ADHD and I consider both to be not personal disorders but that the symptoms are the clash between exceptionally intelligent/creative people and the masses.

I've seen that any bipolar or ADD/ADHD person is capable of amazing sensitivity, intelligence, love, creativity, etc.... But when anyone, especially us, can't be himself, that repression will explode one day violently as the uncounscious mind can no longer hold that tension of keeping the peace with a society that judges and doesn't accept.

I posted on my website the other day my ADD ADHD Self Help, Self Healing Story but I can't post the link yet since I'm new here. It's too long to post here. I'll make the rounds and then post it when I'm allowed to.

I would love to hear your comments!

This is very interesting as I have wondered the same things from time to time. I've only skimmed these two posts, but I hope to come back and expound upon them some other time.

I'm bipolar and have ADD, and could see them possibly being related, but repressed emotion? That's just about the funniest thing ever! One of the difficult things about being bipolar is that I can't repress these overwhelming emotions if I tried!

I'm sorry, but there's been enough scientific evidence to support the genetic basis of both of these conditions that it's widely accepted in the medical community. It's very well known that bipolar disorder "runs in the family" and that having family members with other mood disorders is extremely common for those with bipolar. In my case, half my family (paternal) is rife with mental illness, and the other half (maternal) is quite sane. There's not that much different between them, although the crazy side does have a bit more formal education, and that certainly wouldn't cause mental illness.

Personality disorders such as those based on repressed emotion and personal traumas don't respond all that well to meds, and do respond well to therapy, e.g. borderline personality disorder has been shown to follow this pattern in a number of scientific studies. Mood disorders that are biologically based do respond well to meds (they are almost always needed) because the neurochemical balance is off; therapy alone is not adequate for most sufferers of bipolar disorder, although it's often helpful due to the many related problems that the disorder-related behaviors can cause. Again, this has been pretty thoroughly demonstrated.

Hyperactivity can be caused by a lot of external factors, especially diet. Although I believe there's a genetic basis for this, just as there is for very different metabolic performance, I think environmental factors need to be ruled out first.

On wikipedia there is a theory that posits that those with ADHD/ADD are born with genes that were used during hunter/gatherer periods. The reason for the hyperactivity and impulsiveness comes from the need to constantly be searching for food/prey. It seems reasonable, you have these periods to be constantly searching for berries/nuts and you need that extra energy to make sure you have enough for you/family/village. ADHD can also have hyperfocus which is useful for hunting animals, which requires quick reflexes and extended focus on successfully getting the prey. That's one theory anyway.

I'm bipolar and have ADD, and could see them possibly being related, but repressed emotion? That's just about the funniest thing ever! One of the difficult things about being bipolar is that I can't repress these overwhelming emotions if I tried!

Think of it this way.... are you comfortable with your emotions? Probably not... we cannot express them in normal way.

I used to be hyperserious as child. Things happened... i started having manias... and yes, it feels like my brain went "so you will not be spontegeous? Well, I am gonna be spontageous for you!".

For me it helps to allow myself these emotions. Allow myself be crazy (within limits).

You say people respond to meds "well". I don't know... from what I seen it is almost always hella ride and episodes are still bound to happen. Maybe the more we insist on normality the our minds seem to backfire. If it was biochemical, shouldn't the chemistry be enough? It never is though.

Unfortunately we're complicated beasties, much too hard to fix that easy, right? Anyway, I was just referring to what I know scientific studies have shown. That doesn't often take into consideration the subjective experience. And every study is incremental, so it takes a long time for complicated conditions to be reasonably well understood.

I don't know about being comfortable with my emotions - how would I tell? I have them, and that's fine, but it gets extreme at times and I'd like to feel like I have a little more control. Kinda like you say, crazy but within limits - I just need help at those limits and it seems like that keeps getting harder and harder for me, so I'll take what help I can get. Of course, everyone has to make their own decisions about what kind of treatment works for them.

Nope, LaughinMan, I do not agree. Not at ALL.

AniManiac said so much of what I'd say, so, I'll just say echo.

Point by point, I hardly know where to start, but here's a try at keeping it simple:

Same disorder?!?! I have BP. For sure, clear cut. I did not have ADD/ADHD traits at all as a child. In fact, as just a quick example, I was very focused and not at all disruptive. (And before you even go there, my BP presented at 20, not childhood.)

Repressed emotions causality?!?! My sister and I were born back to back. So any repression time frame would have been virtually simultaneous development-wise. We had the same experiences (and yes, they were repressive) growing up and have discussed these at length. She has never had ADD/ADHD nor does she have BP (not even close on either). As stated before, there was no ADHD for me either. Have always been emotionally sensitive. And raised in a repressive environment. Even with both of these factors you posit, again, no ADHD.

I'm not saying that my sister's and my experience is universal. I just felt compelled to present a real life example that completely contradicts what you have posited. Which is completely theoretical, with no stated scientific basis whatsoever. I'm sorry, but I think gross overgeneralization is an understatement, and that the notion does not, in fact, stand.

@LaughinMan-Interesting name, implies a joke.

Because they're the same category of disorder and everything.

Oh, Ok, and what about depression, how does it fit? Then again why mention it, bipolar (Manic Depressive) only shares more characteristics with it then ADD/ADHD.

Paging Doctor Freud.

It looks so good on paper, such a shame it's not true. (See Innerzone above)

Then will thinking about fire while young make you a Pyro? (Answer; NO.)

What? How?

'And my belief is more important than any research, past examination of the disorders, or scholarly consensus'

On what evidence?

And you hold your degree in genetics from where?

Define hyper.
Define emotionally sensitive.
Gain a quantitative verifiable statement.
Gain a valid starting point for a hypothesis.

Actually if you proof of concept is a "gross generalization" (and wrong) then the notion can not stand.
Use logic man, If you insist on trying peoples patients with drivel at least make it sensical drivel.
Hell. No.

I tend to favor theories like this, which explain our physiological traits based on evolution. I also find the "Paleo Diet" sort of idea appealing (though a bit extreme to follow, mind you) because it recognizes that our bodies have not evolved nearly as fast as society. In any case, it makes a lot of logical sense.

Alcinus, Alcinus. Clam down, young man. No need to attack anyone; this is a support forum. I also don't agree with nearly every point of LaughinMan's theory, but I am impressed by the creativity and courage he displayed by formulating a non-traditional explanation and posting it for the world to see. One of the biggest current detriments to progress, IMO, is the general belief that people need 11 years of post-secondary education before their thoughts are valuable. We all have brains that can sense, understand, connect, and theorize. Asking a non-scientist for his opinion now and then could give us insights into issues that have not yet been explored and potential answers that have not been tested. The wisdom of non-experts is not blinded by prevailing theories which may bias the interpretation of further research (remember that nothing can be proven in science, just falsified). The layman is also not burdened by the views of a mentor. He is allowed to think more freely than the experts.

Now go ahead and bully me over how idiotic and disorganized that last paragraph was.

To everyone (not just Alcinus):

I believe that a genetic connection between ADHD and bipolar has been discovered, though I could be wrong about that. I do know that individuals with both ADHD and bipolar generally have a poorer prognosis than people with just one of the disorders.

Innerzone, hyperfocusing actually can be a symptom of ADHD. I'm not saying that you have/had ADHD, just clearing up a common misconception. Usually hyperfocus alternates with an inability to focus. Some psychiatrists think that ADHD should be renamed "Attention Inconsistency Syndrome".

Both ADHD and bipolar are largely considered to be biological disorders, so I do not think that repressed emotion would be a common cause for either disorder as we currently conceive of them (remember, science is about proving ourselves wrong. We can never be certain of anything.) Of course, nature is not the entire picture; though identical twins have a higher concordance rate for bipolar disorder than fraternal twins, the concordance rate is still nowhere near 100%. Environmental factors still do play a role. I'm majoring in psychology and neurobiology, and all my psych and bio classes seem to be singing the same melody: it is never nature OR nurture, but both factors almost always work in tandem. For anyone interested in how this applies to psychopathology, look up the diathesis-stress model.

Good discussion!

Nope, actually, I pretty much agree with you there.

Oh noes!

Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. I feel like the symptoms of either one make the other worse.

Thanks, Secretum, the hyperfocus/lack of ability to focus "attention inconsistency" is especially intriguing to me! If you have any (readily available -- I know you are very busy) info on this, I'd definitely be interested. PM or whatever's easiest for you.
Couldn't agree more.

No comment.

Yes it is, but laughfinman isn't using it for support. He's either using it to field test a theory (which is, if I recall, against the forum rules) or troll (As stated earlier, though not a classic case, too smart) or perhaps he's a sockpuppet(also against the rules).

Actually your paragraph makes sense. I disagree somewhat but only with the opinions expressed.
I could still mock it if you want me to.

Is that not true of any two disorders though?
That two is worse that one?
Or is it the Bipolar and ADD/ADHD 'stack' to be more than the sum of their parts?

The hyperfocus is teh awesome. I love it. In psych theory they call this a state of "flow" where you're totally into your task. This is basically how I get most of my work done - and it gets totally amped up by hypomania. I think that's how I managed to get through 4 years of graduate coursework (2 for the MS, 2 for the PhD).

Unfortunately I have only seen this part of ADHD mentioned in passing. I'd love to know more about it too.

Makes sense that any 2 would be worse than 1.

In my experience, it has made it harder to diagnose both because it's harder to separate which condition is causing which symptoms. Fortunately it's basically a matter of taking some pills, so that's not too hard. I could see it being extra-frustrating, because if bipolar symptoms flare up that can make the ADHD a lot worse. And it could make you extra impulsive, which could lead to bad consequences in general.

Most of what I know about ADHD I learned from Dr. Hallowell's book, Driven to Distraction. http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Distrac...3350768&sr=8-5 I'm almost positive that he mentions hyperfocus in there, though I don't remember how much detail he goes in to. If I see anything else about it, I'll either PM you and AniManiac, or I'll post a thread in this forum.

That almost always is the case. Though, strangely enough, not in schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder is diagnosed when a schizophrenic patient also has a mood disorder, like major depression or bipolar. For some baffling reason, adding a mood disorder predicts a better course for the schizophrenia.

Yeah, that's a really great book on ADHD - it made me cry in relief when I first read it because I finally understood why I was having such a hard time. Well, at least part of the reason, anyway.

I just put in for it at the library. Only one person in line ahead.

Thanks for clarifying. That's really interesting.

I KNOW, beyond a shadow of doubt, I've had ADD almost my entire life. I hate to brag but I'm an intelligent, creative, sensitive person and I can definitely and sadly say my life has been one of repressed emotions that continue to a great extent today.

I actually live a very productive and generally positive existance except when it comes to o-n-e relationship - mine with my 90-year old mother. I don't know how many people could or would remember a childhood and teenage years that grew into adulthood where they were emotionally/mentally and sometimes physically dominated to the point where their emotional feelings had to stay repressed in order to survive.

I've seen psychiatrists off and on for probably 25 years and none have ever mentioned bipolar. I was first diagnosed with chronic depression approximately 40 years ago...yet not one antidepressant I've taken in all that time has ever helped one iota. In 1998, I was diagnosed (after extensive testing/interviews, etc.) with ADD. Stimulant drugs make me feel calm, content, I can focus, I finish tasks, etc.

This theory, something I've never heard of nor considered before, might answer a lot of things that haunt me still - I've known for most of my adult life what my upbringing did to me in the past and that no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try...the fact of the matter is my mother's dominating personality still impacts my life. I'm 65 years old. I never feel comfortable being who I really am when I'm with my mother.

I find the possible correlation interesting. A child raised by an overbearing parent or in any circumstances where they instinctively shutdown emotionally as a way to make their loneliness and inability to be themselves less painful is bound to damage or compromise the way their minds function. What is one of the major things we always hear about children - "their impressionable young minds". We all know what stress does to an adult, doesn't it stand to reason that unending, immeasurable stress, demands, and pressure to repress their true emotions would do irrepairable damage to a child's mind?

My brother was diagnosed as ADHD as a child - I've never had a "hyper" day in my life. I've always been the daydreaming, quiet child lost in some other realm of existance, some imaginary place where I felt happier and less fearful. Maybe a child figures out or maybe it just happens but the mind has to find an alternative safe harbor when it cannot express natural emotions...then, in time, it becomes almost impossible to escape the daydream, switch gears and focus on the real world.

Hmmm yeah I've thought on that before. But often I'm told you can't have both, you either have one or the other. Which kinda makes me think "then why can you have some that dont while many other can coexist with eachother?"
Just like Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar, Add/Adhd, sleep deprivation, can't really be coexisiting diagnoses (though Sleep Dep has arguments on both sides. I personally believe it can. Just like i am ADD/ADHD, but when i get sleep deprivied it worsen's it to the max!

I don't know who's tleling you that, but they ARE comorbid conditions. Bipolar can exist with ADHD, BPD, etc. Borderline personality disorder can actually be created by being ADD, because the ADD child is often rejected and cricized constnatly for their behavior issues. OCD is often commonly diagnosed with ADD as well, because ADDers have impulse issues that can turn into obsessions because they cling to behaviors that tend to calm them down: eating, sex, gaming, sleep etc. Someone is giving you very false information.

It was actually from the state hospital that i learned this. In the classes they had us in.. weird... But that too makes sense of what your saying.
I guess I need to do some extensive reasearch of my own on this. lol

Here are my story of ADHD self healing and the story of Sean Blackwell about bipolar psychosis being a spiritual awakening....

http://www.profound-self-help.com/adhd-self-help.html

http://www.profound-self-help.com/bi...-disorder.html