Posted by Lasagne on June 23, 2003, at 13:17:26
In reply to how do i know if i have add versus 'depression', posted by bookgurl99 on June 22, 2003, at 21:41:26
Dear Bookgurl99:
The only way to know if you are suffering from Depression or ADD is to go get an evaluation from a doctor who specializes in the treatment of both. You may want to consider reading a book that I just finished called "Driven to Distraction" by Drs. Hallowell and Ratey. The book has a section that talks about this. Sometimes ADD can co-exist with other mental health problems and sometimes the ADD symptoms are the cause of what they call secondary depression and of course it is possible to just have plain depression. The thing that distinguises the two is a proper evaluation of your life history.
I was recently diagnosed at age 33 and at first it was really difficult to believe it was true, but now that I have learned more by reading books I have come to accept the diagnosis.
Another thing to remember is that the way ADD/ADHD presents itself is different from one person to another. Some people like my brother have the impulisivity and hyperactivity to the point of extreme dysfunction, yet he is the smartest person I know. He can learn things better than anybody I have ever met. He has the potential to go further than the average person would go in life yet because of his ADHD symptoms he will probably never meet his full potential.
Then there are people like my husband who just turned 40 who has maintained a relatively stable life with several successes, yet he struggles on and off with being able to follow through on tasks. He is a big procrastinator unless it is something he is extremely interested in. He is also very forgetful. Because of his underlying frustration with his ADHD symptoms he has suffered on and off with depression. Now that he is receiving proper treatment he is doing so much better. I have been amazed at how the treatment has improved his follow through on tasks, plus other things.
Good luck!
Lasagna
poster:Lasagne
thread:133458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/236334.html