If you have both ADHD and depression, it may be comforting to know that you’re not alone. According to research, about 20% of adults with ADHD also have symptoms of depression. That can make it challenging to stay on top of all the tasks you’ve got on your plate every day.
Below, learn about the ADHD and depression intersection, as well as possible treatment options, from Metairie’s top-rated psychiatrist.
What To Know About ADHD and Depression
ADHD, also called Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a mental illness that affects your ability to concentrate, plan, prioritize, and organize. Depression is marked by feelings of numbness, sadness, sleeping troubles, intrusive thoughts, and irritability. However, like ADHD, depression may also make it harder to focus and concentrate on important tasks or fulfill work or school obligations.
These two disorders may not sound alike, but each can influence the other in upsetting ways. This is especially true for children with ADHD, many of whom have difficulty managing their emotions.
Symptoms of ADHD and Depression
ADHD and depression share a few symptoms, namely sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of interest in one’s activities. If you have these symptoms, it can be tough to know whether you have depression or ADHD.
Both depression and ADD or ADHD can be hereditary and both have been linked to the brain not producing a chemical called dopamine. When dopamine is deficient, patients may struggle with ADHD symptoms and executive functioning. Lack of dopamine may also lead to depression and anhedonia.
Undiagnosed ADHD may lead to feelings of low self-worth and feelings of helplessness, which are also very common with major depression.
Alternatively, problems with task initiation and completion and struggle with focusing on school or work assignments may lead to feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Sometimes depression and ADHD may need to be treated separately or concurrently.
Symptoms of ADHD include:
- Forgetfulness: People with ADHD commonly forget appointments, meetings, and deadlines.
- Trouble focusing: If you have ADHD, you might find yourself zoning out in conversations and during tasks that you find boring.
- Fidgeting and restlessness: This is a very common symptom in children with ADHD. They may have trouble sitting still and feel a need to be constantly moving.
- Organization issues: People with ADHD often have trouble prioritizing tasks because their brains prioritize novelty over getting things done.
- Trouble with planning and prioritizing activities and have little to no motivation to start a cognitively challenging task
- Trouble regulating emotions and may be easily impatient or have trouble delaying gratification
- Trouble with maintaining relationships, finishing school, or holding a job
- Difficulty with “racing thoughts” which may make it difficult to fall asleep and keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule
- Difficulty with keeping plans or commitments and establishing a day-to-day routine
Common depression symptoms include:
- Overwhelming negative emotions: These typically include hopelessness, emptiness, irritability, and anger.
- Loss of interest in normal activities: People with depression may see no point in doing normal activities, such as work and chores. They also may have a lack of joy in activities that were once pleasurable before the depression onset.
- Weight loss or weight gain: Some patients with depression eat more to cope with their feelings, while others can’t stomach the thought of a meal and may lose weight
- Trouble with with memory recall, sustaining attention for long periods and focusing on the task at hand
- Sleep abnormalities such as early morning awakenings or not being able to fall back asleep, or patients may sleep 10 or more hours a day and have trouble getting out of bed in the mornings
- Social isolation or social withdrawal
What’s the Difference between ADHD and Depression?
Although ADHD and depression share some symptoms, these conditions don’t develop in the same way. ADHD is a type of neurodivergence that starts in early childhood.
Depression, on the other hand, often develops in one’s teen and adult years. Chemical imbalances in the brain are a leading cause of depression. Precursors to depression can also include chronic stress and acute life events.
If you can’t tell the two apart, your doctor will ask questions to determine whether you have ADHD, depression, or both. These questions might include:
- Did you start showing symptoms in childhood, or are they a more recent development?
- Has a big life event happened to you recently (marriage, divorce, birth of a child, etc.)?
- Do family members have a history of ADHD or depression?
- Do you put off tasks because you’re feeling nervous, or because you lack the mental energy to handle them?
A Path Toward Feeling Better When Dealing with ADHD and Depression
It’s possible to treat ADHD and depression at the same time. However, ruling out other mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, or psychotic disorders is very important. It is also imperative to make sure that depression or ADHD is not caused by a chronic stressor or a medical disorder such as hypothyroidism or sleep apnea; or a substance such as cannabis and alcohol, which can lower dopamine. A few options for dealing with ADHD and depression include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: Behavior therapy helps you identify negative thoughts that may be contributing to feelings of depression.
- Meditation and relaxation techniques: A therapist can teach you breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises to help you quiet upsetting thoughts.
- Prescription medication: ADHD medication can help you stay laser-focused, but may also make depression symptoms worse (such as feeling irritable or tired at the end of the day when the dose tapers off). Your doctor might prescribe you an antidepressant, such as Wellbutrin, that’s known to work well for people with depression and ADHD, or medications like Vyvanse or Adderall ER which are long-acting stimulants that have been shown to help not just with ADHD but also treatment-resistant depression.
We Can Help You Overcome the Challenges of ADHD and Depression
Living with ADHD and depression can be tough, but you don’t need to face the challenge alone. At Crescent City Psychiatric, our professionals are thoroughly trained to treat depression, ADHD, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. We can also give you tips on how to focus better with ADHD.To make your appointment or learn more, call us at (985) 249-1322 or complete a New Patient Intake Form
