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Post by Zoe on Mar 20, 2015 13:52:18 GMT
Hi all. I was wondering if people with ADHD suffer with depression routinely? I was diagnosed with bipolar 2yrs ago, never officially diagnosed with ADHD because it wasn't a 'thing' when I was at school. However my mum tells me from her training as an individual needs assistant, I would've ticked all the boxes as a kid. I am doubting my bipolar diagnosis a bit, and was never properly assessed for that (crap psychiatrist), and have been looking into adult ADHD. It would be good to have somebody to bring this all up with. Thanks
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Post by Zoe on Mar 20, 2015 13:56:22 GMT
Sorry, this doesn't seem to be working on my tablet All I see is an empty post, lol
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2015 14:20:20 GMT
Depression is an extremely common condition for undiagnosed ADHDers - it's not surprising, it's an incredibly frustrating thing to have.
It isn't known how many ADHDers are fobbed off with depression by their GPs - but I was for 20+ years and the majority of diagnosed ADHDers were previously diagnosed as depressed.
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Post by Zoe on Mar 21, 2015 0:09:57 GMT
Thanks planetdave My depression is cyclical, has been for my adult life, every 4mths or so I'll be low for anything between 2wks and 2mths. I understand the two things can co exist as well. Its just the symptoms for hypomania and for ADHD are so similar! And without taking meds, my highs are not so hypomanic. I want to make sense of all this, and not sure where to start. I don't have much faith in local CMHT.
So basically why I'm here.
Is there any kind of cyclical nature to ADHD?
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Post by Foxtrot on Mar 21, 2015 9:10:40 GMT
Is there any kind of cyclical nature to ADHD? ADHD can be worse in women at PMS time so in that sense yes.
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oldwolf
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Apocalyptically Arrogant - Monumentally Egotistical.
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Post by oldwolf on Mar 21, 2015 9:26:44 GMT
It definitely cycles with me.
I get in, what seems to be, a depressive state every so often. Maybe once or twice a month, depending on whats going on at the time (How hard thigns are/how much i seem to be missing things etc). During those times i switch off and hide from everythign which only makes it worse, ironically.
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Post by Zoe on Mar 21, 2015 9:46:13 GMT
Thank you both. I wish there was some way of someone experiencing your brain, or uploading your brain to a system so that it can be cross matched with other brains, lol. How does anyone come to understand themselves? I'm so confused with it all. Is the diagnostic procedure for ADHD as utterly rubbish as that for bipolar? My experience was answer questions, tick boxes, get labelled, then discharged after refusing meds. If I have both, how do I distinguish one from another? Is it even important? How does this impact self management? I've got lots of questions and don't know how to get answers, or even if it's worth it? X
ps anyone know why I can't see my own posts?
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Post by contrarymary on Mar 21, 2015 11:07:54 GMT
this sounds like one for fuzzywuzzy petra or grim - expertise needed please on understanding bipolar and adhd and how brains work, not the computer issue i think that might be because you're a guest - why not join?
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zoe
Member's not posted much yet
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Post by zoe on Mar 21, 2015 11:20:05 GMT
Thanks, was reluctant to join as I'm not sure what I am! I mean I an ADHD sense. But have now joined, so let's see if I can see my posts straight away now...... (The others appeared eventually) Yay! There it is.
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Post by contrarymary on Mar 21, 2015 19:39:30 GMT
welcome zoe - and this is the last time there'll be a gap before your post appears
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Post by manson88 on Mar 21, 2015 19:55:25 GMT
I just wanted to say that before I started the meds I had mad bouts of anxiety 2-3 days. Sore muscles, tension, stomach funny & the one I hate the most is rumination.. Then as sure tomorrow is Sunday may mood would go down & i would have trouble getting back up for a couple of days.. The simplest things to do is sometimes the hardest petra x
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Post by grim on Mar 21, 2015 20:47:05 GMT
If I have both, how do I distinguish one from another? Is it even important? How does this impact self management? Interesting questions... I find that adhd things normally have an external trigger,like something good happening or someone pissing me off. These kind of things will trigger typically over dramatic reactions. I also find that,for me,adhd "things" are normally comparatively short lived. Bipolar stuff,on the other hand,doesn't need to ,or seem to have,any external input of any kind...it's as if the demon just jumps up and says "right,game on,i'm gonna fuck with you 'til i get bored!"...and then it's on. Things last longer,i can be fighting mad for 3 or 4 days in a row for no reason at all (which is completely exhausting,by the way)before the demon gets bored. Adhd,i feel,is slightly more predictable than bipolar...but no less frustrating. Self management. I know the structure of my adhd,so i can predict,avoid,or strategise as necessary...but the bipolar isn't as easy to tame,it just plays me when it wants and i do what i can to ride it out. Oh,welcome to the forum
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Post by rhiannon on Mar 21, 2015 21:47:30 GMT
Sadly I can offer no insight into the bipolar/adhd crossover but I definitely do experience cyclical depression. It usually rears its ugly head about every 2 years, typically right at the time when the going gets tough. Although I wouldn't bet if they are related because the depression usually begins months before an event (like A lvl exams or uni exams) and lasts right through the summer, sometimes onto Christmas. I guess on average it lasts at least 6 months, sometimes with a short reprise in the middle if I'm lucky. Thankfully I am out of lasts years session now (thanks to anti-d's) and hopefully I'll have a year off, fingers crossed! lol
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zoe
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Post by zoe on Mar 21, 2015 22:32:30 GMT
Thank you for the replies. It's tempting to start a verbally haemorhagic list of symptoms, in a slightly desperate attempt to gain insight, but I'll try not to Something you said Grim has me thinking, but hard to pinpoint what it is. I think, if my mum is right, I did well in school despite the inattentiveness, concentration, and indecisiveness thanks to my early years teachers taking my ways into account and altering things to suit me. So I must have learnt some self management to a degree. I learned fast and worked quick. If I look at adult ADHD symptoms online, I can still see myself very much in them, and can see what has, and still, causes me problems. I can also see things I do to self manage. But with the bipolar, I feel like I'm riding a never ending wave. No control. Like you say, it's not connected to external events, and my self management amounts to damage limitation the majority of the time. I'm not sure what I need to be asking.... What is ADHD like? How does it feel? Do you feel the ways you feel consistently? So are the same all the time? My concentration, memory, attention span are mostly terrible. But sometimes I hyperfocus, usually at the expense of everything else. Sorry, I've lost track of what I'm trying to say, so I'll leave it there for now
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zoe
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Post by zoe on Mar 21, 2015 22:56:31 GMT
Ohmygosh, I'm getting so confused :/ Been reading some of the posts where people are describing the way they are, and I can totally understand a lot of it as how I am. But because of the bipolar diagnosis, I've always seen it as part of that. Or not really 'got' that it's different to other people. I know that if I go to the docs to discuss it, they'll just fob me off like usual, after all, I've got a diagnosis why go looking for another one? But what if my symptoms are ADHD, not bipolar? And what does it matter if I'm not after meds or therapy (therapy would be fine, but I don't think there is any)
I've plotted my moods before and there's a definite pattern of highs and lows. And I can't remember if the ADHD type symptoms are present across it all, or if it is just the similarities with hypomania/dysphoric mania.
Sorry, I realise I'm rambling
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zoe
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Post by zoe on Mar 22, 2015 0:09:46 GMT
I'm sorry for the post-bombing.... One more question. Is there any point in looking into a diagnosis if I'm not interested in medication? In my (limited) experience, that's all they're interested in. Handing out meds. I just want to know for my own sake. I don't know why. I'm driving myself mad, I swear.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 23:30:41 GMT
Yes - the diagnosis is powerful in itself.
People frequently say they are 100% sure they have ADHD before diagnosis but you find out you weren't afterwards, because you step up a level.
The laying of the doubt to rest is therapeutic - many feel that a great weight has been lifted.
I'm a big fan of meds and I'd encourage anyone to try them.
Firstly...you can stop them any time
And secondly...if you haven't tried them you can't say they're crap. You can't know - it doesn't compare to any other condition.
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zoe
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Post by zoe on Mar 22, 2015 23:53:46 GMT
Thanks planetdave I don't know what to do...... I don't feel like I can bring this up at my GP's, he basically told me to stop discussing my mental health with them as I have open access at CMHT. Whatever that means, as they discharged me due to not taking bp meds. If I go to the GP saying I'd like to find out if I have ADHD, I don't know what response I'll get. I think however, I can get an appointment with a pdoc without going through my GP, so would that be better?
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zoe
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Post by zoe on Mar 23, 2015 13:07:32 GMT
Ohhhh I don't even know if I think this any more? I think I'm just confusing myself, I wish my mother hadn't started on about it. Plus feeling mildly nuts atm, I should just look into this a bit more before I decide whether to mention it to anyone or not.
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