Depression and ADHD

Doctors sometimes refer to depression and ADHD as comorbidities or coexisting conditions, meaning that they go hand in hand, or that you may have both at the same time. Up to 30% of children with ADHD also have a coexisting mood disorder or possibly depression. Some experts estimate that more than half of people with ADHD will get treated for depression at some point in their lives. 

Many of the symptoms of ADHD are similar to those of depression, making it more difficult to diagnose and treat those with either or both disorders. If you take medication for your ADHD, this may affect your sleeping and eating habits, which are also symptoms of depression. In children, hyperactivity and irritability could be symptoms of both depression and ADHD. 

ADHD may also lead to depression when people have difficulties managing their symptoms. Experts aren't sure what causes either condition, but they are believed to both be linked to your family history. People with depression or ADHD commonly have a parent or family member with the same condition(s). 

Teens with ADHD are actually 10 times more likely than their peers to develop depression. In numerous cases, comorbid ADHD and depression is triggered by school, family and social environments, because these specific environments may have damaged the child's self-esteem, due to ADHD-related issues. About 50% of all children with ADHD have trouble with emotional regulation, which may also contribute to depression. 

I have always struggled handling and managing my emotions effectively, especially in difficult situations. When I was 9 years old, my mom got a boyfriend that stayed with us for about a year. Things had been going on between them that I was too young to understand, and my mom was absent a lot more than usual. I didn't know how to handle certain situations in my life and had no one I could ask. I felt alone and abandoned by my mother. I never felt safe or secure either, because I knew that if something were wrong with me or that I needed help, no one would notice.

I hung out with people who self-harmed as their coping strategy and I just kind of picked up the habit. The entire time, my mom had no idea I had been hurting myself, until I admitted to her the day her boyfriend left. I still continued self-harming after that, but ending up getting sent to 11 mental health hospitals because of it.

At one of the mental health hospitals, I got diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder). I have since been put on anti-depressants along with mood medications. I was never suicidal, I was just depressed. I constantly felt hopeless and alone. I still struggle with depression, but it has gotten easier for me to manage. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed my blog and hope that you learned something helpful while you were here.