ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety: Finding Support

One of the biggest challenges of a mental health crisis is that it is rarely ever just one thing. At times, mental health issues manifest in some kind of collection. As a result, it is important to talk to doctors and counselors to determine what you are dealing with and provide the correct treatment.

If you have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, you have a greater chance of experiencing other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

In addition it is possible for anxiety and/or depression to be symptoms of ADHD. These things don’t always go together, but often they do. It can be hard to figure out what the real issue is when the symptoms of multiple issues overlap.

To figure out the root issue, there needs to be an assessment of you holistically. What are the factors at play? What do other people observe about you? What do you observe about yourself? Doctors don’t prescribe medications on a whim AND they may determine you can learn effective coping skills without medication. Healthcare providers need a comprehensive understanding of you and your life; they cannot provide help if you withhold information.

The process of uncovering the problem.

So how do you figure out the real problem? Is it ADHD? Is it anxiety? Or is depression?

Start by doing a check-in with yourself. Evaluate whether what you are normalizing or minimizing is instead quite serious. Let’s use headaches as an example. Do you just accept headaches as normal? Or do you try to determine the cause? Headaches can be an indication of a variety of issues: eyesight problems, hormonal imbalances, stress, physical injury, exhaustion, dehydration, etc.

The problem could be an external environment or an internal issue. Often the best way to figure out the reason for your headaches is the process of elimination. However, before you can even eliminate something, you need to make some observations.

• When do the headaches occur?
• How often do you have a headache and how long does it last?
• What brings relief when you have a headache? Pain medicine, darkness, fresh air, or water?

As you begin to observe patterns, you can eliminate and add things to see if they help. Maybe you decreased your caffeine intake and your body is adjusting. Perhaps you have been in the midst of a stressful work project. Symptoms may occur because of dietary changes and hormonal fluctuations.

By creating a “headache journal” you can observe patterns that help you find the root cause of your headaches. All of the information that you gather will ultimately help you and your doctor determine if you need medication or other solutions for your headaches.

Okay, let’s apply that example to mental health. We can use the same process to uncover the root cause of specific issues you are dealing with and treat them accordingly.

Perhaps you have been struggling with depression and/or anxiety. While these are both issues on their own, anxiety and/or depression may stem from other underlying conditions, such as ADHD. Outbursts of rage, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, all of these things are concerning and should be addressed. Just like with headaches, it takes time to uncover the source of these issues.

Consider the analogy of treating a symptom of an underlying condition as putting a band-aid on a wound; it’s a temporary fix. To heal fully, the injury cannot just be covered but rather healing starts on the inside, e.g., the body mobilizes blood cells and oxygen to facilitate the healing process. If ADHD is the root, by treating the ADHD you will see improvement with the other issues.

ADHD and coexisting conditions.

Having two or more mental health struggles simultaneously is known as co-existing conditions. It can be hard to tell one from the other. Having anxiety or depression does not mean you have ADHD, but ADHD can trigger either.

The stress of untreated ADHD can lead you to a place where you no longer feel able to function like a “normal” human being. Because of ADHD, you are constantly forgetting important things, or are unable to manage a schedule like your peers. This can lead to feelings of anxiety because you are not able to manage your life.

You struggle to sleep, or hyper-focus on imaginary problems to the neglect of real problems. For those with ADHD, anxiety can interfere with daily living, increase distraction or impulsivity, and make things seem worse than they are.

Perhaps you feel that you are failing in something and this causes depression. You withdraw from people because you feel like a burden. Or maybe you are just bored. According to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD):

“One of the hallmarks of depression is a consistent loss of interest in activities the person once enjoyed. When his patients reply that they only feel that melancholy when they’re under-stimulated or bored, but that their moods change when they move on to an activity they enjoy or get involved in something with friends, Dr. Olivardia says he knows that they are not dealing with clinical depression.

Dr. Olivardia explains that that feeling could be related to their ADHD, giving the example of someone who once devoted a lot of time to playing piano but then stopped doing so.”

Ideas for managing ADHD anxiety.

When ADHD triggers anxiety, it is important to identify what is happening and not make rash decisions. This is difficult with ADHD which has strong impulsive tendencies. Impulsivity does not pair well with anxiety. One of the most obvious behaviors is catastrophizing: imagining the worst possible scenario. One of the best ways to manage this anxiety is to preemptively deal with your anxious fears.

When you are not anxious, pick a situation you know makes you anxious. List out all the possible scenarios, best, worst, and realistic. This helps you make decisions ahead of the situation rather than giving in to your impulses.

Ideas for managing ADHD depression.

If depression comes from boredom, you may need to reevaluate your process. If you have ADHD, you can hyper-focus on subjects or hobbies that interest you. In some situations, hobbies in particular, it is okay to move on to something else. If, however, the thing that bores you is necessary to your overall health and interactions in society, you may need to get more creative to get through the boredom.

Personal hygiene might be incredibly boring, but you have to do it. You might be able to spice it up with podcasts, music, and trying new products or techniques. You won’t know for yourself until you try.

If this is beyond boredom and is real depression, it will be harder to just use novelty as a way out. There may be a need for antidepressants and other practical forms of self-care in order to get through depression. This is where time and insight from other people can help you.

In all of these mental health situations, it is important to be honest about what works and what doesn’t. You may change, circumstances may change, and people may change as well. Sometimes, how ADHD manifests will be an asset to you other times it may feel like it’s messing up everything.

Your mental health will never be a flat line. There are ups and downs, there are good days and hard days. By working on self-awareness you can feel that you have the tools to manage the different challenges that come your way.

Value your team.

Any mental health concern can be addressed by a team; you are the lead, but you don’t have to do everything by yourself. Your doctor is an important member of your team, providing you with access to the correct medications and referrals to counselors. Your counselor is a crucial team member as well.

Their role is to help with observation and coming up with solutions you can implement toward your greater well-being as well as supportive encouragement. If you are a person of faith, your spiritual health is also a component of the bigger picture. Having a Christian counselor can provide you with support for both your mental and spiritual health.

Call our offices today to find the best match for your health and well-being.