Hey guys, Tink here. I'm not sure if this article has been mentioned to anyone, but I found it to be very interesting. When I first read it, I felt like it was another piece that I found to my puzzle. I hope it's helpful.

Which Conditions Often Coexist With ADHD

Quite often, a person with ADHD also has another condition that needs to be treated. Doctors describe these conditions as "comorbid,' meaning that they exist in addition to ADHD. In fact, research now suggests that over 50% of patients with ADHD may have a comorbid condition.

Typical comorbid conditions include

Depressive disorders- There is a wide range of types of depression, accompanied by an equally wide range of symptoms. A depressed or sad mood, lack of interest in normal daily activities, weight loss or gain, and too much or too little sleep are the most common symptoms. As a coexisting disorder with ADHD, depression usually occurs as a secondary condition

Anxiety disorders- As with depression, there is a wide range of types and symptoms, including generalized anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Excessive, sometimes overwhelming fear is the essential characteristic of all anxiety disorders

Learning disorders- This type of disorder relates to abnormalities in the processing of information caused by biologic malfunction. A reading disorder such as dyslexia is a typical example

Bipolar disorder- Once called ''manic depression,'' Bipolar disorder may include manic episodes with heightened energy level, agitation, racing thoughts, inflated sense of self-importance, or excessive interest in sexual activity or other risk-taking behavior. Bipolar patients may also experience episodes of major depression.

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I mentioned this in another thread, but I don't think it's getting any views.
:p :p :p

I guess this maybe a slightly known fact seeing is that this forum alone has some 14 sub-forums list under ADD and co-morbid conditions. Area cxan be access from main page:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/index.php?



Located below the ADD treatments and medications section!!!!!!!


Most of the threads have the number of times viewed however the individual post do not.


One of the problems I am personally having in responding to your thread is exact topic you know....what to respond with. I mean do you want feed back about others knowledge about co-existing conditions or is it you are wondering how many other people also have ADHD and another condition????? I am having problems knowing exactly what you wish to discuss.

If people do not know what specificially it is you want to talk about many times they will pop off without a response simply because they do not know where to start???????

Are you saying that you had a co-morbid condition along with your ADD and finding treatment for the second problem was extermely helpful, or that the second condition's discovery added peices to "the puzzle" that the ADD diagnosis alone did not.

Giving a discussion direction or extra personal experiences to the information you provided may increase responses!!!!!!

Yeah, I was hoping to discuss other conditions that people had. It was helpful to me because I had a great deal of anxiety and depression before I started Adderall. Sorry about going straight to a new thread, should of done more forum research.
Before I joined this wonderful community, I was very confused why I had these other issues. Thanks Tammy
Anybody want to discuss there other conditions ?

Anybody want to discuss there other conditions ?
I'll start.

About a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), due to some events in my life, and started Lexapro. It helped within the first 2 weeks. Things were improving, but something was still not right. My therapist want me to visit a psychiatrist for a medication adjustment and further evaluation. I was evaluated and diagnosed with ADHD/With.

I stated taking Adderall XR and saw immediate results. It explained a lot of my life. I read the book Driven to Distraction and it was like it was written about me.

I have been investigating mindfullness and meditation to help calm my mind. After reading, I realized I have been practicing some of the techniques my entire life, but not really doing it the correct way.

I had anxiety attacks and depressionand paranoia before adderal.Now that its not working as well its all kind creepin' back.I just had a anxiety attack fo the past week!!!!WHEW!!!!I made it through another one!!!

I had anxiety attacks and depressionand paranoia before adderal.Now that its not working as well its all kind creepin' back.I just had a anxiety attack fo the past week!!!!WHEW!!!!I made it through another one!!!
Yeah, I know what you mean. I had them before the Lexapro. Not fun. I had one while on Lexapro about 6 months ago. It was different than the others. I thought I was having a heart attack. My right side of my body just went numb, my heart started to race and I had a tinglely feeling in my arm the next day. I went to the emergency room and everything came back OK. I had a normal stress test and a nuclear stress test. All OK.

When I first went to my doc, she told me I had generalized anxiety too. She knew I had ADHD, but she wanted to start me on the Lexapro before giving me Adderall. I was on the Lex. for about 4 days, but I started to feel funny. I had an attack for nothing. I was actually driving and my heart felt like it skipped a beat and I got dizzy. Worst of all my son was in the car with me, so I stopped taking it. The Adderall does pretty good agout keeping the anxiety down. I deal with what ever comes next.
Yesterday, I was driving over a bridge under construction. They had those concrete barriers on the sides, so both lanes going in the same direction was to close for comfort. Anyway, it was raining really hard and a huge puddle gathered in the lowest part of the bridge. The car beside me flung all that mud water on my window and for a split second I could'nt see anything.
OK guys, this is my question. " Would a normal person shrug that off ? ".
I know I did'nt, I was a scared nervous wreck for about 2 hours after it happened.

Get a load of this!!!!I went to get my girls shots earlier and I noticed the gate was wide open.My hubbys stupid,idiot crew just left it open and my 150lb.PUPPY(hes not even a year!!!)And my 65lb.choclate lab out!!!! I found myself standing in the middle of the street whailing.We live in the heart of okc and he knows nothing about cars or other people.I was dying inside.I called my hubby and started screaming to fire them and I wanted to talk to them!! I was acting insane,I would have strangled them if they were in front of me.This started a whole chain reaction.Yes,I found my dogs and returned them home but now Im so anxious and my hubby is mad at me for over reacting.He says Im nuts,its not like it was our girls.I agree but at the time all I could think of is what would he do to another child if it was scared and started running or if he just walked out to the street.I was losing it fast!!! I could see little girls playing down the street and I wanted to pull my hair out!!! He would never intentionally hurt a child,but like I said hes a 150lb. puppy and he wants to play,BAD!!!!So now,here I am still shaking,upset and scared of my hubbys reaction when he gets home.He said Im so selfish,he dosnt understand that I cant help it.Its a wave that hits over and over again.ANXIETY!!!!!ugggggggggggggggg.......

Get a load of this!!!!I went to get my girls shots earlier and I noticed the gate was wide open.My hubbys stupid,idiot crew just left it open and my 150lb.PUPPY(hes not even a year!!!)And my 65lb.choclate lab out!!!! I found myself standing in the middle of the street whailing.We live in the heart of okc and he knows nothing about cars or other people.I was dying inside.I called my hubby and started screaming to fire them and I wanted to talk to them!! I was acting insane,I would have strangled them if they were in front of me.This started a whole chain reaction.Yes,I found my dogs and returned them home but now Im so anxious and my hubby is mad at me for over reacting.He says Im nuts,its not like it was our girls.I agree but at the time all I could think of is what would he do to another child if it was scared and started running or if he just walked out to the street.I was losing it fast!!! I could see little girls playing down the street and I wanted to pull my hair out!!! He would never intentionally hurt a child,but like I said hes a 150lb. puppy and he wants to play,BAD!!!!So now,here I am still shaking,upset and scared of my hubbys reaction when he gets home.He said Im so selfish,he dosnt understand that I cant help it.Its a wave that hits over and over again.ANXIETY!!!!!ugggggggggggggggg.......
No chance....You're right in my opinion. I get totally bent on people who are so inconsiderate and can see nothing ahead of them. I've had to round up horses at 3am so many times because of similar idiocy.

The horrible thing here is that people are generally quite stupid. If you sat them all down and explained it to them, then they left, I'll bet you $1000 they would leave the gate open on the way out. It's just human nature to be as dumb as possibly allowed by law.

I was diagnosed with AD/HD with Anxiety and episodic Depression. Both the anxiety and depression eased up immediately upon starting Concerta and kept improving.

What several of you described with the panic sounds like the startle response Hallowell discusses in Driven to Distraction. He says something startles our system and we just can't get back on track the way a non ADDer can. I've had panic attacks too (thankfully not since meds). Not much fun, but once I learned what they were and stopped fighting them, so hard it wasn't as bad.

Scattered

Brandilyn, I know how scary it is know you're husband is coming home to blast you -- I've been there way too many times. It's easier to tell you this than to put it into practice myself, but you don't deserve to be punished for making a mistake or having a neurological deficit that makes it difficult to inhibit your initial response. I know my husband is dyxleic and I would never make fun of or verbally beat him up for being a slow reader or writing a phone number down wrong. I expect you wouldn't treat you're husband the way he treats you either. If you made a mistake apologize but also let him know it is not okay to emotionally beat you up. It makes things worse, not better. If you're like me, you'll probably need outside support to be able to muster the internal strength to set limits with him. Tell him you need a time out and that the increased stress of being yelled at makes your mental functioning go down further. (My counselor really talked to me about this --- emotional stress is a really brain function killer). Be good to yourself -- you know you didn't want to respond that way. Hopefully you can learn some techniques, accomodation, relaxation techniques or whatever that can help in future situations, but you're AD/HD you'll never get it perfect all the time.

Hugs (if acceptable),
Scattered

Wow Scattered, that makes a lot of sense. Your body's system is startled, and for us it's harder than non-ADDers. Everytime someone mentions non-ADDers in comparisons, I wish I could be in their shoes for a day. Boy, If I did that I might scar them for life, LOL.

YES ZIPPY!!!Thats exactly what I was mad about!!!YOU HIT IT!!!My hubby said I was mad because someone put me out and it was a mistake and all this malarky.I was looking at him and pointing at Kimo(my great pyraneese)and saying,do you realize what he COULD do if he wanted?Are you a idiot?I said I guess some people dont care about their animals either.Who in the world leaves a gate open knowing a 160lb. beast (really a gentle giant)lives there!!!??!!I know that but I would be very scared if he came running up to me and I didnt know him.He is a herding dog,a natural protector but kids and other people dont know that.Enough of that tangentGet a load of this,after all that my 4 year old lets my 2 year old out the front door for God knows how long!!!Im not gonna go into detail but Im sure you all know how I reacted!!!Even worse,I was running up and down the street watching all the weird city people walk by and screaming her name,with my 4 yr, in tote.I found her next door in the basement stairway,but I had already lost it.I fell to the floor in the livingroon and balled like a baby.I was dizzy,couldnt breath or see.they saw all of this....what kind of role model am I?I just keep saying God help me.My hubby came home then and picked me up and talked to me and said I did need help and it was a brain problem.Not a selfish or childish attitude.Anxiety,yes I have it.Can I control it,I would like to think I could but if I could I would never do this to my baby girls.Im so sorry guys,I knew once it came out it wouldflow.Thank you Scattered,your words are soothing.

Even worse,I was running up and down the street watching all the weird city people walk by and screaming her name,with my 4 yr, in tote.I found her next door in the basement stairway,


Could of your panic response have cause it to take longer??? I know when I have had these panic responses I look back when they are over and see where the panic actually made progress slower because I was too shaken to think.....

The gate issues is this an on going problem??? I mean people are careless and often do not think beyond the end of there nose.

Also some types of gate fastners are "picky" they don't latch unless aligned or will look like they are fastened when they are not????




but I had already lost it.I fell to the floor in the livingroon and balled like a baby..I was dizzy,couldnt breath or see..


Do you always or almost always respond with heightened external reaction or are the heightened responses only some times like in phases or patterns???? Has it been this way all your life or is it fairly recent???? How recent????

When you are in the misdst of the emotion are you aware of the fact your response is more intense than it should be but can't seem to make it stop or is it only after the fact that you see your responses as extreme????


I am not being nosey for the sake of being nosey the answers can be important information when seeking treatment. I mean there is a difference in having an extreme emotional reaction and realizing it after the incident is over as opposed to knowing right in the mist of the "explosion" that your reactions should not be this extreme but be unable decrease the intensity. The peice of information provided in response to these sort of questions enabled my doctor to properly diagnose a problem and provide me the proper prescription when I began having "over reactions" to the daily events in my life.



they saw all of this....what kind of role model am I?I just keep saying God help me..

Hey you aren't a bad parent here you just have some thing going on that needs addressing. Please please don't beat your self up (this only adds to the anxiety) this is happening to you as well as them!!!!! I am sure if you had a choice you would be in prefect control of your emotions in all situations at all times (wouldn't we all)

I would recomend getting help ASAP because when we adults become scared or upset our children also become upset. They look to us for protection and guildance but in the mean time some things you may can do to releive some of the stress for them

#1 have an age appropiate discussion with each child alone. As best as you can tell your child in a language they can understand what is going on, what the plan is , if appropiate how they can help.

#2 encourage your children to ask questions and answer them honestly evemn if the answer is I don't know.


#3 encourage them to be open about how they feel and accpt what they say as information (seeing their feeling as information instead of internalizing it emotionally helps you to maitain control of your emotions during this time)

3b- if your anxiety condition would make hearing and dealing with the children feelings inlist the help of some one who will be able to be "emotionally detacted" and supportive with whom the children feel they can trust (who is not judgemental or criticial a tall order I know)

Hey your kids know some thing going on even if they do not know how to express it. Including them in these types of discussions makes them feel like a part of the group like included. it will also help prevent them from becomeing overwhelmed, plus they will be learning how to effectively comminucate there thoughts ideas and feelings.


My hubby came home then and picked me up and talked to me and said I did need help and it was a brain problem.Not a selfish or childish attitude.

Your kids are also influenced by your husbands reactions, see our kids beian learning how to interact by watching us. Hubby's handling of your anxiety is as important if not more important than the issue of the anxiety itself.


Anxiety,yes I have it.Can I control it,I would like to think I could but if I could I would never do this to my baby girls.


Of this I have no doubt.

You know in our family growing up we had to deal with illness of parents, car accidents injuring loved ones, death of people we knew, house fires, divorces, parents having surgery, and the list goes on......I learned how to over come struggles illness and house fire by watching my parents, my children in turn learned for watching me and thier dad.

Rearing our children in a prefect problem free household would not do them any favors because we as adults do not live in a prefect world. Your anxiety conditions if handled in as healthy productive manner as possible by adults in a way that doesn't "isolate" the children is only one of the many valuable lessons they will need as adults. By them being present during this difficult time will teach by real live example how families love and support each other when problems arrise. Seeing how mom and dad deal with mom's anxiety issues is part of rearing and preparing them for life when it become their turn to be the adults in this imprefect life!!!!!!!


Good luck and yes when I was in your shoes I sought medical/professionl help not just for my self but for those who shared this life with me!!!!!!!

Yes meadd,it did make everything go much slower.I was looking but seeing nothing.I was spinning in circles!!!I always had the emotional overload problem growing up.I would litterally pull out my hair ,hit my head on a wall and all kinds of self hatred actions.Its because I hate myself for not being able to stop it.Does that make sense?Im very aware,I just cant stop it.Thats why I start hurting myself,like a self punishment thing.To snap me out of it.The awareness of it makes it worse.The gate thing was such a anger issue.I bolt them!!!The bolt hangs right on the gate.I leave the bolt off for the crew.Talk about a idiot!!!Who in the world leaves a gate wide open in the middl of the city!!!??!!!!Im better today,I gonna go watch t.v. with hubby.

Yes meadd,it did make everything go much slower.I was looking but seeing nothing.I was spinning in circles!!!I always had the emotional overload problem growing up.I would litterally pull out my hair ,hit my head on a wall and all kinds of self hatred actions.Its because I hate myself for not being able to stop it.Does that make sense?Im very aware,I just cant stop it.Thats why I start hurting myself,like a self punishment thing.To snap me out of it.The awareness of it makes it worse.The gate thing was such a anger issue.I bolt them!!!The bolt hangs right on the gate.I leave the bolt off for the crew.Talk about a idiot!!!Who in the world leaves a gate wide open in the middl of the city!!!??!!!!Im better today,I gonna go watch t.v. with hubby.
I've a Great Pyrenees too. His name is E-Z because he is easy goin' right to his very soul. He is our second Great Pyrenees because someone left open our gate with our first one. I won't go into detail, but it happened to me, so it can happen to you. Your husband will be angry with me for telling you this, but it's just the truth. These dogs will travel great distances without blinking an eye. As you said, they are herders and very protective. I live in the country whereas you live in the city, but we both know hillbilly rednecks abound in both the country and the city here in the south. I finally had to install a solar powered electric gate as even with signs posted of what I would do to someone who left the gate open, they still left it open. People don't learn beyond the tip of their nose.

By the way, I read up and built this gate myself. It looks good and was quite cheap. The most expensive part was the battery believe it or not. It's big and it took me a few tries to get it set correctly with the help of a cum-along and a pecan tree, but it's worked beautifully now for six years. Solar panel collectors have gone way down in price. I'm thinking of building a wind power generator now. heheheheheeee

I knew we had something in common!!!!LOL!!! Thats what I kept telling my hubby,Ive done ALOT of research on my beautiful boy!!!Thats why Im so paranoid,even my dad who never owned one told me the story of the big beautiful beast that roamed the country out in guthrie where hes from.No one could keep him,too proud,so regal!!!I looked for the perfect breed for my needs and for my childrens needs.He is my protector and comrad....He is a buddy to my girls but very firm in guiding them.gentle,but he sure dosnt let them out of his sight.Hes not even a year yet.Thats why I feel very responsible for his safety.He is for mine,Im returning the favor,my old friend,I LOVE HIM!!!!I am very suprized at his unintrest in roaming.He has actually dug holes big enough to get out but dosnt really seem to want to.Hes a homebody.The stress factor was mostly anger with those idiots!!!I hate it when someone dissmises something you hold so dear..

Its because I hate myself for not being able to stop it.Does that make sense?Im very aware,I just cant stop it.


Eeee that is bad I know first hand how frustrating it is to be aware yet be unable to control emotional intensity...my heart goes out to you.


Thats why I start hurting myself,like a self punishment thing.To snap me out of it


Again I understand this needs addressing as there is a better way. I was told one of the reason this occoured was because the flight fight response in the brain can be too sensitive to chemical releases triggered by sudden events and therefore the response is eggerated adriniline pumping. I would react to the annoyence of a gate being left open as strongly as I would the disapparence of my child next to a busy street,. Both need to be dealt with but one should get moderatly more response than the other. I mean I would go off with the same extreme if I couldn't locate my missing sandal as I would to a buglar breaking it. This proved crippling and I had to take a break from the medical profession until I was able to get it under control.


I was placed on clonidiene (alpha antagonist usually given for high blood pressure) which improved the condition. I would let your doctor know and be sure to emphsize how much this interferes with your ability to function at home and at work. This extra zing in the flight or fight department was more crippling to me thna the ADHD...

Positive thoughts being sent your way!!!!!!!

Yes,I know.I have gone through it my whole life.Thats why Matt got so mad at me cuz he said it was just a dog.What happened with Aunalee is just too much to even think about!!!I can only imagine what I would have done if I didnt find her in time to keep myself somewhat(I use that loosely)together.I can only imagine.....In fact I dont want too.Its gonna take me a long time to get over that one.Im going to call my doc on tuesday and he will get me in immediately,hes a wonderful doctor and he knows I have babies.I will tell him.Tammy,what do you think he will do?Up the Adderal or change me to something else?Somethings gotta give.I slammed my hand in the door of my truck in the Mcdonalds drive thru(my window is on the fritz).I get so nervous and start shaking and my heart pounds like crazy.Its too much!!!Gotta jet before Matt gets home.He hates it when Im on the computer.LOL!!!!