Hi. I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. My friend told me about this forum.

I have ADHD and major depression and I think I've tried virtually every treatment for both of them and nothing has worked.

As a child, and always, I've had the inattentive sort of ADHD. I dealt with the terrible attendance and grades and parent-teacher conferences about my inability to focus. Finally I was put on Ritalin. As with all ADD medications, it worked great at first but for only a brief length of time until it pooped out and it was like taking a Placebo pill. I was on the maximum recommended dose of Ritalin, I later tried Concerta, Adderall, Adderall XR, and Strattera past the maximum doses and they all stopped working after about a month. And when they worked it was only for a few hours, if that. But I'm even worse without medication.

I went through therapy for five years which taught me how to meditate and relax but not much else was accomplished. I was put on various anti-depressants. They improved my mood but at the same time I was unable to feel substantial emotion and lost all my sex drive. Whenever I quit I would go through withdrawal. Sometimes, it would last for up to a year with intense suicidal urges, constant crying and guilt. After trying four anti depressants and going through the HELL that is withdrawal I swore to never try another one and looked to natural alternatives.

I have tried so many supplements, vitamins and pills. I have tried an elimination diet (dairy, then gluten), vegetarian, and have been on a Mediterranean "diet" for a few years. I work out every single day except for Sunday and am in great shape. I dated a man who happened to be a Scientologist a few years ago and he convinced me to join up with them. To make that story short, I took a multitude of supplements which had no positive substantial effect and ended up running away from that and him. I meditate every morning, I've tried acupuncture and going to a chiropractor.

Yet, after decades of suffering, the pain is still here. I cry on a daily basis. What everyone promised me would work, has not. Everything has failed me and I have no hope left. I have no energy and sit in my house all the time. I have no concentration and it took days to even post this here. I've been in college and dropped out because I always fell behind. I've had numerous jobs and quit or been fired from them all because of unreliable attendance and daydreaming therefore performing badly. I keep telling myself that this is a phase and will go away. It hasn't, for years. My friends gave up on me because I never leave my house, and so has my family.

This is my life. A life of nothing. Observing. Sitting. Head in the clouds, constant fatigue, no motivation. Yet, deep deep inside, I want more than anything to complete school even though I feel it's too late and to keep a job. My husband does not understand what I'm going through and I feel like the more I act like this the more he gets scared. He doesn't get it... no one does.... everyone gave up on me.. it sounds dramatic but, I'm forgotten. No one cares anymore, not even myself. I had hope a long time ago that the way I feel could be beaten but..... well, it can't,

I want to feel LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. I want to concentrate and not feel sad all the time but I looked through this forum for hours and I've tried everything.

So tell me...if there's nothing that will cure you feeling incredibly sad and unable to DO anything.... what's the point of living?

Have you ever read anything by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi? I've been reading his work recently. One of the things he says in his book "Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life" is that human beings don't do well when they are isolated from others. Humans need social interactions in order to be healthy. Likewise, people do best when they are working even if work is not a voluntary option. The only way to change how you feel is to take one step at a time and get out of the house. Get into the sunshine and start being with other people. Start doing things that have value and meaning to yourself and others. Just remember, it's one step at a time. Even if you have ADD it doesn't mean you can't be out there being a part of life.

Georgia,

I have good news for you. There is help for what you are dealing with. Your main problem is that you are stuck in negative thought patterns. These negative thoughts can and will bring about depression. Negative thoughts are the seeds of depression. If you cultivate them, depression will grow.

The good news is that you can replace all of the negative thought patterns with positive thought patterns. The result of cultivating positive thought patterns is contentment and happiness.

You see, you have much more control over your mind than you realize. Just because you have ADHD symptoms does not mean that you are not in charge of your mind - on the contrary. No one can ever take away from you the ability to choose which types of thoughts you want to ponder on. Unfortunately, many people do not understand this, and end up stuck in negative thought patterns.

I was right where you are nine months ago. I was depressed and stuck in negative thought patterns. I learned a process that taught me how to evict those negative thought patterns, which were the seeds of depression. Once you learn the secret, it comes easy. You don't have to be introspective about every negative thought, you just begin focusing on what your goals are in life instead of what your problems are. It's that simple.

All of the things that you posted above are telltale signs that you focus mainly on your problems. That means that most of your energy is being wasted worrying about your problems. This has to change, or you will never be happy - you will always be depressed. The great news is that you can begin the change right now!

Instead of focusing all of your energy on your problems, begin thinking about what you want in life. Focus all of your energy on what you want for tomorrow, the next day, the next month, and so on. Forget about the past - it cannot be changed.

When you focus on your goals in life, the energy in your mind will turn from negative to positive, and the seeds of depression will be evicted and replaced with seeds of happiness.

No one can tell me that this process doesn't work, because I have used this process to get free of depression. Yes, I still have ADHD - but I don't worry about it anymore. Buy a book called Delivered From Distraction to help you with that. This book will teach you how to harnass the good attributes of ADHD and use them for your benefit.

A lot of people think that I am just talking about a "don't worry, be happy" type of mindset. That is an understatement. What I have found has changed my life, and brought me happiness for the first time in my 44 years of life. I learned it by watching a DVD called "The Secret". Now for those of you who are ready to condemn this philosophy, save your breath. I don't care if Oprah endorses it or even if the Pope uses it. I know it has freed me from clinical depression, and it saved my life.

Some people knock "The Secret" as a get-rich-quick scheme. I don't even focus on the money aspect of it. What good is all the money in the world if you are depressed and unhappy? The fact is, "The Secret" DVD helped me realize that I do not have to be a victim stuck in negative thought patterns anymore, and that I have the power to replace them with positive thoughts. Once you do this, the depression will flee and happiness will replace it.

I have no vested interest in anyone buying "The Secret" or anything else. I am just one of the millions of people that this philosophy has helped, and when I saw your post Georgia, I wanted to pass it on to you. You do not have to remain depressed even one more day. Borrow or buy a copy of "The Secret" on DVD and watch it about five times. I guarantee you will get rid of your depression! I have watched the DVD over 30 times in the last nine months, and every time I watch it I get happier! I even gave a copy of it to my cousin who was suffering from depression, and it helped her get rid of it too.

Peace!

:cool:

Have you ever read anything by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi?

I would be ecstatic if I could spell csikszen {interest signal lost} . . . . .never mind pronounce it.

So tell me...if there's nothing that will cure you feeling incredibly sad and unable to DO anything.... what's the point of living?



Have you had a though physical, I looked up the symptoms you listed and some interesting stuff came up, depression natuarally is one of them but thingks like sleep apnea came to the surface, they discribe the same constant tired feeling and lack of motivation. Low throid would also do this and it would also explain the brief relief from stimulents you got.


When I am experiencing allergy symptoms for a long time and it kicks my autoimune responses into high gear I feel a lot like you discribe.

This came from a site called stop the thyroid madness I can not hyper link to it becuase it is another on-line community but you should be able to google it up

{quote Begin}
I don’t know, my doctor wanted me to come off it). Well that was two years ago, and just three months ago, I had enough I was just crying and crying, I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I had no passion for life, everything I did was forced, I had no motivation, no get up and drive, and nothing was exciting - libido (what was that?) Somehow I had reached my limit, I just felt like i couldn’t hold it all together and pretend for any longer, I thought there has surely got to be something else. I asked for thyroid tests again, and she said “do you mind if we do antibodies as well?” - and bingo, hashimoto’s. (My Anti-Thyroid peroxidase Ab were 14500 U/ml) (I just wished I knew what antibodies where 8 years ago - to ask for them?) So four weeks ago started Thyroxine Sodium and began to feel better at about 2.5 weeks the anxiety began, strange feelings inside my chest, increased mood swings, still hair coming out, hot and cold, etc….An online frined mentioned to me the words dessicated thyroid, and a 24 Hour Urine test, and get a good Endo. Well thank the heavens for google, after some searching I have found you here. Soon I hope to have this settled. Blood test tomorrow, and then a follow up to the doctor to ask for cortisol levels and dessicated thyroid, and a referral to a decent Endo. {End Quote}



from one Google seach on listed symptoms eliminating depressin I got sleep apnea, throid, chronic fatigue syndrom, and horomones. . . .I added auto immune dysfunction because it may do many of the same things.

Here is an article you may find interesting

Why Antidepressant Drugs Don't Work (http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/1255/1/Why-Antidepressant-Drugs-Dont-Work.html)

I found it while looking for some thing else and thought of this thread so I added it.