Basically nothing really excites me. I am bored of everything within minutes and have no motivation to even try to move forward in my life. I cannot tell if this is depression or add....do people with add experience mood problems? I am an irritable moody person, always have been. I find myself lately very mentally anxious and not being able to sit still because of it. Almost like I am trapped in my own head. I am not exactly depressed or sad....I just feel like I am going through the motions of life. It is hard to tell if I have depression due to add, if I have depression as well as add or if these things are all parts of add. Any thoughts?

Could be either or a mixture of both. I don't think that feeling is unusual with those who have ADD.

Pervasive boredom was something I dealt with all my life. Are you seeing someone, receiving treatment? The problem with such boredom is that those who experience it frequently turned to addicting high-stimulus relief, become "adrenalin junkies" at the least...

Medication does help with that feeling.

Anyhow, I know that feeling is terrible, like you're dead while alive but with no real desire to either live or die. It is a total negation of the self.

What might help determining whether it's primarily depression or ADD related is asking yourself if you found something exciting, maybe something you've always secretly wanted to do but were unable, would you be able to take pleasure in it? Is the thought of it even the least bit exciting? Does it pain you to not be able to do it? If you can't feel a slight twinge of longing at all you're probably closer to depression.

But a well-qualified professional with experience in ADD would be able to tell you far more than any anonymous stranger on an internet forum :) We can tell you're not alone and maybe give you some pointers.

Good thread. I wish I had read something like it many, many years ago. Would have saved a lot of pain...

yep you are depressed, lack of motivation and apathy is a clear sign. you should see a psychiatrist before it gets worse. you could be irritable because you have high anxiety, or for many other reasons.

I can relate to both you own and gogogo's accounts.

Life with ADD can be so hard that it can cause feelings of depression and despair, but in that case they "come from the outside" not from within.

But that is not the whole story as apart from ADD itself there are many possible other conditions and comorbidities that can also cause your symptoms.

Unless properly diagnosed, you can never be sure so I have to second ech5's advice in this.

I would also suggest seeing someone, but make sure to stress all of your emotional/mental concerns with the doc/therapist.

I have been misdiagnosed in the past because i thought i was "just" depressed- i would tell the doc i was depressed. They would ask why, i would say "i have trouble getting through the day" "i don't feel like doing fun things", then they would say OK and throw some prozac at me.

The meds never helped because depression wasn't the real problem.

But they (you know, the they that do these things) are not going to probe to find out the root of the problem... at least in my experience you have to take a very assertive role in getting them to look hard enough to solve the problem.

Could be either or a mixture of both. I don't think that feeling is unusual with those who have ADD.

Pervasive boredom was something I dealt with all my life. Are you seeing someone, receiving treatment? The problem with such boredom is that those who experience it frequently turned to addicting high-stimulus relief, become "adrenalin junkies" at the least...

Medication does help with that feeling.

Anyhow, I know that feeling is terrible, like you're dead while alive but with no real desire to either live or die. It is a total negation of the self.

What might help determining whether it's primarily depression or ADD related is asking yourself if you found something exciting, maybe something you've always secretly wanted to do but were unable, would you be able to take pleasure in it? Is the thought of it even the least bit exciting? Does it pain you to not be able to do it? If you can't feel a slight twinge of longing at all you're probably closer to depression.

But a well-qualified professional with experience in ADD would be able to tell you far more than any anonymous stranger on an internet forum :) We can tell you're not alone and maybe give you some pointers.

Good thread. I wish I had read something like it many, many years ago. Would have saved a lot of pain...


Wow you really summed up how I feel. Especially bold part...I am going to doctor soon and will be bringing up ADD as I have nearly all the symptoms. It is just hard sometimes to tell if all of my symptoms are ADD, or if I have more than one problem. I know how doctors are, and I know if I even mention the word 'depressed' they will automatically think it is depression and throw me on antidepressants again. I have been on three with zero effect to me. Then if I even bring up the possibility of ADD they may become kind of snippy insisting they are the doctors, and that I shouldn't self diagnose myself. Thanks for the help. :)

Anyhow, I know that feeling is terrible, like you're dead while alive but with no real desire to either live or die. It is a total negation of the self.

What might help determining whether it's primarily depression or ADD related is asking yourself if you found something exciting, maybe something you've always secretly wanted to do but were unable, would you be able to take pleasure in it? Is the thought of it even the least bit exciting? Does it pain you to not be able to do it? If you can't feel a slight twinge of longing at all you're probably closer to depression.




This helped me A LOT. I often wonder if I'm depressed or just bored because I find myself moping around a good bit when I'm bored and I can't think of anything to do. It makes me wonder if I'm depressed, but now I realize that when something comes up that excites me or that I want to do I snap right out of it. It makes me feel a lot better to know that I'm not really depressed.. just SUPER bored.

This helped me A LOT. I often wonder if I'm depressed or just bored because I find myself moping around a good bit when I'm bored and I can't think of anything to do. It makes me wonder if I'm depressed, but now I realize that when something comes up that excites me or that I want to do I snap right out of it. It makes me feel a lot better to know that I'm not really depressed.. just SUPER bored.

Yeah, that can be a lot like me. Sometimes I am really anxious too, I try to do one thing..its boring I quit. Try to find something else to do, I don't like that either I quit. Once I get to buy clothes and such online I cheer right up and get excited :D

When you said you feel like you are bacially trapt in your own head, I deffinatly felt you there....

This pretty much is what I am like....

Ugh - and I really can understand your hesitating and ambivalence about talking to a doctor and being prescribed another anti-depressant. (They really DON'T HELP much with that feeling you are describing, do they? I know from experience that they don't!)

Dang - wish I knew the secret to getting what will actually HELP a person sometime within the first year or two of looking for help! But I'm pullin' for ya.

Sincerely,
Sue

Rayleigh said:

Yeah, that can be a lot like me. Sometimes I am really anxious too, I try to do one thing..its boring I quit. Try to find something else to do, I don't like that either I quit. Once I get to buy clothes and such online I cheer right up and get excited :D


Wow - shopping for clothes & accessories online is the ONE thing that gets me excited too (even though I can only do window shopping 99% of the time)!


Sue

Most 'neurotypical' people think that boredom would prompt them to get motivated but I totally don't understand that.

I mean everything that us ADD folks talk of when it comes to motivation are tedious tasks or one's that require too much effort for our brains to handle.

Rayleigh

t is just hard sometimes to tell if all of my symptoms are ADD, or if I have more than one problem. I know how doctors are, and I know if I even mention the word 'depressed' they will automatically think it is depression and throw me on antidepressants again. I have been on three with zero effect to me. Then if I even bring up the possibility of ADD they may become kind of snippy insisting they are the doctors, and that I shouldn't self diagnose myself. Thanks for the help. :)

OK, I think you're getting confused here and it's easy to see why. This "comorbidity" problem (where adhd'ers have high rates of other psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety) is confusing ...

But let me try to sort it out ....

1.) You're lacking motivation, feeling empty, feeling disconnected, etc--THAT IS DEPRESSION.

2.) ADHD is the inability to focus, reign in impulsives, meet dealines, racing mind, prioritize, etc ....adhd medications try to control these symptoms ...

3.) Now to the great confusion--- ADHD, which is one disorder, can cause a second disorder, depression ...at least that is some of the latest thinking ...

4.) But when someone has adhd and depression, this doesn't mean that the adhd is causing the depression ... Apparently some of us just have brains that tend toward both of these disorders simultaneously ...

5.) But put #4 aside ... even when adhd is indeed the cause of the depression, that does NOT mean treating the adhd will "cure" the depression ....

6.) That's because depression harms the brain (and the heart) and it leaves its imprint on the brain and makes further depressions more likely ...

7.) Think someone who cuts their leg somehow and then the leg gets infected ... treating the cut (which led to the infection) does not treat the infection ... they'll want to bring out the anti-biotics in addition to cleaning your leg, etc.

8.) So it's likely that your doctor will want to treat the adhd (assuming you have it) and treat the depression.

9.) You say no anti-depressants worked? ... at all dosages? ... you tried zoloft from 50mg to 200mg? Wellbutrin from 150 mg to 450 mg? You've tried the tricyclics as well? ... What about cognitive behavior therapy? ...or a combo of CBT and an anti-depressant?

I hope you can find a combo or meds or therapy and meds that will work for you ... It is highly unlikely that you've tried everything for your depression. You simply THINK you've tried everything. Keep trying! ... and try, if you can (I know it's really hard when you're depressed) to start exercising. Exercise, both aerobics and weight lifting, are very good with mild to moderate depression ... But again, most of us have to get out of the bottoms before we can exercise consistently ....

good luck!

Rayleigh



OK, I think you're getting confused here and it's easy to see why. This "comorbidity" problem (where adhd'ers have high rates of other psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety) is confusing ...

But let me try to sort it out ....

1.) You're lacking motivation, feeling empty, feeling disconnected, etc--THAT IS DEPRESSION.

2.) ADHD is the inability to focus, reign in impulsives, meet dealines, racing mind, prioritize, etc ....adhd medications try to control these symptoms ...

3.) Now to the great confusion--- ADHD, which is one disorder, can cause a second disorder, depression ...at least that is some of the latest thinking ...

4.) But when someone has adhd and depression, this doesn't mean that the adhd is causing the depression ... Apparently some of us just have brains that tend toward both of these disorders simultaneously ...

5.) But put #4 aside ... even when adhd is indeed the cause of the depression, that does NOT mean treating the adhd will "cure" the depression ....

6.) That's because depression harms the brain (and the heart) and it leaves its imprint on the brain and makes further depressions more likely ...

7.) Think someone who cuts their leg somehow and then the leg gets infected ... treating the cut (which led to the infection) does not treat the infection ... they'll want to bring out the anti-biotics in addition to cleaning your leg, etc.

8.) So it's likely that your doctor will want to treat the adhd (assuming you have it) and treat the depression.

9.) You say no anti-depressants worked? ... at all dosages? ... you tried zoloft from 50mg to 200mg? Wellbutrin from 150 mg to 450 mg? You've tried the tricyclics as well? ... What about cognitive behavior therapy? ...or a combo of CBT and an anti-depressant?

I hope you can find a combo or meds or therapy and meds that will work for you ... It is highly unlikely that you've tried everything for your depression. You simply THINK you've tried everything. Keep trying! ... and try, if you can (I know it's really hard when you're depressed) to start exercising. Exercise, both aerobics and weight lifting, are very good with mild to moderate depression ... But again, most of us have to get out of the bottoms before we can exercise consistently ....

good luck!


I have read that inattentive ADHD has signs of sluggishness and being unmotivated so I figured those symptoms were all part of ADHD but you never know. I will have to bring up each and every symptom to my doctor. Some say ADHD meds are good to treat anti depressant resistant depression anyway, so maybe I could kill 2 birds with one stone. I have been on wellbutrin 2 different times, no effects (good or bad). I have been on paxil and celexa too with no effects. It is odd to me if I did indeed have depression, to not feel a thing on these pills (unless I do have AD resistant depression) I went off each AD cold turkey without a single side effect...that doesn't normally happen to people.

A lot of people I know had the same symptoms I did with the depression/eating problems and they said when they got medication for ADHD their symptoms went away. It all basically depends on if my depression stems from ADHD or if it is 2 different problems. I don't know how a doctor will be able to determine that. I just don't like the idea of taking tow medications at once. Then I will never be able to tell what side effect may be coming from which medication. I hope I can get in the doctors soon.

Many folks take 2 medicines ... I understand the hesitation: taking 1 medicine is something we can sort of push away into the corner of our minds. Taking two (which I do now) forces us to say, "Hey, I need medicine."

But ... don't worry about it ... life is short and they do not award points at the end for those who took one medicine rather than two ... In fact, the world doesn't care; all the world cares is what are we doing in the world!

How old are you? ... by the way, are you working with a psychiatrist or a general doctor. I would highly recommend you go to a psychiatrist, who really knows something about medicines and depression and adhd, etc. You will raise your chances of getting good treatment and feeling better ....

If you go on two meds, you can play around and figure out which is causing what ... don't worry about that ... frankly, I think it's OK if folks take two meds for their brains and then a third med for sleep (if that is the only way they can really function at a high and reasonably happy level).

Good luck!

Sadly the only thing I find interesting.. or have motivation for.. are extreme activities.. that when discussed with other "non ADHD/ADD'ers" would look at me like I am crazy.

:(


Everything else is boring. So what if it seems insane? If it makes me happy.. right?....right?

So what if it seems unattainable.. at least I am trying...right....right?

So what if I dont have my priorities straight and aim for happiness now.. rather then security (and misery/boredom) now....right.?


....right...?

you summed me up to a T. I have just had to face 20 K in credit card debt cuz, buying clothes, was my rush. just diagnosed with add, taking vyvanse now. turns out one of the things common in people with add, make rash decisions (ie- buying clothes when you dont have the money) i work in a mall, so its hard to even not be in an place where there are stores everywhere. but the new meds have helped. wouldnt you know, i havent bought any clothes, in fact i was able to make a budget.
im still struggling with getting motivated but i wish someone would have told me i was add before i racked up so much debt.
best of luck to you

I am bored of everything within minutes and have no motivation to even try to move forward in my life.

- if you could make your happiest dream world real -
what'd you do ?

how would it feel ?

:-)

- what'd it be like ?