Hello everyone.

I originally had scheduled an appointment on 8/20 with my GP, to discuss my current situation. Had a Dx of Depression since 2000, but felt I was mis-diagnosed. see original post:
www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55512 (http://www.addforums.com/forums/www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55512)

Fortunately for me, I remembered that my employer now offers FREE employee assistance counseling. I called the 800# yesterday, and they were able to get me an appointment with a LCSW that afternoon.

Interestingly enough, he seems to agree with my self-assessment of ADD, along with the Depression Dx. :eek:

We are going to meet weekly, for the next 5 weeks, and see where it goes.

Would have been nice to have this Dx 8 years ago, but what can you do?

I do have a few questions, if nobody minds...

1) Is it in my best interest to let my employer know of this? I am a VP, who reports to the CEO directly, and have been having performance difficulties lately.

2) The impression I have of the LCSW, is he leans towards cognative therapies. I have tried MANY MANY solutions since 2000, for the depression. But I fear the ADD is what keeps me from following through on them. Will meds help in this situation?

3) Book recomendations for the non-ADD wife?

All comments suggestions are appreciated & welcome.

Thanks!

Mike,

Glad you're making progress on this.

1.) I would discuss with the LCSW whether or not to tell your supervisor of this. There is a good way to do this and a not so good way. You don't want to share this in a way that reveals self-contempt. The LCSW would be a great person to help you think through this--both the whether to and the how to. (By the way, some Employee Assistance Programs do communicate in some way with the company because you get a certain protection by going to the EAP, I think. So your supervisor may have been told something already and told not to mess with you as well.)

Depression and other stuff is just not stigmatized as it used to be. But adhd is another matter. There is much more ignorance and skepticism about adhd than there is about depression or bipolar conditions. I confess: until I went on the Wellbutrin XL 450 (maximum dose), I had no idea I had adhd. Once I figured this out (and my therapist and shrink agreed), then so much of my previous struggle in life made so much sense. Now I see it in my family, and in fact, one brother told me that a colleague of his told him he probably had adhd.

2.) Cognitive Behavior Therapy is one of the best there is. In all the research I've seen, it ranks as among the most effective therapies out there for depression and just for living. The best therapist I ever had had this approach, but she wove it in so subtly and naturally that it took me a while to figure out that this was indeed her approach. No therapy approach can make up for poor client-therapist rapport or lack of trust. So the people involved matter greatly in the success of the therapy.

I would say 5 sessions is only a beginning. If you like this person, then meet with them via your insurance if you can after this initial period is done ... or find another ... When you say you have tried many many solutions, I have no idea what you mean. You've tried multiple therapists with multiple styles? You've tried anti-depressants? .... What exactly do you mean?

Now, I am going to assume you mean you've tried many therapies ... Well, I am like you in that regard ... I'll give you some good news: What I found is that all that previous work was NOT completely wasted, though surely some of it was less than ideally productive for being so off target. But yes, you do need to hone in on the adhd for you to see the real benefits of all that previous work.

Regarding meds, they are the main course of treatment for adhd at this time. I've definitely seen marked improvement in my concentration and impulse control since I went on Wellbutrin XL 450. I also take Concerta and that helps, but there is no magic for most folks. But along with other changes, the meds can help a tremendous amount. And finding the right med and the right dosage takes time, takes trial and error and there are threads on this forum on each adhd med that is out there.

3.) Regarding your partner, I would point her to the section on this very forum for non-adhd partners of adhd people. I'm sure there are recommended books and great discussions there. You're smart to be thinking of your partner, as adhd really drives them nuts. They can't understand why we don't do certain things.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has been good for me too and it's something I'd recommend to anyone going through the Adult ADD diagnosis process as it helps shine a light on the almost inevitable mental impacts that living with undiagnosed ADD has had on the psyche.


As far as telling bosses etc..... it really depends on the boss.... their reaction will be an entirely personal one.... personally I'd wait until things were a bit clearer and maybe you felt more confident in dealing with the ADDnesses in yourself.

kilt

1) Is it in my best interest to let my employer know of this? I am a VP, who reports to the CEO directly, and have been having performance difficulties lately.

I would like to answer this, I really would, but I suspect American law is different from Canadian law. :)

2) The impression I have of the LCSW, is he leans towards cognative therapies. I have tried MANY MANY solutions since 2000, for the depression. But I fear the ADD is what keeps me from following through on them. Will meds help in this situation?

I was having a lot of problems with anxiety and depression; treating my ADHD has helped with those. Hasn't eliminated them but has reduced the severity. Treating your ADHD, if that is indeed the diagnosis, may well assist in your associated conditions.

I've also been through some cognitive therapy and I have found it helpful - though, like you, I found that I had a lot of trouble following through. It may be that your depression will require medication but - cognitive therapy is certainly worth a try. It is, from what I understand, quite successful in a large number of cases.

3) Book recomendations for the non-ADD wife?

I found Driven to Distraction (http://www.amazon.com/Driven-Distraction-Recognizing-Attention-Childhood/dp/0684801280) was very helpful for me, and for my wife as well. It's written quite informally and it's a quick read, and the chapters are set out so you know what you can skip (not having any kids, there wasn't much need for me to read about being a parent or teacher to ADHD kids, for example).

I'm not crazy about the way the author recites entire conversations with his patients (smells like page-count-padding to me) but it is a good book overall.

(Also, once you start on your cognitive therapy you may want to check out David Burns' Feeling Good Handbook (http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Handbook-David-Burns/dp/0452281326/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218227090&sr=1-1). Much like Driven to Distraction it's not perfect but I did find it somewhat helpful.)

Thank you folks. Seems to be a very helpful bunch here.

Ugh. Sometimes starting a response takes so much effort. :mad:

I guess some of you are all too familiar with that.


Some additional info:

Books:
I have read both "Driven to Distraction" & "Feeling Good", along with several other depression related books. (which the titles are escaping me right now) The issue I have with them, is once I finish them, I forget all about it.(I am SUPER forgetful) Or, if the book requires you to do some "homework", I read on, and say I'll get to it later. (which never happens) It's like I read the book just to finish it. Not to actually comprehend the subject matter.

Therapy:
I am on doctor #7 since 2000
(2) LCSW
(2) Psychiatrists
(3) GPs

Why, you may ask? My nature is to find something I dislike about them, and I discredit every last thing they have done, or will do. It could be the car they drive, what they think of my family, what color shirt they wear, how I don't think they are listening to me....whatever. Once I get that negative thought in my head, there is no getting me back. (I have the same problem in everyday life)

Forget about assignments. I have yet to work on any assignments, logs, diaries, etc. That is also one of my issues at work. Writing reports, policies, budgeting, etc are impossible for me. I procrastinate until I panic, then I scramble to find an excuse, or someone to blame.

Meds i've been on: Wellbutrin, Prozac, Zoloft, and I think 1 or 2 more.
I could not stand to be on any of them. While family & friends said I seemed better, on the inside my brain was going haywire. So I stopped taking them.

I asked the wife to join the forum, as well as read Driven to Distraction. Hopefully she will do both, and it will make things much easier at home.

She gets upset because I don't talk to her, tune her out, forget just about everything, never finish projects, never start projects, moody, etc...etc...

Ok, I think I'm rambling now... I appreciate the info, & support!

Thanks,

-mike

My two fav books are "ADD friendly ways to organize your life" and "Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD". We both have ADD or ADHD. The second one has pictures (OOO!! stimulation!!).

While everything's not about organization, the things in there have helped both of us. They also hit on the ADD/ADHD aspects of why some things just fly out of our heads.