Help! Add (among other things) ruining my life!

[archengel91]

Hi, first of all thank you for looking any input and or opinons would be greatly appreciated. I am 21 years old, attend a University that is ranked in the top 20 in the US. I have been a father since I was 17 and respectively in a relationship with my now former fiance since last year. I have always had ADD and never did a thing about it, I had a 3.7 GPA and always found my own way to understand the work even though I was not medicated. Last year my fiance walked out on my son and I, long story short it devastated me beyond belief. Over the summer I began to get help (psychologist), he believes that by medically treating my ADD my overall function will return to as it once was (confident that I have a successful future, strong memory and not a overly happy individual but not depressed either). I dont know if I have depression to be honest, my day fluctuates at some points I feel normal fine, then down, then slight above normal, then back to down. I also can no longer stick to a decision( my major for example). My Dr says its defiantly not Bi Polar (which is what I had feared), and that it probably is depression, aside from what my fiance did a year ago he says ADD and Depression go hand in hand. He has me on Addarall (not xr, its a little orange pill and says salts?) 30 MG two times a day. Im 6'1 182 pounds, it takes about 30 minutes to work I feel some difference(some days) and then it goes away about three hours later. My concentration improves for that time but not my memory, also randomly I will get a surreal sense of Euphoria(which I must admit is amazing because well my day is spent thinking about how much im going to fail my son and not be able to pay back loans etc) but this is random, it happens sometimes but I would not say enough where it is half the time. I started this medication about a week and a half ago, I feel extremely tired after the 3 hour effects ware off also. People talk about how this medication keeps them up for days, for me it makes me tired after it wares off no matter if its three hours after waking up from a 8 hour night sleep. My question to all of this is, perhaps the medication is working but its being diluted by the depression in some way? I guess im just looking to see if someone out there has both ADD and Depression, and if in there experience only medically treating one and not both is enough. Also I do randomly get anxiety in social exchanges now(i was always shy but nothing like this).

Any input would be amazing, thank you all!

[SquarePeg]

A week and a half is not that long to try meds and it can be difficult getting the meds and dosage correct. Depression can cause poor memory, lack of concentration, brain fatigue, poor sleep, lack of motivation and many people do have both adhd and depression.

Good therapy can help with depression, to learn to deal with events in our lives and how to view them and how we view ourselves in daily life. I have had 2 years of psychotherapy many years ago and it was invaluable.

In Spain medication is supposed to be used with other forms of therapies and not alone.