Depression or Adult ADD / ADHD?   Even doctors confuse them…

Have you attempted to get treatment for depression without success?  Perhaps you’ve tried medication after medication, but still feel depressed.  A study has recently shown that a significant number of patients diagnosed with depression may in fact have undiagnosed ADHD.

According to a recent blog on Psych Central, a research study reported at the 2016 Anxiety and Depression Association of America Conference looked at a group of 105 people between the ages of 17 and 71 who were referred to a clinic for mood and anxiety disorders.  By the end of the study, more than 22 percent of the participants were diagnosed with ADHD.

• This told researchers that there may be more people than we realize who are seeking help for depression but may truly have underlying ADHD. What’s more is that these same patients seem to be facing less successful treatment histories.  The failure of their treatment to help them just made their depression even more of a frustrating struggle.   In fact, the research from the study showed that those who were diagnosed with ADHD had a history of treatment-resistant depression, received more diagnoses than other patients and had tried more medications unsuccessfully china deformed steel bar.

Why are so many doctors mistaking ADHD for depression?

Unfortunately, many adults with ADHD are also depressed or anxious – making it easy to misdiagnose. Overlapping symptoms may include lack of motivation, boredom or inattention. Feelings of depression or anxiousness can be caused by ADHD, especially when someone feels like they can’t get their life together or have recurring issues with feeling lethargic or as though they have failed.

Even though ADHD can look like depression, they cannot be treated the same way.

Due to the differences in brain chemistry, antidepressants will not help ADHD. So those people suffering from a depression misdiagnosis are not getting the treatment they really need to help them focus.  In addition, they truly need help managing the symptoms of their ADD / ADHD.

This is where ADHD coaching can make the all the difference to getting on track to a more productive and active life.

As a Senior Certified ADHD Coach, I can work with you to identify your obstacles and create customized strategies to help you successfully manage your symptoms. I coach clients all over the world by phone or Skype. To learn more about thriving with ADHD through individual coaching, phone or email me to request a free initial consultation.