Redefining Stress

I grew up in the 80s, when ADHD was rarely diagnosed or discussed, at least here in Australia. I speculate I may have had aspects of ADHD, Dyslexic or Asperger behavior, although recent psychiatric tests have not revealed anything strong enough to warrant a formal diagnosis.

Regardless of any such "problems" I may have had, my biggest problem in adult life has been the development of anxiety and depression, which has plagued me for several years, and for which I have only very recently found an effective treatment. I speculate that this developed largely through the life-long pressure to fit in to conventional society, and the stress of trying to be "normal" in the classroom, workplace and social life.

Despite - or because of - my "conditions" I have many talents and capabilities, and now I've overcome my anxiety/depression, I'm finally starting to flourish, at the age of 31.

I worry that modern tendency to treat these supposedly "abnormal" behaviors with medication may be just as harmful as the discipline and pressure to conform that i experienced.

Were society to do a better job of recognising ADHD, etc more as "differences" than "conditions", kids like me could be saved a lot of stress, depression and wasted opportunity.

Having said that, a key part of my successful treatment has involved nutritional and digestive therapy, and I see compelling evidence that these factors may be major contributors to these conditions in childhood. But if this is the case, then any "treatment" should focus on correcting nutritional and digestive problems just as I've done, not brutal pharmaceuticals.

tom
http://www.holstep.com/

My son was (mis)diagnosed with ADHD from the age of 10. I knew that the diagnosis just didn't fit, and many of the criteria for a correct diagnosis according to the DSM were ignored.

And when concerta and ritalin didn't help with his attention difficulties, but zoloft did - I was even more convinced that ADHD wasn't the problem.

But I wasn't a doctor, so I had no real input into his diagnosis. Sad.

People with ADD (like myself) have anxiety and melancholy which can fluctuate. We are vulnerable to depression if hit hard enough.ADHD should mean you have ADD with future chronic depression.I agree with most of what you say despite disagreeing with your earlier blog on anxiety storms. Nice work,Sincerely-David Petropoulos.

Having depression and anxiety pretty much disqualified me from being treated by the leading adult ADHD expert in my area. He refuses to treat anyone with ADHD with depression unless they have been treated by someone else for depression first. I live in Barrie, Ontario. I see a much more reasonable doctor in Toronto instead...

Your article was very informative and interesting to me personally because I have a 2-1/2 grand-daughter and my son-in-law had ADD from a very young age. I want to know 1.) is it an inherent and an inherited disorder or not. 2.) What is the youngest age a child can be tested reliably and 3.) I feel she has anxiety and depression as well. Her father is more harsh than I believe he should be for one so young. If anyone has any answers, I would certainly appreciate it.

Thank you for your insightful article. Two of my children suffer from all three disorders. My 13-year-old son, who has pronounced AD/HD, had such anxiety and depression that he is now in a residential setting where, for the first time he is unmedicated and having each of these conditions treated with empathy and support. Every stimulant treatment we had tried in the past exacerbated the anxiety/depression, causing rages. Antidepressents didn't do much for the AD/HD and he is too young for antianxiety medications. The atypical antipsychotics dulled him down and made him fat, which certainly didn't help his depression. Despite supportive teachers, he quit trying at school. I think the many diagnoses are useful in so much as they give us a means to communicate, but we should always remember that neuroscience is in its infancy and the labels are often analogous to the four humors of medieval medicine.

I have often felt different. I have a harder time learning and understanding things than normal people do. Suffering from ADHD and not knowing it can make a childs self esteem poor poor. I handle things totally different than most people. Thank you for the article. I have been with out add meds for 6 months now and I am having trouble with everything. The meds are so addicting for add. I decided to stop taking them. I feel like i want to crawl out of my skin. If recommending a medicine to someone which one do you find works best? Adderall was good at first but i got addicted to it and it caused me to be aggressive. I am finally weened off of it and scared to take something new. I am more scrared of the depression it has caused me.

Ive been having problems.. I do not want to blame it on anything i just wish i could be happy and not have a maniacal type voice in my head telling me that im not going to do anything right.. And i had no reason to be sad or mad but it persists.. i know for a fact that self medicating does not help anyone.. But it would be easier to do that but its not right.. Its just recently really gotten to me, lost my job and the only female i even talked to besides my sister stopped talking to me. people just dont want to deal with someone like this.. many people dont even want to care theyre fine they think everyone else should be. But how would anyone know someones alright unless there is something to go by to know what alright is.. Im always the same im always sad or anxious for nothing period and i know it and it just persists. I dont know what to do the meds made me too paranoid.. that another subject for another time. paranoid