Posted by Julie on December 22, 1999, at 17:58:22
In reply to Re: For julie, posted by Barbara on December 22, 1999, at 10:49:26
Hallowell and Ratey, in "Driven to Distraction," say that ADD and depression often seem to go together. I think that besides maybe sharing some biochemical similarities (i.e., neurotransmitters may be wack in similar ways for ADDers and depressed people), that being ADD is a depressing experience much of the time. I didn't figure out I was ADD until I was 30; my family, and the school system, thought I was "smart but not applying myself," "squandering my potential," yadda yadda. These negative external voices move inside. So finding out that it wasn't my "fault" I was this way helped a lot- although the negative internal voices still often clamor.
Re meds: What worked for me, after a year of Chinese restaurant mix-and-match (pick one from column anti-depressant, one from column trank, one from column "potentiator") has been medium to high doses of first Zoloft, and then Effexor. When the Zoloft kicked in that awful fog-- indescribably painful, as well as enveloping, in my experience-- lifted. I was back to my spacy, klutzy, self-critical, ADD, but often content self, and incredibly relieved to be back in the land of the living.
So you know that your fog WILL lift, right? And that thinking that it won't is one of the symptoms of the depression? Both true.
Another good book: "Yo uMean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?" by Ramundo and somebody.
poster:Julie
thread:17217
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991212/msgs/17348.html