Have ADHD or another mental health conditions means you are more likely to be diagnosed with a second condition. Researchers are hoping that better understanding the connections between conditions can lead to better treatment.
Do you have more than just ADHD? What has been your experience with "ADHD plus?"
Read "Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions Are Common" at bit.ly/nrcadhdplus . Let us know what you think!
The way I've read about it on ADDITUDE, mood disorders are basically a given for women who had undiagnosed ADHD as girls, which is most of us, because we didn't know WHY we are the way we are, we just knew that people don't like it, and because we were children with limited knowledge of the world, we took it to mean they didn't like US. We also have anxiety a lot more because we're messing up all the time because of our untreated disability. Most women don't get diagnosed until well into adulthood, so many, many maladaptive coping mechanisms have had time to develop.
In my case, I think my untreated ADHD combined with living in a negligent, abusive enviroment to become full-blown schizoaffective disorder, which I was diagnosed with at 15, a great many years before it was "normal" for a female. I hear a LOT from people about how allergens/toxins/food additives 'cause' ADHD, but I don't hear a lot about the very damaging effect of trauma on the brain's development. Who's to say I even HAVE ADHD? Maybe once I'm through with recovery from my CPTSD, I'll have no symptoms of the other mental health conditions. Or maybe I have them for the rest of my life because my brain was permanently altered at development by abuse. I'm not sure yet. I hope to find out, and hear from others from similar situations.
Mines for life. Been dealing with so much since I was 3, that's all I remember from.
I'm 45, I still have PTSD, depression, anxiety, ADHD. My background/ childhood was full on neglect. My father was a raging alcoholic, I saw him turn into a monster during his blackouts . I saw so much besides that. I new I didn't learn like other kids starting in 3rd grade. When spelling words started getting harder & kids where learning how to read 2 hand clocks, months, seasons, so much didn't make sense for many yrs. I moved ALL the time. & So on & forth . I do believe It deff. Played a part on my mental growth. Along with many other things.
After a huge life change in 2017 and a lifetime of trying to get better on my own (I was very private about my problems). I went and got help from a therapist and psychiatrist who I continue to see. I was put on a low dose of medication for anxiety and a mood disorder and continued my adhd medication. The medication he added made a huge difference in helping me get better. Therapy and a change in environment (not surrounded anymore by unhealthy people who didn’t want the best for me) helped me heal, grow etc. last month my insurance was suspended and I had to pay full price for medication I only continued my adhd Medication and stopped the others and felt okay when I went to my routine visit with the psychiatrist and said I’ve need off the medication for three weeks he said I can continue to stay off them if I’m not experiencing any symptoms.
ADHD VA Blog
Diagnosed at 60 and learning new vocabulary
Struggling to connect, always starting the conversation
Anyone else gone from 36mg to 54mg of Concerta XL and suddenly it no longer works?
