Feeling quite depressed but things are actually pretty good

[v-strom]

Hi folks, need some support. Life is pretty good. Just got married in Feb to an awesome woman who has been my rock. Live in a nice house, have a great son and step children and step grandchildren. Work is mostly good, some issues but not massive. Been struggling a bit lately with my ADD brain a bit I guess. But I've come crashing down. It's just not logical. Since the break up of my last marriage, I haven't felt this down. It's like I've hit a wall. Not sure what to do. I'm not having ideations at all, just really struggling to focus and lift my head up.

[JessF]

Hello v-strom, I have found some of the most difficult times with my depression have been when I felt like I "should" be happy because everything in my life is "fine", that I have lots of positive things around me, and therefore I should have no reason to be sad. If only our brains were that simple!

Once you put aside the guilt of how you think you should be feeling, you can start to examine where the down feelings are coming from and see if there's anything you can do to shift them. When you say you've been struggling with your ADD brain, what are some of the thoughts that have been coming to mind? When you feel that you can't focus, or you want to put your head down, what are the feelings and thoughts that come up?

[AJ2014]

I like Stephen Fry's analogy that depression is like your own personal weather . When it rains, it rains on everyone regardless of if your life's circumstances are good or bad. I think it is one of the biggest lies we can tell ourselves, "my life is good I don't have the right to be depressed". I would chat to your GP.

I am also interested in your ADD brain could you describe it more?

[v-strom]

Hi, thanks for your response. I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, which means my concentration and thought processes can be a struggle at times. I was on a medication for it, which helped although I wasn't happy about the type of drug it was. But then due to a heart condition I was unable to take them any longer. The ADD brain is what I call the effort of trying to think through the fog, trying to follow thoughts that are already difficult but when depressed get worse - like thinking through mud. This can be a trigger, as I need to be able to think clearly and creatively with my work and get frustrated when I can't.

[AJ2014]

Do you think that possibly your "ADD" is actually the effects of the depression? I know my concentration and thought processes take a hit when it is raining (using the analogy above).