Is my depression influenced by other conditions

[Gasgas350]

• Hi I've suffered with depression for most of my adult life have had different diagnosis between bipolar and chronic depression. I wonder if depression is a symptom . I work in mental health have a good understanding of what i should be doing but find i can't focus on what i need to be doing. Can't find the motivation or organization to follow through. Im in my late 50s i find myself going back to my youth . Being described as hype active , troublemaker , daydreamer i wonder about my depression is because of being adhd and not fitting in have i been treating the symptoms and not the cause would really bee kean to hear others views as im so close to just giving in

[Sophie_M]

Hi Gasgas350,

Thank you for your post to the forum tonight and welcome to the family!

We're sorry to hear that you've suffered with depression for most of your adult life, we also note that you've told us that you've been working in mental health, so we believe you when you say that you have a good understanding of what you "should" be doing (even if you do state that you're still finding it hard to focus on what you need to be doing)... 

Can we just send you a gentle reminder that lacking the motivation and organisation skills to follow through are definitely par for the course. Especially if you are diagnosed with ADHD as well - again, we just want to acknowldege how much harder it is to function on motivation and organisation when this is the case.

Treating the symptoms and not the cause is a very interesting conversation to be had, and we look forward to hearing everyone's different takes, journeys and opinions on the matter, but please don't forget - whatever the opinion, it's still important to focus on self compassion, and this tends to be missing for ourselves a lot - it's often easier to be compassionate and kind to a complete stranger than it is to ourselves.

You've been doing a great job Gasgas350, and we're really glad to have you here in the forums as a part of our community now.

If you ever feel like you would like to have a chat to one of our trained counsellors, please don't hesitate to reach out and call us on 1300 22 4636 (24/7), or perhaps even try our webchat  option (great for those who prefer to chat rather than talk). 

Because you've mentioned feeling close to just giving in Gasgas350, we've also reached out to you privately tonight (please check your inbox).

Take care, and we hope to hear back from you soon.

Kind regards,

Sophie M

[geoff]

Hello Gasgas, depression can be a symptom when you feel happy for no obvious reason, then suddenly feel the opposite and out of control which affects your motivation, sleep, appetite and/or concentration, so it can have many different side-effects.

We try and treat the symptom rather than the cause, that's why we need someone trained to find out what the cause is so we can then deal with it.

You may know what you should be doing, but if you are suffering, then you have no desire, nor energy and basically don't care in trying to improve your demeanour because this illness is way too strong, so sometimes it's easier to give in, which may happen for a period, until eventually you realise that you need support.

So the cause has to be addressed by someone who is qualified to do so.

Geoff.

Life Member.

[ecomama]

Hey Gasgas, welcome to the forums, we are so happy you're here. 

Wow about your post, yes I relate. 
Being around your age, I've only this year been diagnosed with ADHD. I knew I had it lol. It's been SO obvious, I matched so many markers. 

I can also relate to the wide variation of diagnoses.
It's a labyrinth!

I was told by a few Psychs "you can't have ADHD because of your high executive functioning" well yah, wrong. 

I have been diagnosed with depression over the decades but am mostly recovered. It waits in the curtains to swoop in, maintenance of any MH gains is a thing. 

I work FT in allied services to many. Many Psychs, Counsellors, Case Workers around me. 

The sad thing is this... a Psych has to know your past and present, to help more with all, including diagnoses. 
I find this a double edged sword. 
The stinger is assumptions made "according to research" (ie trajectories) what you MUST have, which is merely a statistic, not a STUDY of US as an individual. 
My Psychs got it wrong since my youth. 2 got SOME things right, some times. 

It was Complex PTSD. ADHD. Not depressed atm. A mouthful lol. My school reports of "daydreaming" was probably me dissociating. No one spoke of "trauma" from FV back then. Certainly not in children. 

I want to address your statement of "not fitting in"... may we talk more about this? 

EM

[jaz28]

Hi there,

I am sorry you are going through this but there is hope with the right resources. It may not seem like it right now, but your life is worth living and there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

Firstly, have you ever sought help for your mental health problems? I found seeing a psychologist really helped me. Is this something you might consider? Even speaking to your GP or family doctor can help you work out a plan to best care for your mental health. It is so important.

With the right care and resources, you can get out of this tunnel and into the light - trust me! We are all here to support you so please reach out if you need more advice.

All the best,

Jaz xx

[Mark Z.]

Hi Gasgas350,

I'm sorry for your challenge.

It's great that you have mental health background, it brings you a lot of advantages.

However from my point of view (I'm not a professional), trying to have self-diagnose is still risky, you still need professional support. I believe you'll have a good cooperation with a psychologist because of your knowledge.

Mark