New here - have a few questions | ADHD Information

Hi everyone: I am new here. I was just recently
diagnosed with ADHD, and my doctor prescribed
10mg of Ritalin 2x per day. I have a long history of
anxiety/depressive disorders, as well as obsessive
compulsive disorder as a child. When my husband
brought home some research that he had come
across on adult adhd (he is an attorney in the
medical field) I was astonished to see that the
symptoms described my entire personality almost
exactly – "quirks" and all! My doctor agreed, and we
started the ritalin. Now I’m hoping that maybe I don’t
actually have depression, that I’m just so unhappy
because of my agitation from adhd. (I’m not on
antidepressants anymore, none of them ever worked
for me). So I guess my questions are:
1. Did anyone have a diagnosis of chronic
depression (disthymia) prior to the add/adhd
diagnosis? How has your adhd medication changed
your depression, if at all?
2. I also have a history of substance abuse
problems. I think that the 10 mg is probably not a
high enough dose for me, but I’m afraid to up it. I
noticed right away on the Ritalin that I felt calmer and
quieter. It was easier to work, but not much. I still
have problems starting and finishing things, details,
absent mindedness, etc. and feel that I might benefit
from a higher dose. However, because of my history
of substance abuse I DO NOT want to wind up
addicted to anything or "high" in any way. On 10 mg. I
hardly notice it, it is very subtle and I just act more
focused I guess. My question – do I ask my doctor to
up the dosage, or would I be risking an addiction?

Sorry if this is long and rambling! Any advice is
appreciated. Thank you.

If it's working and quieting things down then your dosage is probably as close as you'll get, overdose and people get drowsy, under dose and people don't usually notice anything...but I'm not a doctor....sooo, maybe someone else knows better....

 

As for depression, Not clinically for me, but it's well documented, if not medically then here in the forums that many people also suffer from depression. I had alot of depression in general before the meds and such mainly because I felt my life had no direction....or that I HAD direction but I'd just never get there.... what did your depression seem to revolve around?

 we're all here to help!

Thank you for your reply arbiterxero. I can't honestly
say that the depression centers around anything in
particular, like there is no one reason that I'm
depressed. I just go through episodes where I feel
very hopeless, exhausted and unenthusiastic to the
point that I feel suicidal. I guess what I'm hoping is
that part of my problem is that I cannot enjoy anything
with the adhd, because I am incredibly agitated at all
times. I can't sit down to enjoy a movie, I can't enjoy
museums or parks or concerts or any of the things
that I should enjoy doing with my husband because
I'm too addled and figity.Then I feel awful because
I'm no fun to be with -- I'm irritable and snappy and
unpredictable. What I'm hoping is that maybe the
ritalin will help me to slow down and focus so I can
enjoy some of these activities, then maybe that will
ease some of the depression? That might be asking
a bit much of the ritalin though. I just don't want to go
back on any antidepressants. Thanks for the pep talk!
And I LOVE that movie! Well, don't expect the ritalin to work miracles....

Okay sure, it does tend to be a bit of a miracle but you have to help it along yourself too.... just talking about it is probably the most important step forwards you could take....

Could you possibly pinpoint a few times when you went through bouts of depression and what was happening in your life when the 'spot' started?

Anyways, it could be chemical and not related to anything at all, who knows...

Start with the ritalin and working on your concentration problems, start seeing the fruits of your efforts but when you take the ritalin make sure to put in a 110% effort that day that way it's like a catapault, not just do you put in the extra mile but you've got the Ritalin to shoot you so far ahead you won't know what hit you!!!!!

It's the BEST feeling inthe world when all of a sudden in one instant the knight in shining armour comes, it's your birthday, wedding day, you accomplished all your goals and you win an award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence......Okay that's a tad exaggerated but you get the idea.....that helps with the depression alot because it gives you a boost to kick you out of it and then just spending a little time every day (get Mr. Special to help out with this) you go over how much you've accomplished and how great you're doing...

KEEP LOOKING FORWARDS and keep striving to get that goal...

I don't know if any of this helps but hey, a positive attitude ALWAYS helps.... ALWAYS....

A song from "Monty Python's The life of brian" is one I really like because it's funny.....it's called "always look on the bright side of life"...funny song...