DD ADHS / DEPRESSIVE STÖRUNG Journal 08.03.

2023

ADHS DEPRESSION
Someone with ADHD may experience depression for various reasons:
Biological: Sometimes the origin of depression is totally independent of ADHD, and is
brain-based. For some people, depression runs in families, much the way ADHD
does.
Environmental: Sometimes the depression is brought on by circumstances, which
might be completely unrelated to ADHD symptoms (the death of a loved one, for
example) or possibly the result of ADHD symptoms (unemployment due to lateness
related to weak executive functioning, for example).
Regardless of whether the depression is related to the ADHD, once it develops, it
becomes its own entity and must be treated as an independent condition.

Emotionalle dysregulation, Schlafstörungen Konzentrationsminderung

When someone has both ADHD and depression, the comorbidity exacerbates symptoms of both conditions, often making them worse than what
you would see in people who have just one of the conditions. Having ADHD is associated with:
more frequent hospitalizations due to depression
more recurrent depressive episodes
greater suicide risks and more attempts at self-harm
 DD ADHS / DEPRESSIVE STÖRUNG Journal 08.03.2023

ADHS DEPRESSION
SADNESS & IRRITABILITY The sadness or irritability is highly contextual The sadness or irritability in depression is chronic and
and environment-specific. For example, if a affects every aspect of a person’s life. A person with
person with ADHD was working in a job that depression is likely to be sad and irritable at work, and
was a terrible fit for them, they’d likely be sad when they come home, and also when they’re with their
or irritable at work but happy and relieved at friends.
home, or out with friends.

LOSS OF INTEREST IN ACTIVITIES People with ADHD may hyperfocus on and When a person is experiencing depression, they find no
become totally immersed in a certain activity enjoyment, even in the things they’ve long felt passionate
— and then grow tired or bored of it quickly about. So, a person who has always loved to paint might
and look for something new. So, a person with find the thought of painting does not interest or excite
ADHD might throw themselves into painting, them any longer, and neither does the prospect of any
but then once the novelty wears off, they other activity.
might find painting boring — instead they
want to try ice skat

CHANGE IN APPETITE Changes in appetite or eating tend to be With depression, we can see weight gains or losses of 20
short-term. Sometimes people with ADHD skip pounds or more, and these changes occur over a longer
meals because they're hyperfocused on work period of time. People report a persistent feeling of just not
or a hobby, or they might not be paying being hungry. Even when there’s food right in front of
attention to their bodily cues because they're them, there's nothing inside their body that makes them
so stimulated by whatever is happening want to eat. Sometimes the opposite is true, where people
externally. If that person structures their time with depression binge eat in order to numb sad or hopeless
for a meal, and there’s food there, however, feelings.
they’ll eat. People with ADHD who struggle
with impulsivity may also be prone to binge-
eating.
 DD ADHS / DEPRESSIVE STÖRUNG Journal 08.03.2023

SLEEPING TROUBLE Individuals with ADHD are very prone to sleep In depression, it’s common to see people who don’t usually
problems and sleep disorders. These issues have sleep issues experiencing episodic intervals of sleeping
tend to be chronic, often beginning in too much or too little. Someone in the throes of a
childhood. For example, a person with ADHD depressive episode might sleep just 1 or 2 hours a night or,
might tend to struggle with racing thoughts conversely, might sleep 16 to 17 hours a night and still feel
and a hyperactive brain that has a difficult tired afterward.
time slowing down at night.
CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS Trouble with focus is a classic symptom of Difficulty concentrating is also a classic symptom of
ADHD. People with ADHD are easily distracted, depression. In trying to discern if the trouble is being
veer off-task, and struggle to attend, caused by ADHD or depression or both, consider your
particularly to activities that are not inherently
history. If you've always had difficulty concentrating in
interesting to them. school or at work, then it may be attributable to ADHD. But
if you've always been a good student and had no problem
concentrating in math class, and now suddenly you can’t
focus on finishing even simple problems, that may be an
indication of depression.
FATIGUE AND Many people with ADHD, especially those with In depression, there is often a massive sense of fatigue. It
the inattentive subtype, report feeling pervades everything, even when individuals are doing their
fatigued all the time. It takes considerable favorite activity, and even in those people who’ve never
LOSS OF ENERGY
energy and a marshaling of many resources to had problems with fatigue. People with depression often
compensate for weak executive functions and describe a cognitive slowing, like their mind is made of
the other challenges ADHD involves. If you molasses. Unlike in ADHD, this slowing can be episodic and
worked a 15-hour day, you would feel tired at can happen in cycles, sometimes every three or four weeks.
the end of it; people with ADHD often feel
every waking moment is hard work. Or,
sometimes, people with ADHD may feel a lack
of energy when presented with an
uninteresting task or activity that they’re
unmotivated to tackle.
 DD ADHS / DEPRESSIVE STÖRUNG Journal 08.03.2023

FEELINGS OF GUILT & Someone with ADHD who has a growth In depression, there is often a pervasive sense of
WORTHLESSNESS mindset, the right support, and is situated in worthlessness, and also a feeling of inappropriate guilt. This
the right environments, might never guilt is a classic depressive symptom, and it’s something you
experience a feeling of worthlessness. don’t tend to see in people with just ADHD. Individuals with
Unfortunately, many individuals lack this depression often feel guilty for things far beyond their
support and understanding, and their ADHD control, almost as if they see themselves as a negative force
symptoms sometimes lead them down paths in the world.
where they do not feel successful. In these
cases, they can feel a sense of ineffectiveness
or worthlessness.

SUICIDALITY Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide are a very serious matter that must be treated. No matter what the
cause, whether they are related to ADHD symptoms or not, recurrent thoughts of suicide are very indicative
of a depression and must be addressed quickly.
It’s important to note, too, that severe depression can have psychotic features, where people can suffer from
hallucinations, paranoia, and delusional thinking. A lot of people feel shame about this, and are afraid to
disclose their experiences, but it’s very important to talk to your doctor about this. It can be treated.

Does having ADHD make treatment for depression more difficult?

One could argue that having ADHD makes everything more difficult, but that’s not the point. Yes, treating any comorbidity is more complex than
treating a single disorder.