Does ADD medication also help with depression or anxiety?

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I am a 37 year old attorney who was just diagnosed with ADD a few months ago. I had been diagnosed with moderate depression more than 3 years ago and had been taking Paxil 20mg a day since then, with so-so results. When I was diagnosed with ADD and started taking Adderall the next day, it was almost miraculous how much better I felt!

What my doctor explained to me is that there is a very high correlation between adults with ADD and adults with depression. Many people, like me, get their despression diagnosed and treated first without understanding that the ADD is the source of the depression. All through my school years and working life, I was told that I was lazy and a person with no will-power or "stickability". My self-image has always been that of a lazy person, loaded with potential but without the necessary character to turn the potential into results. Being diagnosed with ADD and getting a clear understanding of the condition let me look back over my life and see where ADD had screwed me up time and time again. A huge load of guilt that I didn't even know I had was lifted off my shoulders and my work life became so much more enjoyable. My stress levels were reduced to a fraction of what they normally were. I feel like I will be getting off Paxil shortly, whereas before I wouldn't even consider it. Sorry this is not a scientific answer. I don't know how, in chemical terms, ADD medication can help with depression and/or anxiety, but I can tell you that getting diagnosed and treated for ADD helped me with those problems enormously. It relieved me of all sorts of emotional and mental baggage that was holding me down and finally gave me the feeling that I was starting to realize my full potential and putting an end to letting everybody in my life down. Whoooopeeee!

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As a pharm tech I have knowledge of this alot of the meds used to treat ADD, are used to treat mild depression as well as anxsiety as well.

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I am only 17, and I was on meds for ADHD since I was 12 till 15, and now I am on Concerta for ADD, and the problem I have with the medicines to treat ADD, is I can never sleep. My Insomnia has caused me to be very very depressed, anxious, and short-tempered. So I dont know, I guess it all depends??

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I believe that meds for ADD *could* help w/ depression and anxiety, but one *must* take into account: 1) Are the depression, anxiety and ADD RELATED or seperate entities? It is more likely that the anxiety and depression are related, and the ADD seperate. 2) If the ADD has possibly caused the depression, which IS in need of medication first? This must be deteRmined, as the depression could be a serious mental illness which could lead to self deStructive behaviour. ADD in itself is less likely to lead to suicide. 3) Don't fool yourself. If you have a *serious* depression, this is the priority. Meds for ADD, like cocaine, can have a *very* serious impact on your depression. THEY CAN MAKE IT WORSE AND FAST!!! 4) If you suffer from *both* a clinical depression and ADD, THERE IS HOPE, but, most likely, you will need to be treated for *both* and monitored closely...

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it depends on what causes the add. when i was a kid i was kinda crazy and i didn't do well in school so i didn't have many friends. when i went on meds i calmed down and i did better in school and had more friends so i felt better about myself. so i was happier.

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i am a 20 year old who been taking ADD meds since i was in third grad. i switched meds five times now and am on concerta. for the last year i stopped taking them and only started again recently. i notice that i was always kept awake and anxious because of the meds so i became depressed. i feel that i was less depressed off of them but my school work suffered greatly. it's a catch 22. i was depressed with out them because i did bad in classes and even though i tried couldn't do better.

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I am 39 and have almost the same story as the original person to answer. The difference is that I sought treatment to deal with my depression, not my ADHD. It was only through my doctor that I "connected the dots". My brother and my son are both diagnosed with ADHD. I have often felt that many of my other family members have ADHD that remains undiagnosed, but I didn't realize that I have it, too. I should have seen it because I founded our local chapter of CHADD and I am a social worker who specializes in providing services to children with mental illnees, developmental disabilities and spectrum disorders. Many of my clients have ADHD and I am often invited to speak on the topic from the perspective of "supporting/loving people who have ADD or ADHD."

When I went to my physician to seek help for my depression, she referred me on to a specialist who diganosed me with ADD. I was prescribed Wellbutrin XR to treat both issues simultaneously.

I feel like a new person. I am cranking through work, meeting deadlines, and generally feeling like I am good at my job rahter than a disorganized shirker of unpleasant tasks.

I am no longer having crying jags or suicidal thoughts. I don't feel like a whiner or that I'm overly emotional. I used to cry watching sad commercials. I cried when I bought a new car because it was sad to abandon the old one. I cried when my puppy got her first shots! I was a basket case. Now I am much more stable and professional.

So yes, I believe that you can use the same medication for both ADD and depression.

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I have ADD also. I've been off meds since Elementary school, but before that I was on ritilin, then adderal. The meds can make it hard to sleep, as a side effect. On the other hand I have read that anxiety symptoms also exist as a result of the ADD itself. Everybody's differant. As a side note I will add that it is possable to live with ADD and without meds, I've been doing this for many years, and there are many people who say they never would have guessed I had a disorder. Since a disorder is defined as interfering with everyday life, they may be right. Again, everybody's differant. Some people do better with meds than others. The trick is to know yourself and know how ADD effects you. If ADD meds are giving you adverse effects it may be a good idea to try living without them for a time, and see how you do. :)

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I am 31 years old and was diagnosed with ADD about a year and a half ago. I was first put on Ritalin that caused a terrible pain in my head. I quickly changed to Adderall SR, which is the single release. I take 30mg in the morning and 30mg in the evening. If I take it after 4:30 or 5 PM I will not sleep well at all. The negative side effects from the drug come and go. The biggest negative side effect has been blood circulation issues in my hands, feet, and...penis. My fingers are ALWAYS cold, my toes are always cold and sometimes painfully cold. And of course, the penis issue. I would say 4 times out of 10 an erection has been difficult to fully achieve. Many times I achieve the erection, but it may not stay long. In the winter when it's extremely cold outside, it has been almost impossible to get an erection until I am completely warmed inside the house. Many people complain that their penis shrinks when taking Adderall. That is a good way to describe it. What seems to happen is that there is less blood flow to the penis in general and when flacid (not hard) it will often seem like you just got out of the pool. I would say the length of my penis, when not hard, has dropped an average of about an inch since being on Adderall. As far as orgasms, they were more intense at first with the drug, then began to diminish about 6-8 months afterward. There were occasions that my testicles were extremely painful to the touch after an orgasm. At this point I wasn't sure what to do and what problem to live with. Do I go back to the mental state of fuzzy concentration or have a clear mind and deal with the "lame" penis. It was difficult because the Adderall had truly changed my life. When taking the Adderall, I felt like I could conquer the world. The feeling only lasted a few hours, but it was the best feeling ever. I have mild to moderate depression and it was lowered tremendously. I had more energy than ever. I was returning to school to finish another degree when starting Adderall and I have never done better in school. I was never tired even if I need to stay up until 4 in the morning writing a paper. My grades were great! All through school in the past I BARELY got by. I finally made the decision to go with Wellbutrin for a while. Wellbutin is for moderate depression, but has been effective in ADD patients. I have now been off Adderall for a month and I cannot even concentrate enough to write a 5 page paper. I have literally been trying to write it for 3 days and it's a day late turning in. As far as the Wellbutrin, it does nothing for my ADD issues, but it's been great in the penis area. I don't mean to be too graphic. I'm just being honest. The orgasms have been the best I have ever had in my life. They last double as long as they have ever lasted and the amount of semen had almost doubled. I now even have to be careful leaning up to anything that would rub against my penis because sometimes just the slightest rub will cause my penis to enlarge. This drug would not be good for guys who are chronic masturbators. Wellbutrin takes about 1-2 weeks to begin working effectively. Tomorrow I plan to contact my doctor about taking the Adderall and Wellbutrin together. He has mentioned it in the past and seems to feel it would be okay if I wanted to try it. Hope some of this helps ya.

First answer by ID3492263758. Last edit by Joncarey. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 204 [recommend question]