Many individuals with ADHD also have either anxiety or depression in their lifetime. In fact, it is estimated that as many as seventy percent of individuals who have ADHD will suffer from either anxiety or depression during their lifetime. “Even with the correct diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety and depression were also present as primary diagnoses,” said Frank Lawlis, PhD.
According to Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD, “Recent research has indicated that 2/3 of children with children with ADHD, which is actually a neurological problem, also have a mental health diagnosis. […] The bottom line is that when a child with ADHD also has depression, it can become messy to sort out what exactly is actually going on.” There are times when depression and anxiety have nothing to do with ADHD.
Either way, they can add to the stress and constant feeling of discouragement that goes along with living an ADHD life. Many women who have ADHD also experience feelings of sadness and/or anxiousness with their ADHD. These feelings become worse for women during PMS. In fact, many ADHD women suffer from PMS times infinity. The symptoms of depression and severe anxiety also seem to heighten for women with ADHD when they reach menopause. The question becomes: what can you do to relieve the symptoms and function when all you want to do is pull the covers over your head and quit?
First things First
The first thing individuals need to do when they are experiencing depression and/or anxiety with their ADHD is ensure that they are receiving adequate treatment for their ADHD symptoms. There are many times that treating ADHD will automatically relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is not always the case. However, the symptoms of ADHD combined with people’s reactions to the symptoms can cause severe anxiety or depression. There are several reasons that depression and anxiety can coincide with ADHD, and once the ADHD has been treated, there are things you can do to help relieve your feelings of anxiety and depression.
Lights Out
It’s no secret that adults who have ADHD have an extremely difficult time falling asleep. Michael J Breus, PhD, said that a group of scientists proposed a theory between the two. He wrote, “[T]here is significant evidence of a very close association between ADHD and sleeplessness, and suggest that disruptions to normal circadian rhythms may be one important, underlying factor that contributes to both conditions.”
This is extremely inconvenient because if you don’t get enough sleep, the symptoms associated with your ADHD escalate. When you go through your days tired and groggy, your ability to cope is extremely compromised. You become cloudy and can’t think clearly. One way that you can help ensure you are getting enough sleep is to get yourself on a schedule that includes a bedtime. Make sure that for an hour or two before going to sleep, you don’t do anything stimulating. In fact, you should take this time to calm your brain. Take a hot bath or watch a TV show (don’t Netflix a series because you won’t be able to stop). Do something that calms you and gets in the routine of doing this and then laying down and going to sleep. Once your sleeping schedule is back on track, you should see your symptoms begin to lower.
Go Green
While helping your environment is encouraged, in this instance “Go Green” refers to something else. It refers to the fact that studies show that when individuals with ADHD spend more time outside, in natural settings, it can lessen the severity of symptoms. This means that the symptoms associated with anxiety and depression won’t be as weird. You can take a walk, read a book, or play outside with your children. It doesn’t really matter what you do outdoors. It can be extremely beneficial to set aside 30 minutes every day for “nature time.” You may find that you feel better within a few days.
Work it out
Another thing that can assist you in battling depression with ADHD is exercise. You may not realize that exercising daily can do more than improve your physical health. It can improve your psychological health as well. When you exercise, endorphins in your brain are released. The specific endorphins that are released have a positive effect on your mood. Not only will your mood increase, but it can also make sleeping at night easier, which we have already discussed can have a positive effect on your mood. You can even kill two birds with one stone and go jogging or walking every day and get your time outdoors while exercising.
Say No
Many individuals with ADHD have an issue with the word no. Individuals with ADHD tend to want to help everyone, meaning that we tend to say yes to everything. The problem is that coping with ADHD typically involves having a routine. When individuals with ADHD veer from their routines, it can cause unneeded stress and anxiety. When individuals with ADHD say yes to things that interrupt their routine, then it adds to the stress. It is important to set boundaries and know that it is ok to decline to help when it is going to overwhelm you.