Depression and ADD/ADHD

I’ve recently stumbled upon this fascinating New York Times magazine article entitled Depression's Upside and though I should share it with our readers. This article is relevant to the ADD/ADHD crowd for many reasons: First, untreated ADD/ADHD is known to eventually cause depression. Second, this article covers studies on the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), the part of the brain that determines what we pay attention to (an imbalance in the VLPFC is believed to cause ADD/ADHD). And third, the article mentions how depressed patients benefit from a state of hyper-focus. Neat, huh?

In essence it suggests that depression is an actual measure taken by the human brain to deal with difficult situations that require deeper thought and analysis. When presented with a challenge that at first appears to have no solution, the VLPFC shuts down pretty much everything else, priority-wise. Suddenly you don’t want to eat, you don’t want to have sex… you just think about this thing that’s bugging you.

I suggest you read the whole thing before continuing, as the rest of this article will cover the subject from my personal point of view, and since I am not a certified physician, after all, you might want to get the facts first.

Depression can be so easily compared to a fever, it’s funny. First, a fever is a symptom, not a disease, as is the case of depression. What happens during a fever is that the body turns up the heat in hopes of killing a virus or bacteria. This temperature may go to dangerous points, and this is a risk the immune system takes: to kill a few neurons and preserve the rest of the body VS, well, death. Depression is also a series of risks the brain takes: malnutrition vs having a life-threatening issue not resolved. Modern-day life can trick the brain into interpreting mundane situations as life-threatening (i.e. unemployment, failed relationships, bad grades).

Another similarity is the fact that even today there is a lot of controversy about the usefulness of these mechanisms. Many doctors will monitor, but not treat a fever in order to allow the body to heal itself, whereas some psychiatrists believe a patient of depression should be monitored, but not medicated to allow the mind to solve the conflict that troubles the patient. I happen to share this point of view.

A fever can be confused with other conditions that are actually dangerous, in which there isn’t really a threat to the body, or the immune system overreacts. Similarly there are cases in which depression is caused by other factors, and will result on being entirely destructive. In these cases medication should definitely be employed.

There are cases in which incorrect medication will worsen these symptoms or interrupt the natural healing process. I believe a depressed person should be helped to discover the true reason behind these ruminations, and guided through the process of avoiding distractions, loops and placebos. Placebos can include drinking, gambling or suicide. Basically an “easy way out”.

My personal experience during my recent depression was that I had one of the best Ideas I ever had, and in fact it was about what was troubling me. If you read the previous introductory post entirely you may remember I fell into a depression after being diagnosed with ADD by a shady psychiatrist. My second visit to the psychiatrist was about my depression, in stead of my ADD, actually.

During this period I started investigating different methods of organizing and planning. I discovered none of these methods were entirely compatible with my way of thinking, so I created my own. The whole process was nearly obsessive. I would jot notes at work and at home, and stay up late making diagram. I was on to something! I made a simple computer application for it and it was very helpful. It helped me organize my thoughts, therefore solving the conflict that had originally triggered my depression… After I was done with the application, I was no longer working on it as obsessively as I was. If it was 100% complete I’d share it with you, but it’s not (stay tuned!).

I have not taken my medication for about a month. I feel a lot better now. I really hope you make the most out of this article. Feel free to leave your comments!