Depression Information

Is it ADHD or is it Depression?


During the assessment process it is of great importance for the physician or clinician to consider other possible causes of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity in your child, or teen, or yourself. In fact, this is probably the most important element of a good assessment. There are several possible causes of these behaviors, especially in children, and the clinician must have great certainty that these other possible causes have been ruled out before giving the label of "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" to your child.

In this issue we will discuss the possibility that your child has depression rather than an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, lymbic type.

When one is depressed several of the following symptoms will be noted. Someone with four or five of the following symptoms should probably see a physician or other professional to get a real assessment done.

The common symptoms of depression include:
· Physical Hyperactivity, or Lack of Activity (Hypoactivity)
· Change of Appetite, either Less or More
· Change in Sleeping, either Less or More
· Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
· Loss of energy, increased fatigue
· Feelings of worthlessness, or inappropriate guilt
· Difficulty concentrating
· Thoughts of death or dying
· In children and teens, depression is shows itself with increased aggression, irritability, or isolation from the family.

Sometimes really out of control emotional behavior is attributed to ADHD, but might really be the result of depression! Depression in children and teens often looks to a clinician, who barely knows your child, as ADHD.

One main difference is that depression has a "starting date" and ADHD has been present to some degree or another since birth.
· Does your child seems very sad, or very grouchy or irritable?
· Does it seem like nothing is fun for him, even things he used to like doing?
· Does he seem bored most of the time and just sit around?
· Has he gained a lot or weight? Or lost a lot of weight?
· Does he seem to be sleeping a lot more than usual, and have lots of trouble waking up in the morning? Or does he have unusual trouble getting to sleep at night?
· Does he seem unusually restless or agitated?
· Is he having more trouble than usual paying attention to school work?
· Is it harder for him to make decisions than usual?
· Has your child/teen talked about suicide, or even make attempts, recently?

If three or four of these are true of your child/teen over the past six months, expecially the one about suicide, then we'd recommend that you have him checked out by a therapist, psychologist, or physician who specializes in depression. It is very common to mis-diagnose depression for ADHD, especially by inexperienced therapists and physicians. Learn more at the ADHD Information Library at http://www.newideas.net.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Lifescript Launches New Online Depression Center
MarketWatch (press release)
Lifescript.com, a women's health and wellness website headquartered in Mission Viejo, Calif., has launched a new online Depression Health Center to help women recognize and overcome symptoms of depression. MISSION VIEJO, Calif., May 24, ...

and more »


R&D Trends: Depression - Clinical attrition driven by mature market conditions
MarketWatch (press release)
Several drugs have progressed through the pipeline for depression in recent years, including Pristiq (desvenlafaxine; Pfizer), Oleptro (trazodone extended release; Labopharm), and Viibryd (Forest) in the US, and Valdoxan (agomelatine; Servier/Novartis) ...

and more »


Depression Recovery Groups Launches Online Peer-to-Peer Support Groups and ...
PR Web (press release)
Depression and other mental health issues are involved in 90% of these avoidable deaths. Today Depression Recovery Groups announced the launch of a new service expressly for young people; these teenage web conference depression support groups will ...

and more »


The Atlantic Wire

High-Fat Diets Have Pro-Depressive Effects
Food Product Design
"In addition to causing obesity, rich foods can actually cause chemical reactions in the brain in a similar way to illicit drugs, ultimately leading to depression as the 'come-downs' take their toll," says lead researcher, Dr. Stephanie Fulton.
Cheeseburger blues: High-fat foods may be making us depressedVancouver Sun
Cheeseburger blues: could high-fat foods be making us depressed?Ottawa Citizen
A Heart Made of Face Parts; The Eating Depression Cycle ExplainedThe Atlantic Wire
Irish Health
all 53 news articles »


Predicting Postpartum Depression
Wellington Daily News
By Angela Taylor Many studies have been completed to see if there is a way to predict postpartum depression. These studies have determined that iron deficiency and postpartum fatigue are linked to postpartum depression.

and more »


The Economist

Depression through the ages
The Economist
From Melancholia to Prozac: A History of Depression. By Clark Lawlor. Oxford University Press; 265 pages; $24.99 and £14.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk WHAT is depression? The ancient Greeks believed it resulted from an imbalance in the body's ...



IMF Chief: World Facing Possibly Worst Economic Insecurity Since Great Depression
Wall Street Journal
"Your generation is facing probably the worst economic insecurity in decades, possibly ever since the Great Depression," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in her commencement speech to the John F. Kennedy School of Government graduates.

and more »


BigPond News

'Cheerful' Corby out of depression as clemency lifts spirits
The Canberra Times
Schapelle Corby is believed to be recovering from depression and bouts of psychosis that have affected her in jail. Kerobokan jail's doctor Agung Hartawan said yesterday that Corby was in good spirits following the news of her clemency.
Corby stages dramatic recoveryBigPond News
man whose love keeps Schapelle Corby saneNEWS.com.au

all 954 news articles »


One-Third of Arthritis Patients Also Experience Anxiety, Depression
PR Web (press release)
Impairments like arthritis can be complicated by other conditions, such as depression, so it's important that patients fully explain all symptoms to their physicians. A new national study finds that one-third of people with arthritis also experience ...

and more »


The many faces of depression
Chicago Tribune
Sadness touches all of our lives at different times, but depression can have enormous depth and staying power. It's more than a passing bout of sadness or dejection, or feeling down in the dumps. It can leave you feeling continuously burdened and can ...
Has depression become a cliché?InjuryBoard.com

all 2 news articles »

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