Anonymous #3 15w

Yes, but I think what OP is saying (and I agree, as someone with all three) is that the anxiety and depression are never going to get better if they are treated while the ADHD is ignored, because the ADHD is more than likely the root cause of the anxiety and depression.

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Anonymous #4 15w

Sometimes you have to treat the symptoms before you can treat the root cause. The first treatment for a burn victim is morphine, which does nothing for the burn but helps to manage the pain. This is especially true for longterm or permanent roots that have severe symptoms. Adhd can only be managed, it can’t be cured, and anxiety/depression/other comorbidities is what leads people to off themselves. (1/

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Anonymous #4 15w

That being said, you’re right that the adhd absolutely does need to be addressed and the comorbidities will likely never fully resolve until the underlying issue is under control. It’s not that they’ll “never get any better”, because they absolutely can and will get better, but they’ll never be fully resolved (2/2)

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Anonymous #3 15w

Yea #4 was spot on. In my experience & literally everyone I’ve talked to who has adhd, their symptoms of anxiety/depression didn’t go away until they were able to get help with their adhd issues. It’s a domino affect and adhd is the first domino

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Anonymous OP 15w

Well, congrats, you’ve talked to me and my anxiety and depression were both helped by medication years and years before I was even diagnosed with adhd. They certainly weren’t fixed, but they were helped. If I’d waited on the adhd dx before getting treated for depression, I probably wouldn’t have lived past middle school.

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Anonymous #3 15w

I think we actually do agree with one another — I should’ve been slightly more precise with my wording. I did say that “the anxiety and depression are never going to get better if they are treated while the ADHD is ignored,” but in saying that, I meant that they could never be as fully resolved as might be necessary to go on with life fully. There is absolutely something to be said for medication to “manage the pain,” as you said, and I needed that at one point too before I could make any (1/2)

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Anonymous #3 15w

Headway with anything else. I agree that help there is needed, and can sometimes simply be more urgent to address in some capacity. It’s nearly impossible to grow when you’re always in crisis — at least, it was for me. My point, really, and I think OP’s as well (although correct me if I’m wrong, OP) is that these things are bandaids and can never fully address the problems or stem the flow, so to speak, independently of any ADHD treatment. (2/2)

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Anonymous #3 15w

(Or, to use your analogy, the morphine is absolutely important and very often necessary, but it can’t put out the fire, nor treat the burn.)

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Anonymous #4 15w

You and I def agree, but ur comment directly goes against the original post. OP is complaining abt people saying we need to treat depression/anxiety first, and you’re saying you had to treat depression/anxiety first before you could work on anything else. That’s exactly what I’m saying too! You can’t fix em without helping the adhd but you often can’t help the adhd until you’ve helped the others

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Anonymous #3 15w

I see what you mean. I think the only experiential difference between you and I is that when I had my first mental health crisis, the ADHD diagnosis saved me. When I had my second, much more acute mental health crisis years later, I needed help with the depression/anxiety before I could even think about root causes, because I was barely even able to take care of myself. So I see both sides, I guess!

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Anonymous #3 15w

I think OP’s complaint (and again OP, please correct me if I’m wrong) is being TOLD by medical professionals that their anxiety/depression must be treated and ‘resolved’ first, rather than working with mental health professionals and with the person themself to determine whether the anxiety and depression are acute enough to need quick intervention, or if there is time and space for a deeper approach

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Anonymous #4 15w

Omfg I’ve never heard of that, yes that would be absolutely infuriating!! I was reading it more as an average person saying the depression is the mental hurdle for getting treatment, which I think is true for a lot of people because the depression is so debilitating. But definitely everything should be treated simultaneously if possible!!

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Anonymous #3 15w

Yeah, for sure! I see it from that angle too, that makes a lot of sense. And I think that pressure to treat the symptom first can come from just other people too, like friends and family. The whole diagnosis and mental health treatment journey/world is so messy! It’s nice to have other people who have also experienced it and can understand and offer new angles of perspectives :)

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Anonymous #4 15w

But yes that’s fs the difference between you and I 😭 I was diagnosed w ptsd/depression/anxiety almost fifteen years before I was diagnosed with adhd lmao My adhd diagnosis did genuinely change my life as well!’ I’d never done as well as I’m doing now that I’m working on that too. I’m actually considering reducing my antidepressants soon!!

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Anonymous #3 15w

Oh wow, that’s exciting! I’m happy you’re doing so much better now!!

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Anonymous #4 15w

Yea u were spot on with everything 💞

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Anonymous #3 15w

Also lol I wasn’t trying to say tht ppl can’t have a different experience. Clearly the medical world has worked in ur favor which is awesome! But it’s important for the medical world to help out ppl who need a different avenue especially since it seems that’s not a rare issue. That’s my point

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Anonymous OP 15w

Oh I certainly wouldnt say the medical world worked in my favor 😭 being undiagnosed until 22 was definitely extremely detrimental for me and my health. I probably wouldn’t have had my psychotic break if I’d had my adhd managed sooner

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Anonymous OP 15w

But yes I agree, the medical world needs to work a lot harder to cater to the individual needs as opposed to the statistical average. The majority of people may have comorbidities, but the people who don’t have them absolutely should not be ignored and deserve the comprehensive treatment they need

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