Advice about ADD/Depression/Anxiety medication?

[xxmartinxx]

I really don't know where to go for real-world advice about this shit. I was going to post something like this on my Facebook, but I don't want family and friends to worry about me. Any first hand experience would be greatly appreciated.

Right now I'm being choked by a vicious circle of ADD/hyperfocus, anxiety, and depression that is really making it hard to deal with anything in my life.

I'd suffered from ADD and depression most of my life. My mind is and has always been a frazzled mess, except when I'm hyper-focused and fixated. My depression was the worst was in my teens and early twenties. I've been mostly depression free for probably six years, however about two or three years ago I started feeling terrible anxiety about things. This occurred mostly at night about things that had a basis in reality, but I would blow out of proportion. Due to the ADD, I've often had problems sleeping, but in the past few years I've spent more than a few nights with literally no sleep because I can't shut my mind off.

When my son was born a year and a half ago I actually felt the first bit of serious depression I had in a long while. It was almost like some weird male version of postpartum depression. I've actually looked into male postpartum depression, but it seems to stem more around being upset that your life was going to change, which wasn't my feelings at all. I was more upset and felt guilty that I had brought a life into this world that would feel pain, suffering, would know the death of me and his mother, and then himself die.

Anyway, I was able to navigate through those feelings for a while and a little over a week ago I started to fixate on them again, this time even worse. Those feelings have coupled with my anxiety and ADD and I've fallen into a nihilistic rabbit hole that for the past week I've been trying to rationalize myself out of but haven't been able to. The anxiety of the death of my wife, my son, and myself has overwhelmed me to the point where I almost cannot breathe. I feel that doing anything in life is pointless; both in the present and the future.

At first I was afraid to tell my wife about this because I didn't want to infect her with the same thoughts that were fucking up my life. I couldn't deal with them myself anymore and I expressed them to her. Her reaction to them (one of indifference) proved that my anxiety and depression wasn't rational and I was going to have to weather this.

I've been weathering it as best as I can and it has gotten a little better, but it's still crushing me. It occurs to me that I might need professional medical help.

I sort of think that if I could fix the ADD part, the anxiety and depression would follow. I'm aware that this are three separate disorders, but does anyone have any experience with something like this?

[xxmartinxx]

...or if anyone is a vampire and would like to turn me, get at me.

[circlingvultures]

Hey man. Get in touch. Preferably via text. It took me until this point to get help for those exact things. I know exactly what you are dealing with.

[kittenmittons]

i've got quite a few years behind me on this subject. primarily if you're being treated for add, they've already tried working on your depression or vice versa. i've actually been to the doctor and asked to be put on meds for add but she said since i was already on zoloft that she didn't feel comfortable prescribing it to me because one is often a symptom of the other and she wanted to do more tests. my advice to you is to see a doctor you're really comfortable with and trust. someone you can discuss this casually with and see whether starting a low dose of an anti-depression medication helps clear your focus a bit. when you're chemically balanced things start to fall into place.

that being said, i still have trouble concentrating/sitting still but i blame that on my laziness and weed smoking.

i'm interested to see what other people have to put in here. but you should definitely NOT be ashamed or worried about getting help. a majority of people suffer with these problems and do just that - suffer - their whole lives. you don't have to. so many patients are treated for depression and add these days that there is no stigma attached, in my opinion, that should hamper you from seeking all the help you need. trust me, if you don't do it for yourself do it for your son. a happy and healthy, mentally stable dad is the best thing for you AND your family.

also, life may be pointless in a sense but it's all perspective. when you get your brain chemistry set straight you will be able to see it more clearly. you DO have a reason to exist, even if it may or may not be part of a grand scheme or make big waves- just enjoy life man. you have no other responsibility to this world than to live the life you want and love the life you live. sounds cheesy but absolutely true. not everything has to make sense. i've started living in the moment and it's taken a huge burden off me in that sense.

hope this helps. message me if you want rx advice/my experience with that sorta thing.

[goraiders]

I have really bad anxiety and ADD, but I haven't really gone to the doctor yet. I keep putting it off and trying to decide what to od.

[lonesomexloveus]

I have ADD and i'm medicated for it. best decision ever. Like everyone else said - there's absolutely no shame in being medicated. I avoided it for a long time because i was afraid of what people would think (soooo many people downplay depression/ADD as 'made up', etc) but i wish i would have gotten meds soon.

I don't have that much experience with the depression, etc, so i cant offer any advice on that front. I can, however, offer some levity to an otherwise serious topic:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/01/hi-im-energetic-today.html

[Guest eriathomas]

Despite all the possible negative effects, SSRIs are really good for Depression and Anxiety. I took Lexipro for a year, and it really helped me deal with both. It just might take trying a few different ones before you find one that works for you, and the first month of using them makes you feel worse and sick, but in the long run they leave a lasting changing in your brain chemistry.

[j4m35]

pmd you