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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:

Depression - Google News

5% pay cut sought for Congress - Chicago Sun-Times


5% pay cut sought for Congress
Chicago Sun-Times
The last time members of Congress took a pay cut was April 1, 1933, during the Great Depression. Now, Arizona GOP Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick says it's high time ...

and more »

House and Senate negotiators say budget deal is close - Washington Post (blog)


House and Senate negotiators say budget deal is close
Washington Post (blog)
The lawmakers have been struggling to overcome a $4 billion shortfall caused by the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. ...

and more »

Daylight Savings: Not a Bright Time for All - BusinessWeek


Daylight Savings: Not a Bright Time for All
BusinessWeek
However, that shift may not be such a welcome change for people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a seasonal depression that occurs in the fall and ...

and more »

Casa Grande students reflect on shantytown - Petaluma Argus Courier


Casa Grande students reflect on shantytown
Petaluma Argus Courier
The idea to create and stay overnight in the shantytown stemmed from the students' immersion in studying the Depression, which included reading John ...

and more »

Depression is coming soon, Olathe economist predicts - Kansas City Star


Kansas City Star

Depression is coming soon, Olathe economist predicts
Kansas City Star
Nobody wants to live through an economic depression marked by a beaten-down stock market, a jobless rate at 12 percent, widespread debt defaults and a ...

Depression's Upside - New York Times


Depression's Upside
New York Times
Depression, as framed in his article, could be an adaptive tendency to rethink decisions and mull over past events, thereby increasing focus. ...

Kendra: I Was Never Diagnosed With Postpartum Depression - E! Online (blog)


Sportsnet.ca

Kendra: I Was Never Diagnosed With Postpartum Depression
E! Online (blog)
She recently went public about her struggle with depression following the birth of her and husband Hank's son, Hank IV, in December. ...
Kendra Wilkinson's Depression Caused by Lack of Orgasms?Actress Archives
The Girls Next Door: Kendra Wilkinson Working on AutobiographyBuddyTV
Kendra Wilkinson Hates Her BoobsThe Hollywood Gossip (blog)
The Gossip Girls (blog) -Celebrity Baby Scoop (blog) -Bossip
all 254 news articles »

Confident Investors, Wary Consumers - New York Times


Confident Investors, Wary Consumers
New York Times
One economist, David Levy of the Jerome Levy Forecasting Center, warned this week that the United States was in a period of “contained depression,” a ...

and more »

The Link Between Obesity, Depression, And Heart Disease - EmpowHer (blog)


The Link Between Obesity, Depression, And Heart Disease
EmpowHer (blog)
Researchers have confirmed a link between obesity and depression. They say that it's true- if you are obese you are more likely to be depressed and if you ...
Fit Question: Weight Gain and Depression - Which Came First?About.com: Health

all 3 news articles »

What Is a Depression? - BloggingStocks (blog)


Parade Magazine

What Is a Depression?
BloggingStocks (blog)
So what exactly is a depression, and how could it be any worse than a recession? "A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you ...
A House DividedHuffington Post (blog)
How America Can Create New JobsParade Magazine
Whose recession is it, anyway?Lamron
Herald-Gazette
all 5 news articles »

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