Living with ADHD and depression

Living with ADHD can feel hard enough as it is. But ADHD often comes along with co-occurring mental health conditions that can make everyday life feel even more challenging. 

One of the most common conditions that occurs with ADHD is depression. People with ADHD are nearly three times more likely to also live with depression. Living with co-occurring ADHD and depression can lead to more severe symptoms and an increased risk of suicide.

If you live with ADHD and depression, you deserve support. With treatment, you can learn how to manage the symptoms of both of these conditions.

What does co-occurring depression and ADHD feel like?

Co-occurring depression and ADHD can be more challenging than living with one or the other. When left untreated, ADHD symptoms can worsen depression symptoms and impact your life in negative ways. Sometimes, depression symptoms — like lack of focus — can also overlap with ADHD. 

People with co-occurring ADHD and depression can experience overlapping symptoms, like:

• Low self-esteem: While low self-esteem is often associated with depression, ADHD can make it even worse. ADHD can cause rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which can make you especially vulnerable to any perceived slight or rejection from others.
• Social isolation: Depression may cause you to isolate yourself from your loved ones. ADHD can make relationships feel tense and fragile.
• Frequent crying: Tearfulness is often associated with depression, but ADHD can also make it difficult to manage strong emotions.
• Chronic feelings of failure: When you live with depression, you may already feel a sense of worthlessness due to your condition. Co-occurring ADHD can make these feelings worse, as it might make it harder for you to keep up with others’ expectations.
• Difficulty concentrating: Both ADHD and depression can make it challenging to focus. When you live with both, you might find that it’s almost impossible to concentrate on the tasks in front of you. 
• Executive functioning deficits: Both ADHD and depression can affect your brain’s executive functioning skills, which are complex cognitive skills like planning and impulse control. This can lead to things like ADHD paralysis.
• Irritability: Although we tend to associate depression with sadness, it can also make you irritable. ADHD can also cause angry outbursts and feelings of irritation.
• Sleep disturbances: Both depression and ADHD can negatively affect sleep. ADHD can make it difficult to get restful sleep. Depression can also cause insomnia, but some people with depression sleep more than usual due to fatigue. If you live with both, you might experience excessive daytime sleepiness.

Can ADHD cause depression?

The relationship between ADHD and depression is complex, and it’s not accurate to say ADHD is a direct cause of depression. Depression doesn’t have one singular cause. Many risk factors, like genetics and stressful life events, can increase your risk of developing it.

Research has found that ADHD can be a risk factor for depression. People with ADHD are three times more likely to have depression than people without ADHD. ADHD is a condition that’s rooted in your brain’s development, and you must have experienced symptoms during childhood to qualify for a diagnosis. This means that, for most people, ADHD predates depression symptoms.

For example, one study found that young children aged 4 to 6 with ADHD were significantly more likely to have major depressive disorder, dysthymia, or experience a suicide attempt as teenagers. Another found that young adults who were diagnosed with ADHD as children were much more likely to have depression.

Women with ADHD are more likely to have co-occurring depression than men. In addition, some research suggests that people with inattentive-type ADHD are more likely to be depressed than those with hyperactive-impulsive ADHD or combined-type ADHD.

There are many things about the ADHD experience that can make you more vulnerable to depression. 

Low self-esteem

ADHD can negatively affect your self-esteem. It might be due to the fact that many people still don’t understand the symptoms of ADHD, and you might have been labeled as lazy, inappropriate, or disruptive as a child. You may find it difficult to keep up with adult responsibilities and feel like you’re not meeting your full potential. All of this can lead to a lower self-esteem, which can make you more vulnerable to depression.

Social rejection

ADHD also affects your relationships. Both children and adults with ADHD are often rejected by their peers. Other people may not understand the way your brain works, and you could find it difficult to try to fit in with neurotypical communities. Awareness around ADHD is growing, but we still have a long way to go. If your ADHD has made it difficult for you to build a strong social support network, this can make you at higher risk for depression.

Rejection sensitive dysphoria

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), though not an official symptom, is a common characteristic of ADHD. Research suggests that it may happen due to brain-structure differences in people with ADHD. RSD causes people with ADHD to experience significant emotional pain when they perceive rejection or failure. When left unaddressed, it could lead to depression. 

Emotional dysregulation

ADHD causes emotional dysregulation, or a hard time having self-control over strong emotions. You might sometimes feel completely overwhelmed by painful emotions like loneliness, anger, or hopelessness. These emotional ups and downs can be exhausting to live with, and lead to depression for some people. 

Stress

Lastly, living with ADHD can be stressful, especially if you haven’t received diagnosis and treatment. You may be struggling to succeed in a world built for neurotypical brains. Stress has repeatedly been shown to be a risk factor for depression.

What are the health risks of ADHD and depression?

Unfortunately, living with both ADHD and depression is associated with worse health outcomes than living with one or the other. For example, one study found that coexisting ADHD in women was associated with more severe depression symptoms than women who have depression alone. 

In addition, women with coexisting ADHD and depression had more severe impairment, which means that they experienced more difficulties with day-to-day activities like work. You might find keeping up with life’s responsibilities, like maintaining relationships, putting in effort at work, and practicing self-care, to be completely overwhelming when you’re dealing with ADHD and depression.

The study also found that people with ADHD were at higher risk of self-harm and suicide and were also more likely to be hospitalized. This means that the combination of untreated depression and ADHD isn’t only uncomfortable, but it also has the potential for further risk factors. If you live with these conditions, you deserve support.

Treating depression and ADHD at the same time

Fortunately, treatment for these conditions is effective. The important thing is to get the right diagnosis. Your healthcare provider needs to address both conditions, not only one or the other. So many people with ADHD, especially women, are misdiagnosed. Many seek support because depression symptoms (or another mental health condition) are so painful, and the underlying ADHD gets overlooked.

Be honest with your healthcare provider about all of your symptoms, and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if you believe you may have co-occurring ADHD alongside depression. 

Some treatment methods and interventions that can help for both ADHD and depression include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Mindfulness-based therapies
• Psychiatric medications
• Physical exercise

Find care with Rula

If you live with co-occurring ADHD and depression, there’s support available to help you. With the right diagnosis and treatment, you can learn to manage the symptoms of these conditions and find happiness.  

At Rula, we work with an extensive network of therapists who specialize in conditions including ADHD and depression. We can help you find a therapist who meets your unique needs and takes your insurance. You can meet with someone as early as this week.

Find a therapist with Rula