Hey!
Hope you’re all doing well!
I wanted to ask what experience do you have with medication for depression & anxiety? I don’t really know where is the boundary between ADHD symptoms and anxiety and depression. I am unable to do anything a lot of the time because of low levels of dopamine and associated brain fog and executive dysfunction. I am inhibited all the time and it is socially debilitating as well.
This means for me that I am unable to keep up with my life and studies (2nd-year undergrad) and I tend to withdraw from everything - even leaving my room becomes problematic then. Naturally, I don’t have any stimulation and I am becoming more and more depressed when this happens. I only have a few classes per week, so no one can really notice, and it is hard to even gather the energy and motivation to do something with it (plus the shame).
I am on 5mg methylphenidate 2xday as other medication didn’t seem to help that much and a higher dose came with an increase in heartbeat and anxiety. I have just started a CBT therapy and was encouraged to start antidepressant medication as well.
Can anti-depressant medication improve my symptoms even though they are attributable to ADHD? Is it worth it? If so, which type of antidepressant?
And secondly, does anyone has an experience with CBT? How should I approach the therapy and talk to my therapist when the main cause of my troubles is not maladaptive cognitive schemas, but symptoms of ADHD that have led me into this situation, and thus limited internal resources to cope with my situation?
Thank you!
Matej