Article: 7674 of alt.support.depression.medication From: "sijka" Newsgroups: alt.support.depression.medication,alt.support.social-phobia,alt.support.depression References: Subject: Re: Depression compared to ADD Lines: 89 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 Message-ID: <9OuKa.52383$fe.1049879@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 04:39:33 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.208.95.194 X-Complaints-To: abuse@rr.com X-Trace: twister.rdc-kc.rr.com 1056602373 24.208.95.194 (Wed, 25 Jun 2003 23:39:33 CDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 23:39:33 CDT Path: news.meer.net!sea-read.news.verio.net!dfw-artgen!sjc-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!newsfeed.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp!headwall.stanford.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!elnk-pas-nf2!elnk-pas-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!cyclone.socal.rr.com!cyclone2.kc.rr.com!news2.kc.rr.com!twister.rdc-kc.rr.com.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail Xref: archive.mv.meer.net alt.support.depression.medication:7674 alt.support.social-phobia:791 alt.support.depression:61921 That's a *whopper* of a question. And one that can't be answered easily. Keep in mind these are *very* basic descriptors. Depression -- What Is It? A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals and also varies over time. Depression a.. Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood b.. Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism c.. Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness d.. Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex e.. Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down" f.. Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions g.. Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping h.. Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain i.. Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts j.. Restlessness, irritability k.. Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ADD/ADHD--What Is It? ADD/ADHD is a diagnosable, treatable, biologically based disorder. The primary symptoms include some combination of inattentiveness or distractibility, impulsivity, and in some people physical restlessness or hyperactive behavior. Other AD/HD symptoms (yes, everyone has these to some degree in their lives) but not to a significant degree as an AD/HD person: Having a LOT of difficulty sustaining attention. Making careless mistakes, not paying attention to detail. The child or adult with ADD often "doesn't seem to listen", seems tuned out. Children fail to follow instructions, don't get schoolwork or chores done. Lots and lots of difficulty with organization, keeping track of things. Losing things often -- particularly things like supplies, homework, papers, etc. Getting easily distracted by outside stimuli, like people talking or things going on outside the window Forgetting to do things -- very frequently, which means things don't get done Physical restlessness for some people, fidgeting, can't sit still, etc. For many children, a lot of difficulty remaining seated, waiting in line, etc. Being physically "on the go" for some people, overactive in their behavior For children, having difficulty playing quietly or co-operating within a group Reacting impulsively, without thinking first -- with ADHD it is often a matter of "act before you think," instead of "think before you act"!! What medical research has shown is that in people with ADHD there is an area in the brain involving the frontal lobe and basal ganglia, which is underactive. These areas of the brain are responsible for inhibiting or controlling impulsive and disruptive behavior. Interestingly, what some medications such as the stimulant medications do is to normalize functioning in these areas of the brain, meaning, roughly speaking, that with medication those areas are working at the same rate of speed as the rest of the brain. These are rough generalizations, but based on the research findings that I've seen this is what happens with ADHD at the biological level. We've still got a long ways to go to fully understand the biology of ADHD though. Sijka "gabatril" wrote in message news:eadac0ae.0306251202.3e553166@posting.google.com... > Both diagnosis shares the same symptoms like the lack off > concentration/focus and Wellbutrin which is an antidepressant are also > prescribed for ADD so I though that it must be a thin line between > Depression and ADD,I would really love to try adderal or Ritalin but I > think it`s not that easy to get if your not diagnosed with add,what's > the real difference anyway between ADD and pure Depression