These are often caused by the activities people participate in. Those with ADHD have weight fluctuations or periods when they are sleeping too much or too little. Significant changes in appetite, body weight, and sleep patterns. But with BD depression, I lose interest in everything.”ģ. “With ADHD, I get bored quickly and lose interest in something. One of the first signs of depression for Indigo, 17, was not wanting to play the guitar. Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. In BD, the mood shifts, which can be rapid and intense, seem to come from the inside, regardless of what is happening externally.Ģ. She saw that her depressive moods were caused by external events. Lilia, diagnosed with ADHD, could always pinpoint the reason for her moods - a break-up, a poor grade on a test, or a fight with a friend. I knew that meant the beginning of what I call one of my ‘doomdays.’ I never knew why I felt that way, and it lasted for two or three days sometimes.” This is a classic depressive episode commonly seen with BD. Francis, 14, would wake up feeling “completely gray. But on deeper examination, there are ways to distinguish one condition from the other. Both conditions involve impulsivity, irritability, hyperactivity, emotional dysregulation, sleep problems, a racing brain, and problems with maintaining attention. It is understandable that doctors confuse bipolar symptoms for those of ADHD. After the treatment, I still couldn’t get my life together, so I figured I was a loser.” After a bout of alcoholism and two suicide attempts, he was assessed by a specialist who understood both conditions and was diagnosed with ADHD and BD. “I had been told I had something called ‘Limbic and Ring of Fire ADHD,’ which could be treated with supplements. Tristan had struggled with BD for 12 years. As with any co-occurring disorder, it is important to receive the right diagnosis as early as possible to treat the condition effectively. It can take up to 17 years for patients to receive a diagnosis of BD. The tragedy is that, when the disorders co-occur, the diagnoses are often missed. Recent research, however, suggests that about 1 in 13 patients with ADHD has comorbid BD, and up to 1 in 6 patients with BD has comorbid ADHD 2. Bipolar disorder often co-occurs with ADHD in adults, with comorbidity rates estimated between 5.1 and 47.1 percent 1. Bipolar FactsĪpproximately 10 million people in the United States have BD. Richard and Jack had ADHD, but they also suffered from Bipolar Disorder (BD), characterized by episodes of depression and of elevated mood states, referred to as hypomanic or manic episodes. He attempted suicide at 16, after reporting that he couldn’t live in a world that was “too loud” for him. His mother said that on some days “he would wake up on the destructive side of the bed.” Instead of tantrums, she endured rages over things that, on other days, didn’t anger him. Jack, 17, was diagnosed with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder at age four. Richard did not find the ADHD stimulants that his doctor prescribed to be helpful, and he began to feel worthless and socially isolated. His therapist said that people with ADHD often had mood fluctuations. He suffered from terrible depressive episodes and had weeks when he was consistently restless, agitated, and unable to sleep. Richard, 31, had been diagnosed with ADHD at 12, but he felt that the diagnosis did not explain some of his disabling symptoms.
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