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.
Powered by Feedzilla
Contact Us Today For Ad Information... Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... It seems unreal, another major storm hitting Florida after experiencing... Read More It is true that forms of depression cannot be avoided,... Read More Millions of people sufferaround the world from a depressive illness.... Read More On July 18, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA)... Read More Music so strongly evokes emotional responses that it is being... Read More Schizophrenia suffers around the world have benefitted greatly with the... Read More Depression is the most prevalent disease of our time. Under... Read More While it is arguable that depression is not always preventable,... Read More FDA confirms some antidepressants increase suicide risk in some children.... Read More Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a... Read More There is an illness all around me in modern society... Read More THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient... Read More "Thanks for Noticin' Me" says Eeyore. He walks slowly. He... Read More When we have depression, one of the things we drop... Read More IntroductionChange in social and economical states throughout the world although... Read More I heard about a woman who was suffering from depression,... Read More Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Depression are absolutely systemic in our... Read More When I first mention this to most people, they really... Read More Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant Depression About Vagus... Read More 1. Get out now and walk fifteen minutes. It will... Read More It has just been announced, after a study by a... Read More Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it... Read More We all have blue days:We're missing someone we've lost, the... Read More When suffering from clinical depression, people have different ways of... Read More With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to... Read More
Cheap Domain Names
Hurricane Recovery: Steps to Start Putting Your Life Back in Order
Natural Remedies For Depression
Are you suffering from Depression?
New FDA Approved Therapy for Depression: Timeline from Prescription to Procedure
Tuning the Music Therapist
Are the Benefits Worth the Costs?
Turn Depression into Joy
The Formula for Preventing Depression
What?s The Latest on Suicide Risk and Antidepressants For Children?
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Depression Are Not The Same Thing!
Depression: Escape Your Mental Prison
Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function
ADHD and Depression -- More Common Than Thought
Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines
Antidepressants 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know
Ten Tips For Beating Depression
What?s Causing My Depression and Fatigue?
Control Your Own Level of Motivation
Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
7 Things You Can Do Immediately To Ease Depression
Seven Ways To Deal With Your Depression
Depressed? Wise Woman Ways Offer a Helping Hand
Wellbutrin For Depression: When Its More Than Just The Blues
Major Depression and Its Serious Complications
Change Your Life Forever with New Medical Breakthrough Treatment for Depression
Contact Us Today For Ad Information... A zoo attendant entered a lion cage carrying only a... Read More August in Florida has a daily ritual that Floridians take... Read More On July 15th, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA)... Read More Many illnesses, emotional and otherwise, are often said to be... Read More Depression is a problem that faces many of us, young... Read More Unfortunately, millions of Americans currently suffer from the debilitating effects... Read More If you have been diagnosed with depression or feel that... Read More THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient... Read More Depression, in psychiatry, is a symptom of mood disorder characterized... Read More What's curious is that most of them will be on... Read More Depression strikes most of us and it can make us... Read More While it is arguable that depression is not always preventable,... Read More A major survey on depression symptoms from the National Mental... Read More Depression can have many, many faces. If you are not... Read More "Thanks for Noticin' Me" says Eeyore. He walks slowly. He... Read More INTRODUCTION Everybody has a story. My... Read More When we have depression, one of the things we drop... Read More I'm sure at times of deep crisis many of you... Read More Katie came as close as is possible to having it... Read More Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant Depression About Vagus... Read More There are Many Resources for Online Suicide HelpFirst of all,... Read More While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people... Read More Since Dr Malcolm Peet, a consultant psychiatrist at Sheffield swallow... Read More As a counselor, I am often asked, "Can drugs be... Read More Market surveys on women, men and depression suggest an estimated... Read More
Affordable and Reliable Web
Hosting Starting
It Aint Easy Being Brave
Surviving the Storms of Life
FDA Approves Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression
Eliminate The Belief That Your Illness Is Genetic
Use Alternative Medicine to Ease Depression
Do Natural Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Supplements Really Work?
Your Daily Struggle With Depression
Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function
First Thing You Should Do to Get Out of Depression
Antidepressants: Control or Cure?
Cure Against Depression and Low Self Confidence
The Formula for Preventing Depression
Chronic Depression: Disease or Charcter Flaw?
How to Put an End to Depression
ADHD and Depression -- More Common Than Thought
The Patients Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines
The Cost of Giving Up
How to Overcome Anxiety and Take Repossession of Your Life!
Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
Sources of Online Suicide Help for People Suffering from Severe Depression
5 Tips to Reduce Depression
Omega 3 EPA: Natures Very Own Anti-depressant
What About Drugs for Anxiety and Depression?
Adult Men and Women Who Suffer From Chronic Depression
Depression |