I have recently been officially diagnosed with ADD, anxiety, and depression. All three I have lived with my entire life, therefore didn't realize that what I felt was abnormal. I didn't really believe in these kinds of things or at the very least, believed were all to happy to diagnose everyone with something. I knew there were people out there that really did have these kinds of issues, but I thought I knew the signs. Ha! I was living with it and had learned how to hide it from myself. All that said, I am now taking prescription medications for it and am trying to cope with it. I recognize some of my pattern behaviors but sometimes, its just so hard to motivate myself to get up and do something about it. I go through periods where I just don't have any motivation to do anything at all. I just sit there, blahed out, starring out the window wishing I felt like doing something cause I didn't even feel like just sitting there. How do ya'll find the motivation when it just simply isn't there?

Monica S

didn't know it was possible to have all 3 (no offense!). Was this just one doctor's diagnosis?

I think one might trigger the other; if you find it hard to focus on things with ADD, that will trigger anxiety that you can't focus on important things that need to get done, then you get depressed...

have you had your thyroid levels and vitamin levels checked? just makes sense to have that all checked since those can trigger mental issues.

I sometimes lack the motivation to do things too, mostly though I just feel too tired to do anything. I just have to really force myself to do things even though after I'm usually more tired and the next day less motivated.

sorry not much help, maybe others have ideas on what works for them.

How long have you been taking the medications? I ask because in my experience it takes some time for the body to adjust and you may feel tired at first and then better after a few months. If you feel too tired, I would talk to your doctor and see if they can make adjustments....you definitely have to be your own advocate.

ringmaster - it's absolutely possible to have all three. i don't have anxiety (except social anxiety but it's easily avoided if i don't leave the house or, if i do, don't leave the dog at home) but i have ADHD, OCD, and depression.

the depression is biological - it's part of my makeup - so really can't be fixed. meds make it worse - way worse.


mississippimom - ADD is actually a good thing. you can use the ADD to overcome the anxiety and the depression.

the popular conception of ADD as someone who's such a bubblehead they can't remember what year it is, let alone where they left their keys kind of irritates me. ADD is usually accompanied by extreme creativity - that's why nothing gets done unless you do lots of lists with little checkboxes to micromanage your time: you get this great idea but while doing it, you get another great idea and you have to get that down somewhere and while you're writing it down you suddenly thought of a way to get that other project moving again except the timer's gone off and oh crap, the bus! i have to get my daughter from the bus - wait - did i shut off the stove? did i even cook dinner? what did i cook - oh, that's right - she'll have her lunch bec i accidently sent her with two (again).....

...and so on.

harness that quick-thinking creativity and it's possible to keep yourself occupied and motivated by moving from one activity to the next without being stuck in one long enough to get bored.

I completely understand the periods of just sitting there staring out the window wishing you wanted to do something. I was diagnosed with ADHD last October, anxiety a year before that and severe PMDD 3 years ago (which brings on the depression part, but thank god its only really bad one-two weeks a month).

Hopefully the medication works for you. I know that finding the correct ADHD medicine and dosage can be cumbersome. ... Random note: It is now officially called ADHD without hyperactivity. Essentially it is ADD, but the American Psychiatric Association changed it so now it is all called ADHD with or without the hyperactivity part. It's kind of stupid, since saying "I have ADHD without hyperactivity" is a mouthful. Some doctors still just call it "ADD" since that is what it has been called for years, but that is not the correct name anymore.

Hey, I have depression and anxiety and UNdiagnosed ADD. It's almost impossible to get a diagnosis of Adult ADD in the UK. And it takes a lot of fighting. Which because of my depression I struggle with. But the psychs I've seen have all basically said without saying that they agree with me that I have the ADD and would support me on the long haul to get diagnosed. I also didn't believe in ADD!! But I did some reading about it and it's not just me...it's lots of members of my family as well. I'm halfway thinking about trying to get a diagnosis in the US (I'm American), but I don't go to the US that often. It wouldn't allow me to get meds in the UK, but it could speed up my diagnosis process here.

One of the BAD things about ADD is that you may use eating as one of your ways of combatting restlessness. I know I did (I'm doing a bit better about it now). There are ways to manage it, but right now I'm in a serious depressive episode so I struggle to manage the ADD. I'm getting NOTHING done. It sucks.

eating might also help you focus for awhile, or atleast stay focused on eating.

I'm reading some of ADD meds help with weight loss, not that you would use it just for that. but why not if you need ADD help. so many of these meds cause weight gain, would be nice to find one that helped lose weight.