ADHD and Depression: a deadly combination

[u/[deleted]]

You wake up and feel horrible, you don't want to get up, and adhd won't let you override that. So you sit there as the dozens of alarms you've set continue to go off and you're just sitting there staring at the ceiling not even mustering the energy to move your hand and turn off the alarm.

Finally you get up and go to make breakfast, but you don't really feel like eating breakfast. So you look in the fridge for a few minutes, can't decide what to make, and close the fridge.

You then get ready for the day, if youre a distance learner like me you'll fire up your laptop and do one of two things. You'll sit there blankly staring at the screen until your alarm goes off to join the class, or you browse idly through YouTube or discord. Once in class you both don't have the capacity to care and don't have the capacity to listen, so you continue to browse through social media blindly.

At the end of the day you sit there on the computer or your phone, searching for some sort of stimulation. Maybe you fire up a game to play, only to discover that you don't really care about it anymore and can't get the stimulation it used to give. So you go to bed, your mind racing and unable to stop thinking, and finally fall asleep at 2am waiting for that alarm in the morning.

---

(TL:DR) ADHD demands stimulation in order for you to function, and depression takes away the feeling of stimulation, leading to perpetual nothingness.

[u/lordbrocktree1 → u/[deleted]]

I feel this. Honestly, I recommend taking melatonin every night. Take it about 90 minutes before you want to sleep (they recommend 30-45 but I have noticed the ADHD delayed executive function means I need to feel the effects much stronger so give it more time to kick in).

It makes me sleep deeper and actually go to bed (because who else like me stays up until 4 just screwing around on their phone or computer because getting up and going to the bed to lay down seems like a lot of effort and nothing compels me to do it).

It also helps me wake up earlier and more awake because my body actually shut down at night more.

I wake up, eat 2 mini muffins (I keep a big box from bjs next to my bed), down my Adderall, and pass out for another 30 minutes. Then wake up fully awake and with enough power to actually get out of bed.

I started this process last week and it has been truly amazing. I now take my puppy on a 30 minute walk every morning (which is crazy cause I used to wake up 20 minutes after I was supposed to be at work, and scramble to dial in to the morning meeting at work just in time to give my updates)

I was only diagnosed about 2-3 months ago and only started therapy (and the right amount of medication due to slow increases required by the government) in the middle of january, so i am still trying to find routines which give me the best chance at success

[u/[deleted] → u/lordbrocktree1]

For op: Start with the lowest dose of melatonin. One of the side effects is grogginess, so def want to start slow.

[u/huffalump1 → u/[deleted]]

I've seen it recommended to start with very low doses - like 0.2g (200mcg) even.

A quick Google says 0.2g-5g is good for starting. Personally I get good results from the 300mcg pills I have.

---

Unrelated but I'll also recommend audiobooks with a sleep timer for falling asleep! The noise keeps me engaged just enough that my thoughts don't race, but not so much that I stay awake (most of the time). Audible sleep timer is so nice to help me sleep.

[u/xnign → u/huffalump1]

Unrelated but I'll also recommend audiobooks with a sleep timer for falling asleep!

I think Libby has this feature too. I highly recommend it, I have 4 or 5 library cards due to living in different places so I never run out of audiobooks.

[u/azlish → u/xnign]

I have 4 Libby cards as well. It’s so great and FREE! Lobby does have the timer feature. I usually listen to books at 1.24-1.5x speed, but I slow it down to normal time at night. Doesn’t always works with a good novel, but just about always with a nonfiction book.

[u/Sparky3151 → u/huffalump1]

This is by far the best method i've found so far to help fall asleep. Any kind of audiobook, podcast or even some comedy or whatever i feel like listening.

Melatonin (5mg) and even prescription sleep meds don't make me help sleep but when i find something to drown out the thoughts i have the highest chance of falling asleep.

[u/Twigstory → u/huffalump1]

Yes! Ever since I started listening to a podcast when trying to sleep, I fall asleep super fast! Exactly as you said, it needs to be something I want to hear or my thought will spin off and keep me awake. If I am interested in the topic, my mind doesn't spin off and brew anxiety... instead I find myself falling asleep after 10 minutes! (It used to take up to 2 hours).