Comorbidities & ADHD

‍Comorbidities & ADHD
‍
ADHD is rarely regarded and recognized as an isolated disorder, so that comorbid disorders, such as depression or anxiety disorder, are often diagnosed and treated. As a result, there is no effective treatment of ADHD symptoms, which can lead to a downward spiral for those affected and ultimately influences private and professional life.

ADHD is a risk factor for most mental health symptoms. Even for professionals, it is not always easy to differentiate between a mood disorder and ADHD. In both cases, those affected often suffer from severe affect-related disorders, such as mood swings and a feeling of depression and depression. Loss of control or even the tendency to develop fears and even panic are also common. Substance misuse can sometimes be observed as a result of insufficiently developed coping strategies.

Social behavior disorders often result from the fact that perceived anger due to impulsivity is often expressed frequently, which leads to outbursts of anger and loss of control and results in interpersonal conflicts. Social risk factors are particularly important in adulthood. Due to their symptoms, those affected often have difficulties in achieving an adequate level of education. Frequent career changes and increased unemployment are also reported, which may also be related to low self-esteem.

ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can often occur with other disorders, known as comorbid disorders. It is estimated that around 60-80% of people with ADHD have at least one comorbid disorder.

Treating ADHD and comorbid disorders often requires a comprehensive approach. A combination of medication, psychotherapy, and supportive measures can help alleviate symptoms and improve the way you deal with challenges. It is important that people with ADHD and comorbid disorders seek professional help to get an accurate diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment. Early intervention can help reduce the risk of complications and improve quality of life.

‍ADHD & Depression/ Burnout

‍Burnout and depression may be more common among people with ADHD than among people without ADHD. Combining ADHD with burnout or depression can increase the symptoms and challenges of both conditions and significantly impair the quality of life.

ADHD and depression are two different mental illnesses, but they can often occur together. People with ADHD have difficulty concentrating, controlling impulsive behavior, and regulating their emotions. They can also be hyperactive and often have trouble organizing and completing their tasks. There are a few similarities between ADHD and depression. Both conditions can affect self-esteem and lead to feelings of inadequacy. People with ADHD may experience frustration and disappointment due to their difficulty completing tasks or concentrating, which can lead to depressive symptoms. At the same time, people with depression may have difficulty completing their daily tasks due to their low mood and lack of energy, which can lead to ADHD-like symptoms.

In addition, ADHD symptoms, such as impulsivity, emotional instability, and low self-esteem, can increase the risk of depression. People with ADHD may have difficulty regulating their emotions and dealing with setbacks or challenges, which can lead to an increased vulnerability to depressive symptoms. A lack of self-structuring skills can lead to increased levels of stress as individuals have difficulty dealing with the demands of everyday life. The chronic stress can lead to burnout, in which a person is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. Burnout and depression may be more common in people with ADHD than in people without ADHD. Combining ADHD with burnout or depression can increase the symptoms and challenges of both conditions and significantly impair the quality of life. It is important that people with ADHD who show signs of burnout or depression seek professional help and receive treatment that is tailored to their individual needs. Comprehensive treatment may include a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and supportive measures. Treating ADHD can help alleviate symptoms and improve how you deal with stress and emotional challenges. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to reduce the risk of complications and improve quality of life.

‍ADHD & Compulsion/ Anxiety

‍ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can often be comorbid with other disorders, particularly OCD and anxiety disorders.

OCD is characterized by recurring, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or compulsive behaviors (compulsions). People with ADHD may be at increased risk of OCD. The symptoms of ADHD, such as impulsivity and restlessness, can lead to compulsive behaviors to achieve some control or order. At first, this sounds contradictory, as ADHD sufferers are more known for their chaos and disorder. However, the feeling of loss of control and inability to “order their lives” can lead to an obligation to order for some ADHD patients. It's possible for ADHD and OCD to co-exist. Those affected can be very perfectionist in one area and more chaotic in another area.

Patients with both anxiety and ADHD can observe some behaviours. These include procrastination or procrastination, fear of (new) failure, uncertain handling of anxiety and inner restlessness. Children with ADHD often show particularly risk-taking and adventurous behavior, which can overwhelm parents - they then react with anxious control behavior, which is transferred to the children when it persists permanently. In adulthood, this can then develop into an anxiety disorder.

In connection with ADHD, there is often talk of reduced self-esteem, which can make it harder for those affected to get involved in new situations and new people and establish contact. Over the course of their lives, these people have often experienced failures, which is why they usually only seek out familiar situations. Avoidance creates symptoms of social anxiety, some of which can even extend to a diagnosis of “social phobia.”

‍Social relationships & ADHD — finding a healthy balance

‍Social support and interpersonal contacts have beneficial effects on people's health and represent an important resource for managing stress. Even though stress primarily results from exposure to the social environment, social relationships have positive effects on the experience of stress. Good social relationships also mean support in the event of difficulties and how to overcome them.

People with ADHD often have difficulty creating and maintaining social relationships. In the area of contact and communication, the difficulty lies in the fact that ADHD sufferers are often unable to maintain a conversation. They are easily distracted and have problems listening to the other person or maintaining eye contact, which can lead to misunderstandings, frustration or even be seen as a lack of interest. Impulsive behavior has a negative impact on social relationships when people with ADHD make statements or act without thinking about the consequences or being aware that it can result in hurting others and conflict. An often existing lack of emotional regulation can lead to impulsive and often incomprehensible excessive reactions from outside. ADHD symptoms such as restlessness and hyperactivity make it difficult for those affected to sit quietly or concentrate on an activity, which can lead to restlessness or distraction in social situations.

However, there are strategies and treatment options that can help people with ADHD improve their social skills and build more successful relationships.

A well-established network of relationships strengthens our self-esteem and demonstrably protects our health. Interpersonal contacts have a protective effect against harmful stress, reduce loneliness and provide an opportunity to express one's own feelings. Maintaining the network of relationships is therefore of great benefit to health and well-being, but requires active work. Sociability, active listening, eye contact and praise & compliments are examples of beneficial aspects of maintaining but also building social relationships.

Which potentialities Do you think of or are you already using around,

1) Maintain and maintain social relationships and/or
2) Establish social relationships?

‍In addition to the beneficial aspects already mentioned, there are other ways to maintain your network of relationships or to make positive contact with other people. For example, doing someone a favor, offering or even accepting help, arranging regular meetings, taking part in celebrations and getting in touch regularly.

Self-care and awareness of one's own limits is just as important as maintaining a social relationship. You have certainly already experienced situations in which you would rather have said no, or felt overburdened and would have preferred to hand over tasks. But you didn't trust you. Sometimes it is necessary to hand over tasks and say “no” to prevent possible overwork. (FROM 2.8)

The “Say No and Set Boundaries” worksheet helps you to recognize in which situations they should say no, why it might be difficult for them and how to communicate your no to others in a nice way and thus understand yourself and your needs.

‍Recognize the need for recovery

‍In times of stress, we tend to neglect recovery and social contacts in order to appear to be able to perform better. As a result, positive experiences are becoming increasingly rare, which can have negative effects. Long-lasting stress creates a fatal vicious circle. Stress and stress symptoms take up even more space and the feeling of being overwhelmed increases. In the long term, a lack of recovery and compensation options leads to a decrease in resilience to burdens.

Daily rest is necessary to maintain health, well-being and performance and should be adapted to individual needs and personal well-being. Recovery means creating a balance between what burdens us and what relieves us. This is the only way we can avoid negative consequences of stress in the long term and build up resilience to new burdens and energies. Daily recovery is important to maintain performance and health. However, it is not always easy for us to perceive signals of our need for recovery or to act accordingly.

‍Try the following mental exercise:

‍Imagine that you have a hard day at work or a long work week behind you. Write down in bullet points how you are missing then? Which signals tell you that you need recovery?

Perhaps you've thought about feeling weak, tired, and exhausted. Some people also experience a feeling of being overwhelmed and unfocused, while others report feeling hip and over-excited despite exhaustion.

‍Recovery doesn't just happen through passive pausing. The recovery process should be actively designed to achieve the desired effect. Personal needs and signals result in different recovery goals, which are described in the associated worksheet (from 4.2).

‍For example, if you feel exhausted, drained and exhausted, you should rest, recharge your batteries and take some time off. This can take the form of a full bath, a sunbath or even as a visit to the sauna.
‍
‍Personal reflection:

‍On the worksheet, look for the signals that apply to you most often.
Which strategies can you apply and integrate them into everyday life?
Try out the strategies!