The word morbid often makes people think of miserable events or sadness but in this context it means something different. It refers to conditions that occur alongside the ADHD. People are often treated for these conditions without the ADHD being diagnosed and treated as well. ADHD is a genetic condition with a bio-chemical basis. The chemical imbalances in the brain can result in more than one condition.
Zanele works in a computer programming environment. She has at various times in her life been treated for anxiety and depression. She was talking to her supervisor one day about her tendency to procrastinate when her supervisor commented that she acted like a person with ADD. As Zanele researched the condition she realized she had all the symptoms and her school and college performance had also been negatively affected by her difficulty in focusing and concentrating.
The conditions that most commonly co-occur with ADHD are:
• Depression: is characterized by sadness, decreased interest or pleasure in life, lethargy or
agitation, feeling tired all the time, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, feeling guilty or
that life is simply not worth living.
• Anxiety: feeling nervous and tense all the time, or flooded by fear and worry.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: is diagnosed when people have disturbing thoughts,
impulses or images that re-occur even when they try to think of other things and also have
ritualized, repetitive behaviours (or thoughts) to try and relieve the anxiety caused by the
obsession.
• Substance Abuse or Dependence: occurs when the person has developed a pattern of
tolerance, withdrawal or psychological dependence on a substance. The abuse or dependence
could relate to prescription, over-the-counter or illegal substances.
• Bi-Polar Disorder: occurs when people move from extreme highs to extreme lows in mood. The condition can occur in complex forms.
It is important to remember that some people have only ADHD while other people have more than one condition. These conditions should never be diagnosed without the input of a competent professional person. People may talk about feeling anxious or depressed but the clinical conditions are debilitating and occur over longer periods of time.
Each condition must be treated separately for best results. It is sometimes difficult to clearly identify what is wrong. A person with ADHD may have experienced years of educational failure and be very anxious about their ability to cope with life's demands. The doctor treating the person will try to figure out whether there are two separate conditions or whether the anxiety is a normal consequence of the person's sense of failure.
You may wish to read Your Mental Health by Francis, A. and First, M.B. published by Scribner, New York, 1998
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