Whilst it’s true that many people with ADHD are misdiagnosed with depression, it’s important to remember that depression is one of the most common comorbidities of ADHD. The two can absolutely exist in combination, and there is a lot of conjecture that until we tackle ADHD, depression can’t be properly treated. But as Gemma Styles points out, depression doesn’t just disappear the minute you’ve received an ADHD diagnosis.
Gemma Styles is a writer, the host of the Good Influence Podcast and an ambassador for the charity, MQ Mental Health Research. She is a warm and insightful voice in the spaces of mental health, feminism and sustainability, using her platform to drive awareness and action across a variety of issues. She talks very openly about her own mental health, but only recently received a diagnosis of ADHD after years spent dealing with anxiety and depression.
In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to have ADHD and depression, and Gemma shares how her ADHD diagnosis represented a shift in how she experienced depression. We explore helpful accountability, the inability to initiate tasks and how those experiences are common to both depression and ADHD. Gemma describes the shame we carry, how the advocacy of family and friends was a game-changer, and we discuss our shared frustration over how unhelpful the ‘ADHD is a superpower’ model can be.
Listeners can use the code LOOPXISITMYADHD for 15% off
You can find Gemma at GemmaStyles.com and on Instagram
Her podcast, Good Influence is on all podcast platforms
Please note, your first port of call if you think you might have ADHD should be your GP. In the meantime, you can find more information here:
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