Neurodivergent or mood disorder?

[JamSandle]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone knows how you can be sure you're neurodivergent (say ADHD) or whether the issue is a mood disorder (or both).

I struggle so much but I'm starting to think I may have both. Where to start?

since receiving my adhd dx I have questioned the same thing. The lack of dopamine in the adhd brain results in low moods and in turn behaviours which stimulate dopamine which can cause difficulties in our relationships.

If you look at the words neuro=nerves and diverse=different from diverging from average and the word disorder= a disruption to mental / physical functioning you can see that the root cause may bedifferent but actually they need to be treated the same way.

It's not lack of dopamine, it's lack of neurotransmitters that transport dopamine.

I think it's extra complicated by hormones. ADHD is worse at different times of the month. The emotional symptoms of ADHD are not part of diagnostic criteria but they include emotional control or lack of. To lesser extent these parts of ADHD will also impact mood - your degree of stress tolerance (mine is quite high), how effective you feel your life is (do you have support and plans towards your goals), your level of impulsivity (mine is quite low), your ability to learn from mistakes (if low can lead to strong feelings of rejection/RSD).

I'm not really sure I know what a mood disorder is.

Therefore a lack of dopamine.

I would say you could start with one and then you can unpick what remains unexplained?
or just work out what works for you in supporting you - taking tools from either arena?
i have both adhd and a mood disorder diagnosed.

I get frustrated when I hear people say mood disorders are just misdiagnosed autism or adhd - maybe they are in some cases, but def not for me

For me my adhd is very constant and consistent (everyone is different but I experience mine as the chaos factor as well as other lovely things like feeling deeply and being very creative)
My mood disorder started later than adhd and follows a pattern more akin to the seasons of the year in pace…. Not explained by external factors or hormones but I’ve found my own ways to lessen it’s effects and if you do think you’ve got a mood disorder I’d advise you to start discussing and getting help if you’re comfortable doing so.

I’ve found a lot of solace in understanding my mood disorder separate to my adhd. It means when I go ‘down’ for 5 months I can rationales with myself that - nothing’s bad has necessarily happened, my life isn’t over as it appears to be, I haven’t failed by dipping again - it’s just part of the cycle that I try to support over time and be kind to myself about but can never fully control.

it’s got better rather than worse over the years as a result of some non-medical intervention though others swear by medication too.

Ps I’m sorry you’re struggling. It may be out of your reach, but if a good psychiatrist or psychologist should be able to talk through and help you with working this out rather than you having to figure it out. I was referred via my gp initially - happy to talk more by pm if that is helpful.

Short answer - there are no answers to this question. There are no tests, no identifiable differences in brain wiring or whatever else you may have been told about ADHD (or about mood problems.) The experiences that lead people to seek these diagnoses or identities are very real, of course, but the explanations are tautologous: Why do I feel/behave like X? Because you have ADHD/ASD/are ND. How do you know that I have/am.... Because you feel/behave like X.

This 4 part blog unpicks some of these issues and raising serious concerns about the neurodiversity movement in general - despite the intentions of its founder. This the the first blog - the others are on the same site:

www.madintheuk.com/2024/07/part-1-neurodiversity-what-exactly-does-it-mean/