Double D’s: Depression and D3

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When you have Attention Deficit Disorder, you are always “gifted” with other things as well. ADHD never travels alone.

Anxiety, learning disabilities, and depression are some of ADHD’s more common traveling companions.

It’s important that you treat these things in a manner that’s comfortable for you. There is no shame in using medication for mental health issues. I know that I write a lot about treating ADHD naturally, but I don’t object to prescriptions to help with it either. It’s a personal decision.

I wanted to share an experience that I have had recently with depression. As you know, my ADD’s best friend is depression, although anxiety hangs out sometimes too.

I take medication for my depression; I have for years. In fact, I wouldn’t think of not taking it.

I am very lucky to have a doctor who looks beyond medicine and has an open mind about the way the body and the mind work. A few years ago she suggested adding Vitamin D3 to my diet.

Most people in North America are deficient in Vitamin D3 and could use a supplement. I take 3000 IU every day.

This past summer we had a lot going on: getting ready for our daughters wedding, remodeling the house, having family come to visit. We also had to put our dog to sleep.

In the midst of all this, I ran out of Vitamin D3. And you know what that’s like when you have ADHD. You keep meaning to buy some more but you keep forgetting.

In the last few weeks, my depression had gotten significantly worse. I was doing very little during the day and sleeping way too much. I was getting desperate for some help.

Finally I decided that I had to go get more D3. So I did, about a week or so ago, and I started taking it right away.

I realized yesterday that it was working. I was getting more done during the day and sleeping less. I was feeling better. I also acknowledged the fact that part of me was still grieving (for more reasons than just the dog) and it was OK for me to feel that way.

If depression is something you deal with and you feel the medication isn’t quite working, try adding 1000-3000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. Your body automatically eliminates any extra so it can’t harm you and it might work for you as it does for me.

Another thing – something I just realized myself.

We all have family and friends who love us. Maybe we should find someone who is close enough so that they can check from time to time to make sure you’re taking good care of yourself. If my husband had known what I was going through and known that all it took to make it better was a trip to the store, I wouldn’t have been where I was.

We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to practice good self care.

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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