What is the treatment of severe ADHD in a 19-year-old girl?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am struggling to find myself. I have no hobbies. I do not find enjoyment in most things. I do not hate everything, but I am extremely neutral, melancholic even. I enjoy hanging out with my boyfriend and my cats, but feel stuck because it is only him and me. I have no other friends in the place where I live. My closest friend lives three hours away. Distance is not an excuse, but I do not use my phone often and am very unmotivated to communicate. However, I miss my friends terribly. Occasionally, I have a few days where I am overwhelmingly and noticeably motivated. These periods of high activity usually last for one to four days. I also have the same periods of devastating self-loathing and social anxiety. I do not like to go to the store by myself and try to avoid talking to people as much as possible. I have a crippling fear of going to see doctors. During my last doctor's appointment, I began to cry and shake in fear when the doctor walked in. I am unorganized, frantic, and procrastinating. I have a very difficult time sleeping, which I try to manage with marijuana, melatonin, and NyQuil. The doctor has diagnosed me with severe ADHD, but I am not on any medications. I have a terrible self-image. I have binge eating habits that coincide with the one to four-day periods of negative emotions. I also engage in nervous picking. My upper arms are dotted with scars, and my face is getting worse. It calms me down and soothes my stress to no end. My mom suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, body image issues, and anxiety. She committed suicide eight years ago. Please help me deal with my issues.

Answer 1

Hello,

Thank you for stopping by at icliniq.com.

I am here to provide expert opinions on your medical issues.

The symptoms you have mentioned are of depressive disorder with generalized anxiety. Feeling low and lonely, lack of motivation, and severe devastating social anxiety, all these are depressive symptoms. But intervening periods of anger, high motivation, and cheerful mood, all could be occurring due to bipolar disorder but need further evaluation. These could be atypical symptoms of depression. You are just 19 years old and these symptoms could be attributed to ADD (attention deficit disorder) too. Medicines like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can help to treat the symptoms and for improvement. I suggest you consult a psychiatrist for a re-opinion and take medications with their consent.

I hope this has helped you. Kindly follow up if you have more doubts.

Thank you.