dyspraxia & depression

[rachael29]

hi i had dyspraxia dignossed as a child now im almost 30 ive been dignosed with being modratly depressed and woundered if there was any link with dyspraxia and depression , ive acheved alot over the yrs and now ive lost my focus and determination i also have dyslexia , im complicated i know , anyone have advice or know if its all linked
my husband picked up on me being more aggitated and tearfull and i flip at the little things my job is a care assistant, my work collegues have picke up on my temper and moods im known as the green eyed monster on my bad days i cry and bang and shout at them this is the depression kicking in i need any help or advice my gp has put me on antidepressants 1 a day 20mg of fluoatine, any help welcome .

[gherkin001]

You're not so complicated, many people with dyspraxia suffer with depression of one kind or another, my list of issues would give most people a fright :

Dyspraxia
Dyslcalculia
Depression
Borderline Personality Disorder
Recurrent Dislocating Patellae from Hyper-extension

I used to suffer in much the way you describe, but have mellowed the past few years, i've found that the more you understand the reasons behind your feelings the less they actually affect you to the point of others walking on egg-shells around you.

Kirsty

[Vespero]

I suffer from Dyspraxia, Depression and Sensory Integration Disorder. If I were to theorise a link between Dyspraxia and Depression, it would stem from the frustration at the "disconnect" between the body and mind. I see a circle, my brain says "draw a circle," and it comes out a wobbly mess. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it demonstrates my point. Our bodies do not obey us and it causes anxiety and depression.

Or, that's what I think.

[Magic_Lemur]

I agree with the previous commenter that "Our bodies do not obey us and it causes anxiety and depression."

I've found this lately as it always seems an attack of chaos comes along just when you're about to achieve something. It often feels like, when I'm anxious about something, it's like that bouncing ball off 'Men in Black' is released in the brain and destroys all the order and skill you have.

It's also really hard not to feel an embarrassment to those you hold dearest. I often think of it like invisible epilepsy and, because people can't see your condition, they judge you like medieval people used to judge people with epilepsy - i.e. they shun you.

Still, from the people with Dyspraxia I've encountered, I've found we have a much greater ability to think without boundaries. The chaotic impulses that disable us also set us free and I think, because chaos can happen anytime, we people with Dyspraxia are far nicer people as we can't afford not to be.

I used to think there was a causal link between dyspraxia and depression, but when you've had your world turned inside out a few times by dyspraxia, you realise that you don't need the approval of people who would judge you on it.
And I'm always comforted by the words of the epileptic author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who suffered the loss of his father (at age 14), his wife and his only son and who suffered from epilepsy throughout his life. In spite of this, he wrote in his last book that 'Life is Paradise' and so it is.

[Captain_Ludd]

I've been told by my depraxia support tutor that depression is a common "co-morbid behavioral trate" for people with dyspraxia so I'm guessing it s atleast in part to do with the fact that our brains are wired a bit diffrently to most.
But I think it may also be to do with the low self esteem issue caused by the problems in life dyspraxia can bring about.
On the upside (cos you should always try and find one :-)) is that we tend to be good lateral creative thinkers .

[Tim G]

Dyspraxia & depression are defuntly linked - it is allready proven that people who are dyspraxic have or are verry prone to low self-esteem. - This in term can easly lead on to depreshion and it is maintained by the difulcities we have at seamingly small things in life.

I am dyspraxic and am also deprest and have genralised axianty disorder - thies are linked to dyspraxia and a factor in me devloping thies mental is probabley dyspraxia.

I also know that althow my depreshion and axianty may not be so prevlent at times, like dyspraxia I canot be free from it entirley.

[SciFiBoy]

I have depression too, unfortunately it is not that moderate though, definitely linked to my dyspraxia as stuff I struggle with because of my dyspraxia contributes to my mood significantly it sucks, im getting a lot of support for it now though so hopefully things will pick up for me soon!

[Tim G]

my dyspraxia contributes to my mood significantly it sucks

Same hear - a lot of the issues which dyspraxia causes me - i.e. not being aware, not thinking, talking etc affects my mood too and conturbets to my depreshion.

[cazzzzy]

i get depression and anxiaty...really sucks

[ALADDIN]

I am depressed because the job market is tough, I am a graduate who does not have a great work history. Will I ever be able to get married because I do not have a stable job. I have very mild /bordeline asperger traits but the support is only available for people who cannot mix with people. I have full dyspraxia but I did not understand dyspraxia fully 10 years ago. The N.H.S will not support adults with dyspraxia. The Dyspraxia Foundation will only support children properly. 10 years ago, their weebsite was terrible. DANDA is fantastic, but I found the organisation more than 6 years after I discovered I had dyspraxia.I began to appreciate my problems. I passed my driving test but I am scared of new roads and I passed with no real support, 10 attempts, many instructors, lots of time, effort and money !!!

[Tim G]

I am depressed because the job market is tough, I am a graduate who does not have a great work history. Will I ever be able to get married because I do not have a stable job. I have very mild /bordeline asperger traits but the support is only available for people who cannot mix with people. I have full dyspraxia but I did not understand dyspraxia fully 10 years ago. The N.H.S will not support adults with dyspraxia. The Dyspraxia Foundation will only support children properly. 10 years ago, their weebsite was terrible. DANDA is fantastic, but I found the organisation more than 6 years after I discovered I had dyspraxia.I began to appreciate my problems. I passed my driving test but I am scared of new roads and I passed with no real support, 10 attempts, many instructors, lots of time, effort and money !!!

I hear what your saying - unforanlty its not much of a surprise, like quite a fue people on hear your not alone with depreshion and dyspraxicia and help for that is avaiable through the NHS via your GP. However from my experance it verry much depends on how understanding and accepting your GP is. Even if your GP is helpfull part of the problem I have found is convaying your issues and showing that you do have a problem. When my mental helth issues (extreem axianty, depreshion etc) first came about I couldent realy convay them to the GP and it wasent really helpfull, it was only untill I got my partner to talk to the GP about my problems in the correct way that help started moving forward.
This was also the case with my dyspraxicia - I went to my GP / surgery and asked about help for my dyspraxicia as the mental helth clinic I was at couldent help. They first said they could do nothing about it but later I came to them with a better understanding of how dyspraxicia affects me. I had the issues written down so the GP could see it and I dident get confused and lost when trying to explane it - this has got me a referial to ocupational thearpy.

My advice with the NHS is that they can help but you need the right GP and explane you issues clearly (I have found that writing them down really helps). Unforanlty not all GP's and local services are that good so you may have to do some reashearsh and go to GP's with access to the nessary services - mental helth, occupational thearpy etc.

[alilouise]

I am not sure if there is medical evidence to suggest there is a link with Dyspraxia and Depression. When I get depressed it is done to the fact that I get frustated quiet easily. I spills drinks and people round me do not understand. I probably tend to bottle things up too much.

On the work front I am lucky. The company I am working for is very busy and I work some Saturdays just to keep up with my workload. I have been their for eleven years. For anyone out of work I would recommend that they contact their local hospital if they are looking for clerical and secretarial work. Contact the Personnel Department. They have a bank for Sickness/Holiday Relief. It is good for gaining experience and gives you the opportunity to apply for a permanent position if a vacancy comes up within the organisation. I had regular work for 12 months and it is good to put on your CV. They also do one for Nursing and other medical positions so is worth looking into. My first job was in a pathology lab doing data entry.

[Tim G]

I think depression seems to be a side effect of many things. When we struggle, whether its due to dyspraxia or overall frustration, depression sometimes happens. Thankfully, there's anti-depressants. The trick is finding the right one that works for you. That can be a challenge.

That is true however anti-depressants arnt the 'cure all', like all mental conditions and emotional struggles it is imporant to recive help from a coulcler, phyc etc. Who can listen to the person about it and help with thearpy and guidence to help the paitint cope better with there emotions and mental state in the long term.

Anti-depresents do play a part in mental recovery - weather this is for short term gain (e.g. traqulanzers for axianty conditions) or longer term use. Anti-depressants are desinged to change brain chemicials which can help lift a persons mood and 'keep their head above water'. I belive they are not a cure all and if perscribed should be followed up with approapte help from a mental helth team.

[Girl265]

I heard before that dyspraxia is linked with depression anxiety and paranoya if that helps

[Bonny866]

I have always suffered and never known why. I have always blamed myself and always sort to resolve it myself. But now I have become aware of my possible dyspraxia a great way of anxiety has crashed over me and all my normal coping strategies dont seem enough. My husband wants me to go to the gp but I still down feel I will be taken seriously. 40 years of feeling that something was wrong but nobody else really seeing it does leave you feeling like a 'fake'.