Stage One was trying to establish I had ADHD which involved bringing together all report cards and as much as possible historically which indicates a long-term issue. ADHD isn’t like depression that can just occur spontaneously. You have to have a life-long history as it’s almost always inherited. You’re not only expected to show indications going back to VERY young, but also expected to identify relatives with indicative behaviour, especially alcoholism etc since it is supposed to be a genetic uniqueness. If you can’t identify all these sorts of issues, it is assumed you may be manifesting ADHD symptoms, such as can coincide with depression. ADHD can cause depression and depression can cause ADHD symptoms. A psychiatrist prefers to get as close to the cause as possible but in the end, all adults are likely to have depression either as the primary or secondary cause. Whether it’s primary or secondary, the depression is always treated FIRST and foremost. You start an antidepressant, not Ritalin (or whatever).
