There I was watching television one afternoon, and a commercial came on that reported, "X% of people who suffer from depression and take medication, continue to experience symptoms of depression."

I was on the edge of my seat... I couldn't believe it!

Were they finally going to suggest other treatment besides medication? Was someone going to finally blow the lid on treatment and actually suggest the importance of therapy and better understanding the behaviors?

All that excitement was suddenly lost the moment I heard the commercial recommend the need and use of additional medications.

I felt deflated...

It just didn't make sense.

"Treat ongoing symptoms of depression with more medication instead of going after the root cause," I asked myself?

That was the last straw.

What does this mean for ADHD?

Like depression, ADHD is thought to be biologically based. Research has suggested, and theorists believe, that there are abnormalities with the absorption of chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain that lead to behaviors like we see in ADHD and depression.

This is one major reason why prescribing medication is often a first step for the individual diagnosed with ADHD.

Medications are specifically engineered and researched to target these specific chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain to aide in the process.

Yet, many people with ADHD still experience symptoms of the disorder even while taking their prescribed medications.

Ask yourself what else might be going on?

While I am no expert on medication and how the brain functions, I can tell you that if your medication is not addressing the symptoms you are struggling with, then you really owe it to yourself to ask what else might be going on.

Can medications make a difference? Yes, absolutely.

But at the same time, disorders like ADHD and depression also have a very strong and powerful emotional or psychological component.

And while there is no set standard for what might happening, there has been a theme to suggest that the events in our lives, and those immediately around us can contribute to how we behave and interact with the world.

This is particularly true in children and adolescents.

Does this account for ADHD? Maybe yes, maybe no. But, I can guarantee you that regardless of the presence or absence of a disorder, we are all affected by our environment and what we are experiencing.

Disclaimer: In any discussion of medication, I feel it is of critical importance to remind you that any and all medical and mental health decisions continue to be made with your or your child's physician, psychiatrist, or therapist who is an expert in ADHD.