11 replies to this topic

[fadedmemory]

I have been diagnosed with clinical depression. I have found at times that it is hard to concentrate (more often than not). I also have a hard time remembering things. I know that these are typical symptoms of depression but am wondering if depression itself can be considered a learning disability due to it's symptoms and side effects.
I have done a little of research on the subject and see many references to people with learning disabilities developing depression because of having learning disabilities. Does anyone know of a good article, or maybe a website with more information about depression causing learning disabilities? I would be very interested to hear more information on the subject. Any feedback is welcome.

Thanks, and have a great day!

[~Nick[;]

My mother used to have depression, on and off. I also have many friends with disabilities. Actually, conditions such as down syndrome, don't make you completely disfunctional. A friend of mine and I play with a girl with down syndrome almost every day. Our school has a special class with disabled kids. Autistic kids aren't always crazy, as some people describe them as. We have a few autistic children in my school. One is fully functional and gets 100's and is in a normal 6th grade class. Most autistic children are actually very smart.

Edited by ~Nick[;, 30 May 2008 - 01:37 AM.

[Live-Dimension]

Does depression affect your learning ability, much like it affects pretty much everything else? Yes. Is it a disability? No - but you might always end up behind which can be "seen" as a disability but isn't really. For a rough example - you can't do algebra until you learn to add,multiply,divide, brackets, etc.

Because you might of not picked up on divide too well, hence you have trouble with algebra. This isn't a disability, just that you couldn't pick up one of the required topics as fast as everyone else, thanks to depression.

(I'm not saying your slow or anything, I'm just using that as an example).

[kobra500]

But an almost side affect of a lot of diabilities is increased intelligence. I have dispraxia and I am quite clever, most people with autism I really clever.

[networker]

Unfortunately depression would probably contribute
to a learning disability.The fact that one wouldn't be able to
concentrate enough would be a main factor.
Heres one link that might help :

http://www.helpguide...ession_tips.htm

[Jaichi]

I'll explain my view with the story of Jane. Thats not the real name obviously, but stick with me okay?
Jane was born with depression but it never showed until highschool. Things happened and she went into deep depression. Because all of her friends had slowly deserted her and she had little support things turned for the worst including her grades. Once Jane was on the honour role, and was now only passing with 50s and even had a 35% in one of her classes. Because of her feelings of resentment to her friends her thoughts were clouded and she couldn't function in school. Jane is still alive today, don't worry. But those friends still haven't gone back to help her.

I highly doubt your case will ever get that severe. I have trouble learning too, so I kinda know how you feel. Its not that we can't learn, we just have to learn at a slower pace. Correct me if I am wrong.

~Jai

[Quatrux]

I think that real depression can make people learn much worse, also it effects a lot of other different works, like housework, job and even more minor things, because you can't consternate to the subject you're doing.

Of course, there are a lot of people, who use the word depression there it isn't necessary, as if it comes and goes in a day, but usually the side effects of such "depression" are similar, just not long lasting.

[iGuest]

link between depression and learning disabilityLink Between Depression And Learning Disabilities?I actually found your post by doing my own search for some type of answer. Throughout my life I've had bouts of depression. Whether it is or was a chemical embalance or circumstances that caused my depression, I don't know. What I do know is that I've always had difficulty learning. From the time I was in grade school, art school, years of marriage and divorce to present I still have a problem learning and retaining things.After realizing that I am having difficulty doing ordinary every day things, beating myself up yet again I wondered if I am truly depressed or whether or not I've fought a learning disability all my learning years of life. So one can ask "Does depression cause a learning disability, or does a learning disability cause depression? If I know how to add and subtract today but have a lot of difficulity tomorrow, is it depression? If I can then add and subtract tomorrow with ease, is it some type of a learning disability?I am still searching for answers. But somewhere inside of me I can understand how the two can go hand in hand. I don't have any links to share. I'd suggest speaking with your doctor but I think your true best bet would be to keep looking to identify what your dealing with and what others are dealing with. You can learn from what they've experienced. You don't want to end up on medication if you do not need it. And I've tried talking to a physican a long time ago and he dismissed it and disliked me for the remainder of time he was my ex-husband's and my family physican. The doctor adored my ex and his family and was ignorant towards me... Now tell me how I can remember office visits with him twenty some years ago and I didn't remember the space shuttle Columbia blowing up in 2003? Has depression stollen that information or is there some type of brain malfunction???-reply by tobey

 

[mandla]

im no doctor but i dont see the exact link between the two. a learning disability is n anything like lack of concentration. learning dissability is a problem that is not emotionally based but mentally. Yes when you have depression its hard to concentrate not beceause you are dumb or anything but simply because your mind cant sit still. This is mainly due to the fact that what ever caused the depression to set in in the first place is normally playing on your mind and making it hard to concentrate.

LEts assume the depression is caused by loosing all your savings gambling and the wife leaves you and takes the kids with her. This trauma though self inflicted may lead to depression and low self esteem. Right if we put you in a class and let you try to learn new things you would concentrate for the first five minutes then shortly after that you would find your mind is thinking about how much you hate the way life has turned out for you. How you could have done things differently, how life has it in for you and that if only you had the wife on your side or at least the kids then things would be so much better.

For instance the teacher would be trying to explain how to change a manual stick gear from one to two. The process would be tho le tthe engine revs go up to about 200 and then you would use your foot to depress the clutch fully. This is to disengage the gear cogs so that when you move from one gear to the next, the engine will not grind.

At this point this reminds me of the A team, when Mad murdock was wiring this C4 bomb to an armoured truck and he wanted to break through the door so he could find his frineds who had been held captive. THis brings me to an episode ode of mission impossible i am watching as i type this. Basically there are two guys who look like twins. One is good one is bad. The other is good, they are trying to do a majic trick involving a staged electrocution live on stage. The similar looking guys are trying to use this to the advantage of the worse guy because basically use the likeness as a pedestal in getting elected to office. Now they plug in a electric chair to a transformer and wife it to his podium and then flip the switch on. This zaps him and makes him fall to the gournd be fore he realises that his life is messed up because they were spying on him using a wireless camera and microphone.

Now at this point theres an advert that shows two people who are in love and buying each other presents for christmas and sat around a christmas tress. Which is how my life was this time last year when I hadnt gambled and messed up my life because of this wanting to take a chance now i have lost my kids and my family. Why is life so unfair to me.

And at this point the teacher says now everone get up so we go and try this in practice in a real car. And you suddenly realise you never even heard a thing the teacher was saying because your mind was completely distracted. In cases were someone is not clinically depressed we would call it daydreaming but when someoen has a situation we then call it is depression causing them lack of concentration. Now while this is not an exact sitauation and i know you are wondering why i went on a crazy off topic tangent i need you to realise i did it to show you how the depression just goes off topic in situations. THe thing with depression is that it is not just simply the lack of concentration but also includes lack of sleep no food appetite, its a whole complex ordeal and I feel for anyone who goes through it. Because i have suffered from depression for over 3 years and its the worst thing I have had to go through in life. it makes living bleak and life is a drag. No one understands what you going through because it is a very personal experience and each person experiences their own version of the depression and its so hard to help especially if the issue is one from the heart and the reason for the depression is the loss of a loved one or the break up of a relationship in which the other party no longer has interest in the relationship but the sufferer of depression had. Its a whole complex subject and I believe the best we can do is to show support for those suffering from the depresion and ensure that they do not spiral down further and further into the depression but survive the experience.

[Ananya]

Definitely depression can be held responsible for spoiling ones learning ability. Depression comes from the fact when ones mind is truly overloaded with a certain kind of tension.I once read in times of India newspaper that a relaxed mind performs best as compared to the one that isn't.