Dueling Diagnoses: Do You Have ADHD, OCD, or Both?
Where there's confusion over mental health conditions, hybrid conditions such as ADHD and OCD may lead people to wonder about their own experiences with one, the other, or both.
Differentiating between ADHD and OCD can be pretty painstaking. Does a person with OCD also have ADHD? Here, we will dive into a more in-depth exploration of the intersection and co-occurrence of ADHD and OCD.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects one's ability to direct attention, inhibit impulses, and moderate energy control. It can occur in both children and adults, but most often is diagnosed in childhood. Signs and symptoms include restlessness, forgetfulness, difficulty paying attention, impulsivity, and trouble finishing a task. Three kinds of ADHD are: primarily inattentive, primarily hyperactive-impulsive, and combined.
People who experience the condition find themselves unable to pay attention with sustained effort during a task of interest. Tasks may become disorganised; deadlines are missed. They may forget appointments, lose items, or struggle to follow directions. If hyperactive and impulsive behaviours prevent them from being able to settle down or focus on something for a protracted period.
What Is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterised by unwanted, distressing thoughts (obsessions) and related compulsive behaviours (compulsions) that a person feels driven to perform to reduce anxiety. OCD sufferers are compelled to perform rituals such as washing their hands over and over and checking locks repeatedly. This is done to relieve the anxiety brought on by these obsessive thoughts.
The defining feature of OCD is the presence of compulsive behaviours that act to prevent anxiety or perceived danger. For example, someone may fixate on the thought that their home is unsafe; thus, their compulsion is to check locks or security systems, even though they know their home is safe, logically speaking. It’s the acute cycle of obsession and compulsion that constitutes OCD.
OCD vs ADHD: Do They Overlap?
ADHD and OCD may initially seem worlds apart. However, many people with one disorder also have symptoms of the other. Indeed, studies suggest that individuals with ADHD are at a higher risk of developing OCD and vice versa.
One thing that contributes to the confusion around these disorders is that they share some of the same characteristics. Both involve problems of control and attention — ADHD manifests as a lack of sustained attention and impaired behavioural control, while OCD centres on the urge to perform acts to relieve anxiety. But the reasons for these behaviours are different.
For an individual with ADHD, impulsivity is often motivated by distractibility or disinhibition. Unlike with OCD, there are no obsessive thoughts that create anxiety that the compulsive acts relieve.
OCD vs ADHD: Key Differences
To differentiate between OCD vs ADHD, it is useful to compare the two side by side.
- Core symptoms: The hallmark features of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In contrast, OCD is characterised by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions) that are carried out in order to mitigate anxiety.
- Nature of symptoms: Essentially, the major difficulty that exists in ADHD involves struggling to maintain attention over a period of time to accomplish a task and control impulses. Symptoms of OCD are cyclical, with unwanted and distressful thoughts (obsessions) leading to behaviours (compulsions) that are intended to reduce the anxiety that the thoughts cause.
- Underlying cause: ADHD is thought to be connected with differences in brain chemistry and structure, especially regarding areas responsible for attention and executive function, while OCD is considered a result of overactivity within the basal ganglia region of the brain governing movements and behaviours and imbalances in serotonin.
- Treatment approaches: Treatment mainly includes stimulant medications for ADHD, such as Adderall or Ritalin, and behavioural therapies aimed at developing attention, focus, and organisation; OCD is treated often with a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT, specifically Exposure and Response Prevention, ERP) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Can ADHD and OCD Co-Exist?
Yes, ADHD and OCD can coexist. In practice, research indicates that the incidence of OCD is higher in patients with ADHD. This dual diagnosis can complicate treatment, as the symptoms of both conditions can sometimes overlap, and it is difficult to know what is behind the behaviour.
Someone with both ADHD and OCD might seem hyperactive or messy because of their ADHD, for example, and also have compulsive behaviours because of their OCD. Symptom overlap can easily contribute to misdiagnosis, especially when symptoms are linked exclusively to one illness.
In these cases, a combination of treatments for both ADHD and OCD is usually required. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other medications that address both ADHD and OCD can also help manage symptoms more effectively.
ADHD and Obsessive Thoughts
Can ADHD (the condition) lead to obsessive thoughts? Obsessive thoughts are most closely linked with OCD, but some individuals with ADHD may experience a similar kind of thinking. For example, many people with ADHD have intrusive, racing thoughts that might be described as "obsessive" in nature.
These thoughts are less likely to lead someone with ADHD to be anxious or feel the need to perform compulsive behaviours to relieve those worries. Instead, they are due to issues with concentration and impulsiveness. Obsessive thoughts in OCD, in contrast, are much more pervasive, more irrational, and associated with an overwhelming need to perform specific manoeuvres to lower one's anxiety.
ADHD and OCPD: Is There a Link?
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a completely different condition, though it has some commonalities with OCD. The disorder includes inhibitors such as intrusive thoughts (as in OCPD) and compulsive actions for thought relief (as in OCPD). The disorder is a personality disorder based on the need to control perfectionism.
While it is true that ADHD shares some symptoms with OCPD (like trouble organising and controlling elements), these are separate conditions with different causes and presentations. ADHD revolves around a deficit of self-regulation and attention, while OCPD is characterised by an excessive need for order and perfection.
Treating ADHD and OCD
Usually stressful, having ADHD and OCD can make the situation even more complicated, one way or the other. Therefore, treatment usually involves a combination of pharmacological and therapeutic attempts at amelioration.
- ADHD treatment: Medication is often prescribed for ADHD in treatment. Stimulants like Adderall or non-stimulants like Strattera are frequently used to ameliorate the symptoms of ADHD. Both types of medication help those with ADHD to increase concentration, focus, and impulse control. In addition to medication, behavioural therapies can also help to develop better coping skills with symptoms.
- OCD treatment: For the treatment of OCD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), specifically exposure and response prevention (ERP), is by far the first choice. SSRIs and other medications have also been found to be useful in reducing OCD symptoms.
When Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occur together, treatment must be aimed at both sets of symptoms at the same time. A mental health clinician may recommend a combination of therapies and medications that will treat both disorders.
Why Choose Jagruti Rehab for Addiction Support
Simplifying things to higher this path is important to us, and that is the reason why at Jagruti Rehab in Delhi, we know what issues like mental health conditions like ADHD and OCD can do to a person's physique and ability to heal from such situations.
If you are suffering from ADHD and OCD, or you are battling the effects of addiction alongside these disorders, we can help. You will work with our skilled team to help you learn more about how to cope with your symptoms, recognise obstacles you may face, and develop strategies for recovery that are right for you. Don't go through this alone; contact Jagruti Rehab to find your support.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, ADHD and OCD can be comorbid. Research has shown that people with ADHD have a higher risk of developing OCD and that the disorders can overlap, making diagnosis and treatment more challenging.
Racing thoughts are characteristic of ADHD, while some of them may experience obsessive thinking. However, these thoughts are usually not accompanied by any sense of anxiety, nor do they lead to compulsive behaviours like those elicited by true OCD.
There are some symptoms shared between ADHD and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), despite the OCPD needing more chronic symptoms of perfectionism and focus issues related to organisation compared to the hyperactive symptoms shown in an individual with ADHD.
OCPD is a personality disorder that revolves around perfectionism and control, while ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that involves difficulties with attention and self-regulation.
ADHD is commonly treated with stimulant medications (such as Adderall) and behavioural therapy. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is usually treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). When both conditions are co-occurring, a combination of approaches is typically advised.
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