ADHD and OCD are two mental health conditions that may appear to share some symptoms. However, ADHD is externalizing in nature, affecting how individuals relate to their environment. By contrast, OCD is internalizing in nature, meaning individuals respond to anxiety by turning inward.
The comorbidity of ADHD and OCD is much more common than generally thought. Most research has studied the prevalence of ADHD in patients with OCD rather than the inverse, with diagnosis rates mostly falling around 30 percent.
At times ADHD may be misdiagnosed as OCD, or OCD may be misdiagnosed as ADHD, or one is diagnosed while the other remains missed. Interestingly, they appear as opposite conditions in some ways as these conditions lay at opposite ends of the impulsive-compulsive continuum.
Although both OCD and ASD have similar symptoms, they are different conditions. OCD is a mental health disorder, whereas ASD is a developmental condition.
People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons.
If you haven't guessed, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) wins the award for the anxiety category most of us would relegate solely to the violent criminals of this world. Unless of course, you suffer from OCD, and then you'd likely fear that wishing that may result in becoming a violent victimizer yourself.
Symptoms fluctuate in severity from time to time, and this fluctuation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events. Because symptoms usually worsen with age, people may have difficulty remembering when OCD began, but can sometimes recall when they first noticed that the symptoms were disrupting their lives.
Left untreated, OCD can lead to other severe mental health conditions, such as anxiety and panic attacks, and depression.
However, one thing that is clear is that comorbidities, stress, anxiety, and major life changes or circumstances can all play a significant role in how much worse OCD might become. As symptoms increase or intensify, people with OCD may also experience the following: Failure at work and/or school.
You Can't Always Cure OCD…
While some kids may fully outgrow their OCD, many won't. Most experts consider OCD to be a chronic condition that, once you have it, sticks around for the long term.
OCD is a genetic disorder. If one parent has OCD, there's a 15-20% chance that his/her child will also have OCD. If both parents have OCD, there's a 50% chance that their child will also have OCD. Children may start to show behaviors that resemble OCD between the ages of 3 and 7.
The exact cause of OCD is unknown. Children with OCD don't have enough of a chemical called serotonin in their brain. Obsessive symptoms include repeated doubts and extreme preoccupation with dirt or germs. Compulsive behaviors include hoarding objects and checking things often.
Most commonly, antidepressants are tried first. Antidepressants approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OCD include: Clomipramine (Anafranil) for adults and children 10 years and older. Fluoxetine (Prozac) for adults and children 7 years and older.
The most common class of effective medications are antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They include fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), and paroxetine (Paxil).
OCD has peaks of onset at two different life phases: pre-adolescence and early adulthood. Around the ages of 10 to 12 years, the first peak of OCD cases occur. This time frequently coincides with increasing school and performance pressures, in addition to biologic changes of brain and body that accompany puberty.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), and behaviors that drive them to do something over and over (compulsions). Often the person carries out the behaviors to get rid of the obsessive thoughts.
OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. You might try to ignore them or get rid of them by performing a compulsive behavior or ritual. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.
Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood. OCD affects men and women equally.
Risk Factors
OCD is a common disorder that affects adults, adolescents, and children all over the world. Most people are diagnosed by about age 19, typically with an earlier age of onset in boys than in girls, but onset after age 35 does happen.
Not a few patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have experienced events that affected the onset. The onset of OCD is not limited to the original meaning of trauma; rather, traumatic experiences such as unexpected exposure to contaminants or various stressful life events often cause the onset of OCD.
Primarily obsessional OCD has been called "one of the most distressing and challenging forms of OCD." People with this form of OCD have "distressing and unwanted thoughts pop into [their] head frequently," and the thoughts "typically center on a fear that you may do something totally uncharacteristic of yourself, ...
“Both OCD and anxiety are characterized by unwanted thoughts, however, in OCD, these unwanted thoughts lead to unwanted actions. Typically, if you only experience anxiety, you will not turn your thoughts into actions. You'll tend to overthink only.”
Symptoms of OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder also involves persistent thoughts that cause excessive fear, doubt, and anxiety. Unlike anxiety disorders, OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions: Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, worries, doubts, urges, or images that occur repeatedly.