![]() ![]() But there are effective treatments to manage both so you can enjoy a better quality of life.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common mental health conditions that share many similarities. Living with OCD and ADHD together can be challenging. Couples or family therapy is also recommended, as OCD impacts loved ones as well. Psychotherapy – Psychotherapy can also be helpful in discussing issues related to OCD, such as shame and self-esteem issues.Patients with ADHD and OCD sometimes find that stimulants enable them to focus more on their obsessions. However, while OCD medications do not make ADHD symptoms worse, stimulant medication used to treat ADHD can sometimes make OCD worse. They can help by boosting serotonin levels in the brain. The most common class of effective medications are antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Medication – Medication is highly effective for treating OCD.The goal is to habituate the sufferer to the cause of their anxiety. ERP will also include confronting an exaggerated symptom of OCD. ERP Therapy – Exposure plus response prevention (ERP) includes confronting the thought, image, object, or situation that makes an individuals with OCD anxious.There are several recommended modalaities of treatments for co-occurring ADHD and OCD. Managing the two conditions takes an understanding of each condition and how they present when active at the same time. The challenge for clinicians or therapists working with the sufferer is being able to distinguish which diagnosis is essentially in control and tailoring interventions to that diagnosis. For instance, someone may be working on impulsive spending (ADHD), and when they find themselves successfully managing the impulsivity, they lapse into more compulsive thinking (OCD). The symptoms of one disorder may dominate, but then, once those decrease, the other disorder takes over. For example, a student could be in class and getting bored and distractible (ADHD) and then find themselves gravitating to an OCD ritual (like saying words silently in the middle of a class). The two disorders can feed off each other. ![]() Having both disorders is associated with more severe symptoms of each than having either alone. Having both disorders is associated with more severe symptoms of both than having either alone. When an individual has both ADHD and OCD, it is common that one disorder is diagnosed while the other goes undiagnosed due to the similarities in som of the symptoms they share. This circuit is involved with a number of important cognitive and behavioral abilities such as: Brain scans show that ADHD and OCD both produce atypical activity in the same neural pathway in the brain-the frontostriatal area. However, the compulsive behavior may have nothing to do with the actual obsession.ĪDHD and OCD share a genetic connection. With OCD, the person feels compelled to engage in the compulsive behavior to undo, neutralize or cope with the obsession. These are constant for sufferers and can significantly interfere with their in their lives. Unlike ADHD, which is characterized by problems with attention, executive functioning and emotional dysregulation, OCD is characterized by persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that cause distress and anxiety as well as repetitive physical behaviors and / or mental acts. Recent studies estimate that approximately 30 percent of patients with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) also have ADHD. ![]()
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