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Tag: ADHD

  • What Happens when OCD and ADHD Coexist

    I’ve written about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) several times in my blog regarding its basic symptoms and how it could affect women.  But I’ve never touched on what could happen to any person, whether it’s a woman or not when they start experiencing this condition along with another condition.  One disorder that bears some similarities to ADHD is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD.

    Some people with ADHD have also experienced some OCD symptoms.  What happens to a person’s mental state when they start experiencing both of these conditions?  Here are some things you need to know when ADHD and OCD start to coexist.

    What is OCD?

    OCD is a serious anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behavioral actions.  If left unchecked, this mental health condition could impact your daily life.  OCD could fall into four categories.  These include hoarding, checking, contamination, and intrusive thoughts. 

    A person who has OCD usually has high levels of anxiety, frightening obsessions, and time-consuming compulsions.  Statistically, this lifelong debilitating disorder affects both men and women equally.  If this condition alone could wreak havoc on a person’s mental state, just imagine what it’s like when combined with the ADHD condition.

    What ADHD looks like with a Person with OCD

    From what I’ve read in an article from ADDitude magazine, a couple of the four categories mentioned earlier do look different when a person has both ADHD and OCD.  Hoarding does look differently with ADHD compared to having OCD alone.  People with ADHD usually hold on to items for later usage, while people with OCD are motivated by the idea of not ridding themselves of old stuff.  Clutter tends to aggravate the symptoms of a person with ADHD, while people with OCD aren’t as bothered by it.

    Clutter tends to aggravate the symptoms of a person with ADHD.

    Body-focused repetitive behaviors are a little different as well.  The function of these behavioral actions in ADHD people is mainly to provide stimulation and arousal.  For individuals with ADHD and OCD, these behaviors can be appealing and provide some stress relief.

    Treatment Methods for ADHD and OCD

    Some of the most common ways to treating ADHD and OCD are behavioral therapy and psychopharmacology.  Psychopharmacology involves a combined pharmacotherapy treatment plan of both SSRIs and stimulants to treat both disorders.  These stimulants are meant to increase attention and focus, but they can lead an individual with another type of OCD to focus more on obsessive thought.

    Another form of treatment is behavioral therapy.  This is also known as Exposure Plus Response Prevention and it is the first line of treatment for OCD.  During these therapy sessions, the patient is coached into being exposed to the obsessive thoughts that create anxiety.

    There is still a lot we have to learn about different mental disorders.  But when two of these disorders start to exist in one person, this could be a real hard thing to tackle.  If you know someone who may be dealing with symptoms of both ADHD and OCD, feel free to share this in the comments section below.  As always, feel free to like or share this post with someone you know and love.       

  • Could Setting Strict Goals for the New Year be Bad for ADHD Brains?

    We are now at the beginning of another whole new year.  During this time, many people like to start setting “new year’s resolutions,” or goals for themselves.  It could be to lose weight.  It could be to exercise more.  Whatever the case, setting new goals for yourself is very common for people at the beginning of the year. 

    But what if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD?  It could be pretty hard to set certain goals and stick to them throughout the year.  I was reading an article on the ADDitude magazine website that it’s best to try new small, simple habits one day at a time.  This takes the pressure to fulfill strict goals during the new year.  Here are several reasons why this may be a better approach.

    If you’re dealing with ADHD, writing down small daily changes you can make will help you accomplish your big goals.

    Makes it Easier to Make Changes

    The ADHD brain is different from a non-ADHD brain in that it could get overwhelmed easily and lose focus.  That’s why setting new year goals such as losing weight will be hard for that person to accomplish.  If you want to live a healthier life this year, try creating better daily habits for yourself such as eating fruits or veggies every day.  Pick a day where you could walk for 20 minutes uninterrupted.  Try to be consistent in engaging in this activity on that day.

    Helps you Stay Focused on Accomplishing Big Goals

    Doing one simple good habit every day makes it easier to accomplish your long-term goals.  The more habits you complete each day, the more you will come close to achieving that difficult goal. 

    For example, suppose you want to start an online business.  You could start being on the pathway to that goal by doing small things each day to get to it.  Try spending the first day deciding on a name for your business.  The second day could consist of finding a hosting company for your business website.  The third day could involve you doing a simple activity in creating your website.  Just keep doing an activity each day that will lead towards you accomplishing that goal.

    Have some Purpose behind your Goals

    Of course, making small changes or tasks is great, but you must know why you are doing these things.  Knowing your purpose behind performing these daily tasks gives you enough motivation to do them.  Going back to the previous example, what if your purpose in starting an online business was to help people live healthier lives?  By constantly repeating that mission statement to yourself or writing it down in your notebook, it will serve as a reminder as to why you are trying to start an online business.

    Setting hard, unattainable goals could prove to be overwhelming for someone dealing with ADHD.  But if you break those big goals down into small daily changes or tasks, you will be on the path to accomplishing them.

    If you’re dealing with ADHD or know someone who is, how are you making small changes to accomplish your goals this year?  Let me know in the comments section below.  As usual, feel free to like or share this post with someone you know is dealing with this condition.        

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