Why OCD Is Considered Highly Comorbid With ADHD

What Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, and Autism have in common

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What is O.C.D.?

The DSM-V lists the following criteria for diagnosing O.C.D.:

1. Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive, unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress.

2. The individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).

3. Repetitive behaviours (e.g., hand washing, ordering checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to the rules that must be applied rigidly.

4. The behaviours or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. However, these behaviours or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive.

5. The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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Challenging a common myth about OCD

O.C.D. is not always “I have to wash my hands and check locks constantly”, although these can be compulsions people feel compelled to perform.

O.C.D. is also:

• Intrusive thoughts

• Needing things to be a certain way (i.e. symmetry, order, checking)

• Feeling as though one’s thoughts or actions will cause bad things to happen