Common Conditions that often Co-exist with AD/HD
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (and Conduct Disorder) Learning and communication differences Anxiety (state or trait) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Depression Enuresis Drug abuse Bipolar Disorder Sleep Problems Tourettes Disorder Pervasive Developmental Disorder Many forms of physical illness (such as asthma) Accidental injury http://add.org/articles/ADHDCo-MorbidityWhatsUndertheTipof theIceberg.htmlAre drugs used for OCD? I haven't run across anything indicating it has any physiological base but since I don't have it, I haven't been looking for it, either. My guess would be that it's more of a psychological issue that would be better handled through some kind of therapy that specializes in it.
You may know more about this than I do but that's my guess, for what it's worth. You'll certainly want to talk to your doctor about this and get a shrink for meds if you don't have one already. An Internet search would also probably turn up some useful info. Just google "ADHD" "OCD" and see what turns up.
Wish I could have been more helpful.
hey unbreakable.
Zoloft is often prescribed for ocd. Also if you have ADD and OCD plus anything else you're probably depressed anyway (so it can serve two functions).
I have a problem with thoughts also. If something gets me angry or frustrated I can really stew over it for ages. A combination of zoloft, add meds, trying to avoid anxiety and stress, and deep breathing is sometimes good for putting things in perspective.
[QUOTE=ADHDMD]My theory is that ADHD patients with OCD (which
strikes me as a compensatory effort to avoid mistakes) will get
much better when their ADHD is treated.
hey unbreakable.
Zoloft is often prescribed for ocd. Also if you have ADD and OCD plus anything else you're probably depressed anyway (so it can serve two functions).
I have a problem with thoughts also. If something gets me angry or frustrated I can really stew over it for ages. A combination of zoloft, add meds, trying to avoid anxiety and stress, and deep breathing is sometimes good for putting things in perspective.
[/QUOTE]
Eliza, this is just a sort of experiment. I hope you're up for it.
Do you go out of your way to piss other people off or does it sometimes just happen (you didn't understand their wants, needs, what they said, were just tired, were in a bad mood, etc.)?
If your answer is, "of course not," then the question back to you is why would (most) other people go out of their way to do the same to you?
The experiment part: Did that help at all? Any lightbulbs go off?
I don't know much about OCD. Is it considered to exist from external pressures (what you think others expect) or internal ones (you just really like it that way)?
I understand that most internal things come from having internalized external expectations (normally, from our families), but I do think some are just intrinsic. For example, my Mother took me to our family doctor when I was 3 because I washed my hands a lot and she was afraid I had a "Lady McBeth complex" about something or other. Our doctor laughed and asked her, "Alice, did it ever occur to you that the kid just likes the feel of clean hands?"
While I don't think I'm even close to OCD about having clean hands, unlike the rest of my world, they are far more than they're not. Where is the line between compulsion and preference in OCD terms?
I have had mild OCD and ADHD my whole life. Frequent handwashing, worries about germs, ect. Nothing that really interfered with my life or was noticable by others outside my family. SSRI antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil) are the first line treatment of OCD. Prozac definitely took the edge off of my OCD but when I started Strattera it increased the blood levels of Prozac and I had uncomfortable side effects.
Frankly the thing which has helped me the most with my OCD was optimizing my ADHD treatment and getting my depression treated (I take Wellbutrin XL 150mg now). A couple months ago I finally increased my Strattera to 160mg and have felt better than in my whole life. I still get frantic/restless/hyperactive sometimes (then I take Clonidine) and my mind has a constant inner dialogue at most times but I do pretty much ok. It seems my OCD just kind of melted away with the higher dose of Strattera.
My theory is that ADHD patients with OCD (which strikes me as a compensatory effort to avoid mistakes) will get much better when their ADHD is treated. I've tried to do that with several of my ADHD/OCD patients and am still waiting for results as it can take several months to adjust the medicine. I haven't found anything in the literature to confirm/disconfirm this yet BTW.
I have Tourettes Syndrome, and have found that Paxil, which is also used for OCDs, has helped some with my tics.