ADD and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Why Is There A Comorbidity of These Two Disorders?
Jan 28, 2009
Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity, is classically defined as causing inattentiveness, forgetfulness, restlessness, impulsivity, lack of concentration, and other similar symptoms. ADD often interferes with schoolwork, housework, and relationships and social development. Those with ADD may also have learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
While ADD often results from a complex array of genetic and environmental factors, it has been shown to affect both the dopamine and seratonin neurotransmitters in the brain.
What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often results in a reduced level of seratonin neurotransmitters in the brain. According to the DSM-IV, a person with OCD would have to experience both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive, intrusive thoughts which impel a person to act on severely rigid, imagined rules. These thoughts cause significant anxiety as the patient knows they are both in his own mind and needs disguising from the outside world. Compulsions are the act of performing these obsessions in daily rituals.
Many patients with OCD fear germs and body secretions and compulsively wash their hands or use separate washing facilities. Others find comfort in repetitive acts such as touching a wall a certain number of times at a particular point in the day, or counting their steps as they walk from place to place.
Patients may become distressed if they do not do these activities or are unsure if they have done them, causing relentless counting and re-counting of their tasks. The patient may also have violent, aggressive, or inappropriate sexual thoughts that they may or may not act on.
For some with OCD, performing each of these compulsive acts takes up most of the day and interferes with activities of daily living. In fact, patients with OCD are often isolated from friends, family and community as they privately carry out their multiple rituals.
Comorbidity of OCD with ADD
Recent research by Highbeam has found that more than 25% of those with OCD were also found to have Attention Deficit Disorder. This may be because both disorders affect similar areas of the brain and cause overlapping symptoms. For example, if a person is obsessively counting in his mind or thinking about his next ritual, he may appear to others as inattentive, forgetful, or restless.
It is of utmost importance that patients with either OCD or ADD be screened separately for each disorder so that the proper medication or therapies can be prescribed.
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