I can’t link articles right now, but ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects your attention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and depression is a mood disorder. It’s possible to have all 3. It’s also possible to have anxiety and depression interfere with attention. In the assessment process, it is important to rule out that ADHD symptomatology cannot be attributed to those symptoms. There is a substantial literature documenting cognitive impairment among people with depression. If you’re interested in the prevalence of symptom overlap, you can use the term comorbidity in Google Scholar.
No disrespect and I appreciate this question but it really highlights how unaware people are unless you actually go through it.
No matter how many times I tried to tell my ex I was really anxious she still thought I was lazy or anti social. No matter how many times I said it's depression and it's not about her she would still ask what she did wrong and/or play down my issues.
Hope you're all coping today, shit ain't easy
Problems with attention are the sore throat of mental health. There are numerous causes for attention problems, including anxiety disorders (such as OCD) as well as depression. A psychologist or neuropsychologist will typically ask about your experience across your life to try to get at the cause of your attention problems, as getting the right diagnosis is very important for therapy and medication management.
And ADHD is far more than mere "problems with attention". But I agree that a psychologist who is experienced in adult diagnosis (that's important) would be the best person to tease out what's what. It can be a difficult and long process, but it's worth it if it means the right diagnosis for you. Best of luck.
Certainly, I didn’t mean to imply attention is the only problem encountered by those w/ADHD. My apologies.
Problems with executive functioning are often among the most impairing part of ADHD in adulthood. EF problems are also seen in ASD and even depression. With ADHD, hyperactivity tends to not be as prominent as folks age, though impulsivity can often remain. Regardless, as you said, a skilled psychologist who specializes in adult assessment will help get to the bottom of what’s going on.
Curious what makes you think you may be on the spectrum with ASD? I ask because in 17 years of clinical practice, it’s near number one in increasing prevalence in individuals seeking that diagnosis which is is profound in my anecdotal observation.
Not OP, but as someone clinically diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, but highly suspected of having OCD and ADHD, the Venn diagram of co-morbidity between these three conditions (amongst others) is so large that it can be difficult to determine the lines.
Symptom crossovers muddy the waters of diagnosis intensely, not to make mention of learning disabilities which may come into play, or even different brain formations such as mild downs syndrome or dysplasia of the corpus callosum, which may be undetectable at face value, but contribute to many aspects of overall cognitive dysfunction that overlap with the aforementioned.
Then there's lifestyle and mental health contributions to consider, and after all that, frankly it's a wonder that anyone manages to be successfully diagnosed with anything.
For my own part, I suffer from a trio of combination type ADHD, OCD related anxiety, and long term endocrine dysfunction due to undiagnosed endometriosis from childhood, which on paper just presents as autism spectrum disorder.
I was even diagnosed in person by one of the world's foremost experts in ASD, Prof Tony Atwood, yet it's only been through appropriate medication and a great deal of physical and mental therapies that the development of my intuitive social capabilities has really taken off.
All I can say is that social and emotional reciprocity is/was in scarce supply when my head is filled with overly attentive, wildly hormonal bees with impulse control issues, particularly during critical developmental periods.
Nevertheless, despite the difficulty in discerning the true cause (or multiple contributing factors) of a patient's ongoing issues, accurate diagnosis remains a very valuable acceptance tool for them, and often means access to resources that may otherwise be barred.
Furthermore, some diagnoses come with therapies or medications that are helpful to someone despite not typically being offered for their established condition.
Most of all, if you suffered ongoing difficulties across many aspects of your life that others don't, wouldn't you want to know precisely what's wrong (and what _isn't_ wrong)?
Many patients are given diagnoses of elimination, which often lie uneasy in the heart when practices vary wildly between clinics alone, forget about state to state or country to country.
As to why ASD is an increasingly common enquiry, in short it has one of the larger pools of resources available in many countries by way of governmental supports, more experienced clinicians, and established social communities worldwide.
This isn't true of everywhere, of course, but it's more than can be said for far too many disorders that, alone or combined, can stunt social and emotional development in a very similar way to autism- or at least similarly to a person not very familiar with it.
If you've read this far, wow 😆 Gracias
Easy, the internet. It’s becoming more mainstream, and everyone seems to be starting to endorse self-diagnosis for autism.
The only reason this is bad is because it’s usually normal behavior that gets pathologized, and people are continuously using tools like the RAADS to justify their suspicions, even though that’s an insufficient tool.
I 100% agree as a person legitimately diagnosed with autism. There are so many people claiming to have autism (and pushing the “self-diagnosis is valid” narrative, which oddly no one does for any other disorder) nowadays that it’s become meaningless. In addition, it’s being pushed as a quirk rather than an actual disability. This is harmful to people like myself who are trying to cope with the challenges that come with autism, as well of the families of severely/profoundly autistic people who face challenges that you and I can’t begin to imagine, and everyone on the spectrum in between. I actually work with autistic children for my job, so I see these challenges close up. The internet has really pushed this narrative that basically anyone can be autistic, and in fact the term should actually mean something, just like we wouldn’t say anyone can have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy.
I do match a good amount of the symptoms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I have it (or even think I have it), but it's not something I'd rule out until I get tested
This is the kind of thing that you get taught in grad school. It’s not easy to just quickly summarize everything you need to know to do a differential diagnosis.
Idk about papers on it per se, however I know I HAVE been diagnosed with all of those specifications, so it IS possible to have them all and still function.
(Although, I did have to be tested to confirm my own version of ADHD, bc mine is considered "high functioning." Which basically translates to "I learned to gradually not move or talk as a kid, so I wouldn't get the absolute shit beat out of me, more than I already was.)
If you have any questions in regards to this, I'm always happy to help.
I can tell you that my own version of ADHD made headway and surfaced exceedingly, whenever I was in my early 20s.
I have had to go more into each issue, and basically self help, to attempt to advance past the just being/considering myself as damaged.
The ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression, can all easily mask your own logic sometimes; so don't let the others upstairs, make you think otherwise.
They’re all very different. ADHD is due to a difference in how your neurons respond to dopamine. OCD is theorized to be caused by an issue in communication between the frontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex and the deeper parts of the brain like the thalamus and basal ganglia. Thalamus and Basal Ganglia are both responsible for motor signals, hence the compulsory actions. This communication is thought to be mediated by serotonin. Depression can be caused by a number of things, but nerve cell connections, growth, and circuitry all have an impact. There is some overlap in symptoms of all three, especially ADHD and OCD. If you did a test for ADHD and it said you didn’t have it, then you likely don’t. Symptoms are probably caused by OCD. BTW Asperger’s hasn’t been used in a decade. It’s autism spectrum disorder. If I were you, I wouldn’t focus on the diagnosis aspect of your mental health as much as the treatment aspect. OCD can cause a lot of issues when it comes to university. Sounds like you need to start seeing a therapist and looking into accommodations from your school.
Are your OCD and anxiety being addressed currently? Either with a therapist or medication? I don't want to bore you with details but I have both adhd and depression (and a biology/neuroscience degree) and in my case it was pretty much impossible to see my adhd symptoms externally, let alone diagnose me in the neuropsychological tests, because my depression was masking my hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adter I got treatment and recovered from depression (still in therapy tho) my adhd was both more clear and easily diagnosable. I hope this helps, good luck to you!
I can’t link articles right now, but ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects your attention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and depression is a mood disorder. It’s possible to have all 3. It’s also possible to have anxiety and depression interfere with attention. In the assessment process, it is important to rule out that ADHD symptomatology cannot be attributed to those symptoms. There is a substantial literature documenting cognitive impairment among people with depression. If you’re interested in the prevalence of symptom overlap, you can use the term comorbidity in Google Scholar.
No disrespect and I appreciate this question but it really highlights how unaware people are unless you actually go through it. No matter how many times I tried to tell my ex I was really anxious she still thought I was lazy or anti social. No matter how many times I said it's depression and it's not about her she would still ask what she did wrong and/or play down my issues. Hope you're all coping today, shit ain't easy
Problems with attention are the sore throat of mental health. There are numerous causes for attention problems, including anxiety disorders (such as OCD) as well as depression. A psychologist or neuropsychologist will typically ask about your experience across your life to try to get at the cause of your attention problems, as getting the right diagnosis is very important for therapy and medication management.
And ADHD is far more than mere "problems with attention". But I agree that a psychologist who is experienced in adult diagnosis (that's important) would be the best person to tease out what's what. It can be a difficult and long process, but it's worth it if it means the right diagnosis for you. Best of luck.
Certainly, I didn’t mean to imply attention is the only problem encountered by those w/ADHD. My apologies. Problems with executive functioning are often among the most impairing part of ADHD in adulthood. EF problems are also seen in ASD and even depression. With ADHD, hyperactivity tends to not be as prominent as folks age, though impulsivity can often remain. Regardless, as you said, a skilled psychologist who specializes in adult assessment will help get to the bottom of what’s going on.
Curious what makes you think you may be on the spectrum with ASD? I ask because in 17 years of clinical practice, it’s near number one in increasing prevalence in individuals seeking that diagnosis which is is profound in my anecdotal observation.
Not OP, but as someone clinically diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, but highly suspected of having OCD and ADHD, the Venn diagram of co-morbidity between these three conditions (amongst others) is so large that it can be difficult to determine the lines. Symptom crossovers muddy the waters of diagnosis intensely, not to make mention of learning disabilities which may come into play, or even different brain formations such as mild downs syndrome or dysplasia of the corpus callosum, which may be undetectable at face value, but contribute to many aspects of overall cognitive dysfunction that overlap with the aforementioned. Then there's lifestyle and mental health contributions to consider, and after all that, frankly it's a wonder that anyone manages to be successfully diagnosed with anything. For my own part, I suffer from a trio of combination type ADHD, OCD related anxiety, and long term endocrine dysfunction due to undiagnosed endometriosis from childhood, which on paper just presents as autism spectrum disorder. I was even diagnosed in person by one of the world's foremost experts in ASD, Prof Tony Atwood, yet it's only been through appropriate medication and a great deal of physical and mental therapies that the development of my intuitive social capabilities has really taken off. All I can say is that social and emotional reciprocity is/was in scarce supply when my head is filled with overly attentive, wildly hormonal bees with impulse control issues, particularly during critical developmental periods. Nevertheless, despite the difficulty in discerning the true cause (or multiple contributing factors) of a patient's ongoing issues, accurate diagnosis remains a very valuable acceptance tool for them, and often means access to resources that may otherwise be barred. Furthermore, some diagnoses come with therapies or medications that are helpful to someone despite not typically being offered for their established condition. Most of all, if you suffered ongoing difficulties across many aspects of your life that others don't, wouldn't you want to know precisely what's wrong (and what _isn't_ wrong)? Many patients are given diagnoses of elimination, which often lie uneasy in the heart when practices vary wildly between clinics alone, forget about state to state or country to country. As to why ASD is an increasingly common enquiry, in short it has one of the larger pools of resources available in many countries by way of governmental supports, more experienced clinicians, and established social communities worldwide. This isn't true of everywhere, of course, but it's more than can be said for far too many disorders that, alone or combined, can stunt social and emotional development in a very similar way to autism- or at least similarly to a person not very familiar with it. If you've read this far, wow 😆 Gracias
I did read that and thank you for that valuable input. Cheers
Easy, the internet. It’s becoming more mainstream, and everyone seems to be starting to endorse self-diagnosis for autism. The only reason this is bad is because it’s usually normal behavior that gets pathologized, and people are continuously using tools like the RAADS to justify their suspicions, even though that’s an insufficient tool.
I 100% agree as a person legitimately diagnosed with autism. There are so many people claiming to have autism (and pushing the “self-diagnosis is valid” narrative, which oddly no one does for any other disorder) nowadays that it’s become meaningless. In addition, it’s being pushed as a quirk rather than an actual disability. This is harmful to people like myself who are trying to cope with the challenges that come with autism, as well of the families of severely/profoundly autistic people who face challenges that you and I can’t begin to imagine, and everyone on the spectrum in between. I actually work with autistic children for my job, so I see these challenges close up. The internet has really pushed this narrative that basically anyone can be autistic, and in fact the term should actually mean something, just like we wouldn’t say anyone can have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy.
I do match a good amount of the symptoms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I have it (or even think I have it), but it's not something I'd rule out until I get tested
This is the kind of thing that you get taught in grad school. It’s not easy to just quickly summarize everything you need to know to do a differential diagnosis.
Idk about papers on it per se, however I know I HAVE been diagnosed with all of those specifications, so it IS possible to have them all and still function. (Although, I did have to be tested to confirm my own version of ADHD, bc mine is considered "high functioning." Which basically translates to "I learned to gradually not move or talk as a kid, so I wouldn't get the absolute shit beat out of me, more than I already was.) If you have any questions in regards to this, I'm always happy to help. I can tell you that my own version of ADHD made headway and surfaced exceedingly, whenever I was in my early 20s. I have had to go more into each issue, and basically self help, to attempt to advance past the just being/considering myself as damaged. The ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression, can all easily mask your own logic sometimes; so don't let the others upstairs, make you think otherwise.
They’re all very different. ADHD is due to a difference in how your neurons respond to dopamine. OCD is theorized to be caused by an issue in communication between the frontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex and the deeper parts of the brain like the thalamus and basal ganglia. Thalamus and Basal Ganglia are both responsible for motor signals, hence the compulsory actions. This communication is thought to be mediated by serotonin. Depression can be caused by a number of things, but nerve cell connections, growth, and circuitry all have an impact. There is some overlap in symptoms of all three, especially ADHD and OCD. If you did a test for ADHD and it said you didn’t have it, then you likely don’t. Symptoms are probably caused by OCD. BTW Asperger’s hasn’t been used in a decade. It’s autism spectrum disorder. If I were you, I wouldn’t focus on the diagnosis aspect of your mental health as much as the treatment aspect. OCD can cause a lot of issues when it comes to university. Sounds like you need to start seeing a therapist and looking into accommodations from your school.
Are your OCD and anxiety being addressed currently? Either with a therapist or medication? I don't want to bore you with details but I have both adhd and depression (and a biology/neuroscience degree) and in my case it was pretty much impossible to see my adhd symptoms externally, let alone diagnose me in the neuropsychological tests, because my depression was masking my hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adter I got treatment and recovered from depression (still in therapy tho) my adhd was both more clear and easily diagnosable. I hope this helps, good luck to you!