“ADHD and OCD: My Codependent Frenemies”
On the surface, ADHD and OCD are seemingly impossible bedfellows. “Messy,” “hyperactive,” and “scatterbrained” are just a few common synonyms for the former, while the latter is frequently associated with being exceedingly clean, uptight, and meticulous. (While some of these assumptions about these disorders are accurate for some people, they cannot be generalized or applied to everyone.)Yet, that’s precisely the combination I have.
Research shows that up to 30% of people with ADHD also have OCD.In my reality, ADHD and OCD are codependent frenemies that sometimes help balance each other, even as they egg on one another.My OCD diagnosis came first, and it never quite felt like the whole picture.
I had trouble focusing, which is a common struggle in OCD that stems from difficulty managing compulsive symptoms. Still, it didn’t explain the day-to-day distractibility I experienced.
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