# OCD & ADD, can the two survive together?



## Cee Paul

My wife has been diagnosed with extreme OCD and I also have ADD and we've been mixing the two together for 7+ years now, but I will be the first to admit that it has been very difficult at times and is beginning to wear on me.

Think about that for a minute: one pays waaaaay too much attention to details and freaks out over the littlest problem, and the other cannot stay focussed on something for longer than a minute or two and doesn't worry about small details.


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## Cee Paul

3leafclover said:


> Not only is it possible for the two to survive together, but they can even coexist in the same person. I don't think the two are really all that far apart. I've heard people with ADHD describe it as being focused on _all_ details at the same time. The problem might be more about the brain's ability to appropriately prioritize the input.
> 
> My son has described it in similar terms before. I remember before he was diagnosed, he would say things like, "I don't know what the teacher said in class because I could hear 4 birds chirping outside the window". Exactly 4 lol. He also has slight OCD, probably...he has little rituals he does all the time. His newest one is tapping his teeth with his pencil while doing schoolwork. He has to do it exactly 7 times. The rituals don't interfere negatively with his everyday life and go unnoticed by others, so I'm not too worried about it.


Totally disagree because the two are polar opposites of each other.


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## LaxUF

I have OCD & ADHD; surprisingly my ADHD meds help diminish my OCD. If I'm working on something & they wear off I can become obsessive with finishing a task and frustrated b/c I get distracted with details. My ex had ADHD before I was diagnosed so my OCD was off the charts. It worked well for us b/c for instance he could not focus on chores & I'd fly around the house cleaning up behind him. It was a good balance for us in that regard... Guess it was his ADHD that prevented him from focusing on the other very important details of a healthy monotonous relationship... NOT! Hahaha!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Runs like Dog

I wasn't paying attention. I was washing my hands.


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## Cee Paul

My wife and I always get into it over stuff like her wanting to know WHYYYYY is it that I did not notice there was a small dust bunny over in the corner of the kitchen, and I told her I'm lucky I notice much of anything for more than a minute or two and that's what a vaccum cleaner is for.


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## Parrot_head

My Wife has severe OCD as well..
We have been married almost 19 yrs and it really started kicking in about 2 yrs ago..

She is now medicated , and I have to say ..she has been the most affectionate loving person to me .. It has never been this good and I am loving it.

She has been referred to a psychiatrist and we will soon be going .. Our gen practitioner has recommended I go along for the 1st while..

Keep your hopes high ... it will get better once they fine tune the medications..

W


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## Hope1964

ADD is a misnomer. Attention Deficit is incorrect. It is actually attention overload. People with ADD pay attention to EVERYTHING, and as a result are unable to pay attention to any one thing for more than a few seconds.

ADD/ADHD and OCD are just labels for conditions that exist along a spectrum anyway. You cannot make blanket statements about either one. And ADD is overdiagnosed. Many who are now in their 20's and 30's, who were diagnosed as children with ADD/ADHD, would be diagnosed with something completely different today, such as autism or a sensory/stimulation disorder. I wonder if the same could be said about OCD.


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## Cee Paul

Hope1964 said:


> ADD is a misnomer. Attention Deficit is incorrect. It is actually attention overload. People with ADD pay attention to EVERYTHING, and as a result are unable to pay attention to any one thing for more than a few seconds.
> 
> ADD/ADHD and OCD are just labels for conditions that exist along a spectrum anyway. You cannot make blanket statements about either one. And ADD is overdiagnosed. Many who are now in their 20's and 30's, who were diagnosed as children with ADD/ADHD, would be diagnosed with something completely different today, such as autism or a sensory/stimulation disorder. I wonder if the same could be said about OCD.


All I know is that my wife focusses on things waaaaaay too much and tries to clean up stuff that just isn't there, and I cannot focus on anything for very long and only worry about the big cleaning jobs and not the ones that involve dust particles.


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## Goldmember357

Hope1964 said:


> ADD is a misnomer. Attention Deficit is incorrect. It is actually attention overload. People with ADD pay attention to EVERYTHING, and as a result are unable to pay attention to any one thing for more than a few seconds.
> 
> ADD/ADHD and OCD are just labels for conditions that exist along a spectrum anyway. You cannot make blanket statements about either one. And ADD is overdiagnosed. Many who are now in their 20's and 30's, who were diagnosed as children with ADD/ADHD, would be diagnosed with something completely different today, such as autism or a sensory/stimulation disorder. I wonder if the same could be said about OCD.


Id agree with this


and to TS

Of course you to can make it work and (imo) Attention deficit is rather mild and easier to deal with/control than that of OCD. That has also been my experience


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## Bobby5000

Not sure, they' re's completely opposite, I got a little of both. I like to do 3-4 things at once, got to 3 movies (get bored and switch) bring 4 books to the beach. Also have a little OCD, check the burners before I leave (make sure they are not on) , then check the door, probably check the burners again in case I forgot, etc. 

And I like myself reasonably well and am doing pretty good, have a decent business, nice marriage, working to help people and do charity.


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