OCD vs. ADD?

Question

What is OCD? What is ADD? whats the difference between the two? how can you tell if you have one or the other? Can you have both?

here is a list of my strange behaviors, do you think i have either of these conditions?

everytime i listen to someone talk i repeat what they say, then spell it out.
i always have to wear a watch. i dont have to see the time, i just have to look at my watch every 10 seconds - 10 minutes or else i flip out.
i change subjects in the middle of sentences, or completely stop talking.
i cant focus on any one subject for longer then 10 mins
I enjoy conversations about things like colors and numbers not about people...

i have a basic understanding of add, and im pretty sure i have it, as for ocd i have no clue... any input is good input

I would like to add that i am 14 years old.
and that my watch thing seems like the closest thing to ocd. if i dont look at it or if i dont wear it then i breathe really hard and start shaking and run around asking people if they have the time, and i dont even listen to the reply

Answer 1

This does not sound like OCD. In the simplest terms possible, a person with OCD engages in rituals or compulsions to relieve anxiety from obsessions that often are attached to dire consequense. For example... a person will have to touch a doorknob a certain way to relieve anxiety because if they don't, they'll fear getting hit by a car for the rest of the day. The extreme consequences and attached compulsions are irrational and in adults with OCD, they must realize they are as such.
OCD is more than having quirks. With OCD, if a person does not engage in the ritual or compulsion, they are thrown into an extreme state of anxiety. It is very painful for them. The therapy known as Exposure with Ritual Prevention most often needs to be done in the presence of the therapist because it sometimes be dangerous.

OCD and ADD have basically nothing in common.

ADD is an attention deficit disorder, and I'm not so schooled on ADD as I am on OCD. Also, ADD is difficult to diagnose in adults. It sounds like you may have some trouble with attention, but you need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist about that to figure it out for sure and see if it's full on ADD.

People can definitely both have OCD and ADD, though I don't think they're as commonly comorbid as OCD is with mood disorders and eating disorders.

Answer 2

There is a tendancy for people to over clinicalise conditions and I suspect the shrinks have to accept their fair share of blame in this. People use these terms like there was no tommorrow; always looking for that medical diagnosis to explain their strange behaviour but most of the time they are perfectly normal, nothing wrong with them clinically.

True OCD is a truly dehabilating disorder - patients with OCD may take 6 hours to get dressed in the morning because they are never satisified with their appearance and are constantly trying to make little adjustments, to "better" themselves. It is really quite sad to watch.

ADD is not even an accepted disorder yet - most doctors in the world very rarely treat people with ADD, especially adults; only in America is ADD a common condition, which has more to do with doctor diagnosis then the actual number of new cases. You might just be at the wrong end of the concentration spectrum. e.g Just like some people are naturally slow runners, while others are born sprinters. There is nothing medically wrong with the slow runners.

Your history is not detailed enough. You cannot just make an accurate diagnosis based on the information you have given me. But from what you have said, I would see a medical professional who can examine you further.

Answer 3

OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Basically you have habits and rituals that must be completed, otherwise you can enter a state of anxiety or panic.

ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder

Basically you can't stay focused.

But these aren't things you can really self diagnose. You need to see a psychiatrist for that.

Answer 4

I think the best thing is to go to a psychiatrist and have yourself evaluated completely. It's not a good idea to try to get a diagnosis from Yahoo! Answers. Here's wishing you good health.

Answer 5

i will snicker at myself yet do in comparison to if somebody that doesn't have it or understand laughs at me. sort of like i will snicker at my sister and he or she will snicker at me yet while all of us else laughs at our kin we can probably shield. lol it could take time and the main appropriate circumstances to have the form of attitude it takes to verify the humourous ingredient of issues we gained't administration in existence. in lots of situations that doesn't come till we've struggled for a jointly as with a situation and considered it from certainly one of those angles and braved the real honesty it takes to place ourselves available somewhat rather of hiding. confident those issues could be painful yet there are lots of worse issues interior the international than ocd and upload. to boot, laughter is the excellent drugs and the reality will set you unfastened. :)

Answer 6

it sounds as though you have a bit of both but i imagaine it must be very hard going through life like this you really should go see a pysciatrist and its nothing to be ashamed of it could greatly increase your quality of life.