Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can affect anyone, but research suggests autistic people may be more likely to experience it. OCD can have a significant impact on a person's life but treatment can help to manage the symptoms. If you are struggling with OCD, help and support is available.
"The disorders are thought to lie on a spectrum from impulsive to compulsive where impulsivity is said to persist due to deficits in the ability to inhibit repetitive behavior with known negative consequences, while compulsivity persists as a consequence of deficits in recognizing completion of tasks." OCD is a mental ...
OCD is viewed as neurodiverse in origin because it satisfies the primary criteria of a neurodivergent disorder – people with OCD have a brain that processes and behaves differently from what is considered typical.
Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors (OCBs) are typically associated with Asperger's syndrome (AS) and are often a major obstacle to making improvements.
OCD often impacts a person's ability to work and the anxieties they experience in the workplace. Many OCD sufferers are highly intelligent and highly functional. This is often referred to as High Functioning OCD.
It has been established that cluster-C personality traits are common in patients with OCD.
Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is also found to be a common comorbidity with OCD with a prevalence rate of 7.6%. [37] It is characterised by a need to be taken care of and need to seek advice and reassurance from caregivers.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are two different mental health conditions. OCD involves obsessive thoughts while ADHD makes it hard to focus and involves hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Whereas research suggests that one out of five children with OCD has co-occurring ADHD, only one out of every 12 adults with OCD has ADHD.
A person with OCD tends to struggle with social situations, even if they are not worried about hiding their symptoms from others. The condition is closely linked to depression and anxiety, making it hard to interact with others.
Some people would consider OCD to be a neurodivergent condition, while others would not. OCD can affect the brain's circuitry, influencing social communication, judgment, planning, and body functioning. If “neurodivergent” simply means having a brain different from the most common brain type, then OCD would qualify.
Is OCD classified as a disability under the ADA? Yes, OCD is listed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as a disability that qualifies for Social Security disability benefits.
Yet clinicians and researchers have found an overlap between the two. Studies indicate that up to 84 percent of autistic people have some form of anxiety; as much as 17 percent may specifically have OCD. And an even larger proportion of people with OCD may also have undiagnosed autism, according to one 2017 study.
Can OCD be misdiagnosed as autism? Yes, healthcare professionals can misdiagnose OCD as autism, and vice versa, due to an overlap of symptoms. A 2021 study looked into the childhood diagnoses of adults later diagnosed with ASD.
However, there is an important difference between the two. Obsessions and compulsions for people with OCD are distressing and unwanted, whereas repetitive behaviours for autistic people, such as stimming and intense interests, are often positive, soothing and purposeful.
The bottom line
OCD can manifest in four main ways: contamination/washing, doubt/checking, ordering/arranging, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts. Obsessions and compulsions that revolve about contamination and germs are the most common type of OCD, but OCD can cover a wide range of topics.
OCPD is a personality disorder. It looks and feels different than OCD. People with OCPD are strongly focused on—even obsessed with—a goal of perfection for themselves and others.
Mild OCD is a subset of OCD in which intrusive thoughts do not consume as much of your energy as with a more severe case of OCD. Their day-to-day life is not impacted to the same degree, even if they have enough symptoms to qualify for an OCD diagnosis.
The way that OCD can manifest in those with ADHD is by acting as a coping mechanism and/or strategy to help be more efficient in their day-to-day tasks.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for OCD. However, there are methods that many people use to manage their symptoms so that they do not impact their lives negatively. Treatment for OCD includes various medical and therapeutic services.
How is OCD diagnosed? There's no test for OCD. A healthcare provider makes the diagnosis after asking you about your symptoms and medical and mental health history. Providers use criteria explained in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V) to diagnose OCD.
OCD affects 2-3% of people in the United States, and among adults, slightly more women than men are affected. OCD often begins in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. Some people may have some symptoms of OCD but not meet full criteria for this disorder.
What causes OCD? Experts aren't sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood.
These include the obsessive preoccupations and repetitive behaviors found in body dysmorphic disorder, hypochondriasis, Tourette syndrome, Parkinson's disease, catatonia, autism, and in some individuals with eating disorders (eg, anorexia nervosa).
There are a variety of conditions that have obsessive compulsive disorder qualities that are quite similar to OCD such as PANDAS, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), hoarding disorder, trichotillomania, compulsive skin picking, hypochondria, and olfactory reference syndrome.