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.
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.
Most research suggests that OCD is often caused by genetics or the environment, as well as certain differences in the brain. This further proves that it's neurodivergent and not just a unique anxiety disorder alone.
Neurodiverse conditions include ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Developmental Language Disorder, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Tourette's and Tic Disorders, and more! [1] They tend to be co-morbid with many conditions, including addictions and anxiety disorders such as OCD.
“Neurodivergent people identify as having a different way of existing in the world.” Besides autism, ADHD and dyslexia, other types of neurodivergence you might have heard of include dyspraxia (difficulty with movement and coordination), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette syndrome (TS).
Although both OCD and ASD have similar symptoms, they are different conditions. OCD is a mental health disorder, whereas ASD is a developmental condition. ASD is a condition that a person is born with. OCD can develop during a person's lifetime.
The number one difference between OCD and autism is that a person with OCD is participating in their behaviors consciously, while people on the spectrum may display obsessive behaviors without self-awareness.
People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can also clearly meet ADA's requirements as the condition can substantially limit one or more major life activities. In fact, OCD is listed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as a disability that qualifies for Social Security disability benefits.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been linked to altered neurological function following head trauma, encephalitis, abnormal birth events, and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.
So OCD is listed under F40-F48 – Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48), a category which includes: F40 – Phobic anxiety disorders including Agoraphobia, Social phobias, Specific (isolated) phobias, Other phobic anxiety disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder. It causes unreasonable thoughts, fears, or worries. A person with OCD tries to manage these thoughts through rituals.
Other types of neurodivergence include Tourette's, dyspraxia, synesthesia, dyscalculia, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and chronic mental health illnesses such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans conducted to compare the volumes of different brain regions in people with and without OCD have found smaller volumes of the orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex in individuals with OCD.
The obsessive-compulsive spectrum includes different clusters of symptoms that are similar to, but not exactly the same as, OCD symptoms. Often (but not always) the only difference between OCD and a given obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder is the specific focus of the obsessions and/or compulsions.
What causes OCD? There are numerous things that can cause OCD, including genetics, your surroundings and things that can randomly happen in everyday life. If a close relative has OCD, studies have shown there could be a series of genes that you inherit, making OCD partially genetic.
Once a mental health problem becomes severe enough that it has a significant impact on your life, it is then considered to be a psychosocial disability. Mental health diagnoses that can potentially fall into the category of psychosocial disability may include: Bipolar disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Symptoms fluctuate in severity from time to time, and this fluctuation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events. Because symptoms usually worsen with age, people may have difficulty remembering when OCD began, but can sometimes recall when they first noticed that the symptoms were disrupting their lives.
Attention to detail
People with OCD have an eye for detail. They do this effortlessly. They strive for perfection, which is a great asset in the workplace.
If you haven't guessed, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) wins the award for the anxiety category most of us would relegate solely to the violent criminals of this world. Unless of course, you suffer from OCD, and then you'd likely fear that wishing that may result in becoming a violent victimizer yourself.
Pedophilia OCD
It can occur in people who have their own history of childhood abuse, because they may have been told somewhere along the way that being a victim of abuse means they will go on to abuse someone else.
around 3 per cent of Australians experience OCD in their lifetime.
ADHD and OCD are two mental health conditions that may appear to share some symptoms. However, ADHD is externalizing in nature, affecting how individuals relate to their environment. By contrast, OCD is internalizing in nature, meaning individuals respond to anxiety by turning inward.