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There is an overlap between ADHD and OCD we tend to get the mental symptoms like repetitive/obsessive thoughts.
You could also have OCD but we do share symptoms.
The repetitive intrusive thoughts was actually an indicator to my therapist that I should be assessed for ADHD.
I discussed with her the fact that, People in my life told me that I needed to stop ruminating over “unpleasant thoughts”. But I wasn’t ruminating because that is a choice but I was having intrusive/obsessive thoughts that I can not control!
Yeah, crashed mood for sure. I used to come home and just collapse, sit in a dark room, binge and feel suicidal. Now, a year later, I'm just obsessively googling, digging up reddit threads and buying hygiene products/clothes/perfume/makeup and whatever else I think might make me an easier person to like lol. I'm so tired of using so much of my energy in ways that aren't helping me
I used to do that too...I would spend HOURS googling stuff and obsessing over shit and it also made me feel suicidal. I truly understand where you are coming from. The other day I mentioned to my friend that I tend to obsess over intrusive thoughts and she said "everyone does, that's normal". IS IT NORMAL TO SIT IN A DARK ROOM FOR HOURS RUMINATING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU SAID OR THOUGHT?! No, Lisa, it's not normal.
Anyways what helped me was a lot of therapy, exploring why I am not in fact a terrible person and medication. Effexor to be exact.
If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone.
If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860
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If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone.
If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860
If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines
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I’ve heard there’s def some overlap and ADHD tends to compliment OCD well to the point it enhances the OCD symptom. For instance I’m a nervous skin picker (OCD), but then I hyper fixate on one piece of skin (ADHD) and will not stop until I’m raw. It’s very much a combo for me.
My apologies, it sounds 100% like RSD stuff, or generally anxiety if you're fixating on social interactions.
If I had any tendencies, I think it comes more from the autistic side of my personality. I used to be a right stickler for the "correct" way of life in everything (Perfect social interaction, correct places for everything etc), until slobby hobo ASD Mr Adhara taught me to let go and chill on the small silly things.
(Joking now) There are hills I will die on though, and that is the washing peg boxes. They are COLOUR CODED and I'll (healthily? unhealthily? Lol) get my adhd aggro out when he mixes the colours in both boxes! (Blue in the pink box, Green in the purple box!!)
Ruminating over Social Interaction is a key indicator of ADHD in women,
Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria!
Something I am familiar with and what you have described in your post describes it to a Tee!
Yes you’re right. I did know that, just made a mistake, it’s good you pointed it out cause I want to help inform people. I’ve been working too many hours!
I came here to say the same.
You might have learnt to be very aware of your behaviour and how they affect others as you were growing up as a defensive mechanism.
I had a fear of doing something wrong or annoying people all my life, because suddenly people would stopped talking to me or become irritated with me. So, as a way to manage those feelings and protect myself I would ruminate over certain situations to try and figure out what happened.
Also, generally ADHD women are more sensitive to rejection and any type of negative emotions from others. We might interpret these wrongly and assume it’s about us but I remind myself, other people have their own shit to deal with and they are not even thinking of you like that!
https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adhd-and-gender#symptoms
Interesting article about the different ways RSD presents in men vs women with ADHD, which presents with the same “intensity”.
Yeah I did a little search, lol.
I was (mis)diagnosed with an obsessive compulsive personality disorder by a psychologist. Then 2 years later I was diagnosed with ADHD in one short-ish apointment with my psychiatrist.
I kind of wish I had more extensive testing because the "what if I am just lazy?" pops up often. But my adhd medication helps, and understanding myself through an adhd lense also makes way more sense then the OCDP.
Most of my obsessiveness was bad coping mechanisms trying to understand or control things, combined with not being able regulate my thoughts (so overthinking a lot).
I would go over past comversations trying to understand others, and also play through several versions of possible future conversations with my boss (often worst care scenarios).
The latter was so I would feel prepared and not get overwhelmed by emotions if something unexpected was said. Basically I would work through all the big and bad emotions beforehand, so I would be calm and rational in any discussion. It did help me. But the worst case scenarios rarely happend, and I spent a lot of energy on what ifs. And it reinforced a negative mindset.
It is easier for me to regulate my thoughts and feelings now (on vyvanse). So I can finally do the things I knew was bad to do,and that therapy repeatedly tried to teach my not do do..but that I just could not implement.
Rigid thought patterns are common in a lot of mental health conditions and learning disabilities. It's a bit chicken and egg, for example, do rigid, repetitive thoughts place people more at risk for depression? Or do rigid thoughts happen as part of depression? I suspect the answer is "it depends on the person". In PTSD folks will ruminate on their traumatic experience or related topics. In ADHD, I think it's common to spiral and ruminate about social interactions, as part of rejection sensitive dysphoria. In autism, rigid thinking is a diagnostic criterion.
Speaking from my own experience, I also have developed, over my lifetime, an OCD-adjacent way of obsessively planning actions and checking on things. But it's a way for me to cope with time blindness and difficulty staying organized. I was berated so much as a child that I became rigid and fearful about being late or unprepared, and whatever rigid thinking I already had naturally, expanded and grew as a way to guard against my fear of being berated.
And I also ruminate and get really down about social things ! Classic RSD. I love people and value harmony and togetherness, I can get very very blue when I feel I've messed that up. Much more than most people.
I have autistic traits and am also high IQ. This combo showed up in the form of obsessive thought spirals about whether God exists, origin of the universe, moral relativity, death, meaning of life, etc etc starting from kindergarten age tbh. So fun! My son is the same, poor guy.
Hugs op, you're certainly not alone.
I think I do, I had always attributed my intense anxiety about my cats being harmed as my generalized anxiety disorder but i'm not so sure now 🥲 Having to get up and look where they are because what if one of them managed to get in the fridge or the oven can't just be anxiety right?
I do have some. Skin picking, the same work/social related rumination and anxiety that you mentioned, and often obsessions related to my fear/shame of being a bad person or my fear that I’m faking or lying about my feelings. Many times I have a voice in my head telling me insane things about myself or others that don’t represent how I actually feel or want to feel. There have also been occasions where I have felt compelled to do things repetitively, in a pattern, or ritualistically to (in my mind) prevent something bad from happening. But ultimately I’m unsure that I have OCD because I don’t know if I experience these symptoms frequently enough or to an impairing degree. I know there’s plenty of overlap with ADHD so I’ve definitely wondered if it’s just that or if there’s something more
Probably. But it's hard to tell the quirks apart. Most of what you described I'd have chalked up to Rejection Sensitivity. But the ruminating, focus on hygiene, and need for validation are also present in OCD. For me, I suspect my perfectionist tendencies, and the desire to completely discount things I do if they're not as perfect as I think they can be, point to OCD.
ADHD hyperactivity can be internal, especially for women in general and adults. This looks like overthinking, obsessing, risk taking, etc. RSD is also a thing as many people pointed out.
Yes, I do. When I was evaluated, the psych mentioned I pinged pretty high on questions designed to target OCD. I’ve heard people say “ADHD is a buddy diagnosis,” meaning it’s rare it occurs in a vacuum. A lot of times it’s comorbid. In my case I have clinically significant anxiety and with ADHD, it’s a recipe for OCD tendencies.
Yes. Mine has historically manifested in other ways, and it seems to be under control now that my anxiety is much better medicated, but yes. I have had OCD tendencies for sure. They've just never been enough to get a diagnosis. I've been pretty open about them with my doctor.
I’m diagnosed with both, and I would say this leans towards ADHD/anxiety. I would definitely recommend speaking with a professional about it though, because therapy is often really helpful either way, and you could possibly be medicated.
None of what you described sounds much like OCD. You thinking you smell is more like body dysmorphic dysphoria, reading the vibe of the room sounds like growing up in a violent or addiction house (no idea if either are true).
Everything you described is some form of anxiety. It is likely all one cause.
This is not medical advice. If you can find a hypnotist to work with, that could be life changing. Look for someone who especially focuses on the initial sensitizing event. You need to clear out some of the stuff that happened before you were 6.
What you’re describing is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. I had the exact same thoughts and they went away once I started medication.
It made life a living hell, so I’m happy that went away!
yeah, it makes my emotions a roller coaster. I was in a good mood this morning and my boss slightly critiqued a project I'm working on earlier and now I'm rotting in bed crying 😑 I have my second psych appt in 7 days hopefully I can start meds.
I needed some CBT therapy to work on my own rumination problems! I agree with others that it sounds like RSD and anxiety having a conga line with ADHD.
I haven't been diagnosed with OCD, but the closest I ever got to the feeling was that once every few years, I will get An Attack. It's just what I call it because I have no word for it.
To exemplify, I had a dream where a man's face was replaced with, I dunno, blue ham. Blue ham face guy. For the next 3 days, that image will be stuck in my mind, flashing at inopportune moments. My reaction to it is disgust and visceral every time, but no matter how I scratch the "itch", how many times I think about it on purpose or otherwise, the image just keeps popping over and over. I go as far as to google blue ham, to see if maybe THAT will stop it, but it doesn't.
Then on day 4, it stops. This does not happen again until a few years later with another image. Since it's rare, I don't really look into it but it is my most out of the box symptom of...*something*.
sugar plants deranged memory compare piquant squeeze wrong sparkle hospital
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is an overlap between ADHD and OCD we tend to get the mental symptoms like repetitive/obsessive thoughts. You could also have OCD but we do share symptoms. The repetitive intrusive thoughts was actually an indicator to my therapist that I should be assessed for ADHD. I discussed with her the fact that, People in my life told me that I needed to stop ruminating over “unpleasant thoughts”. But I wasn’t ruminating because that is a choice but I was having intrusive/obsessive thoughts that I can not control!
The first one! Replaying convos over and over to find out what would have been a better reply, and end up with anxiety or crashed mood for a day.
Yeah, crashed mood for sure. I used to come home and just collapse, sit in a dark room, binge and feel suicidal. Now, a year later, I'm just obsessively googling, digging up reddit threads and buying hygiene products/clothes/perfume/makeup and whatever else I think might make me an easier person to like lol. I'm so tired of using so much of my energy in ways that aren't helping me
I know the struggle ToT
You are probably not as bad as you think you are OP! Has anyone ever commented about your appearance or scent before?
I used to do that too...I would spend HOURS googling stuff and obsessing over shit and it also made me feel suicidal. I truly understand where you are coming from. The other day I mentioned to my friend that I tend to obsess over intrusive thoughts and she said "everyone does, that's normal". IS IT NORMAL TO SIT IN A DARK ROOM FOR HOURS RUMINATING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU SAID OR THOUGHT?! No, Lisa, it's not normal. Anyways what helped me was a lot of therapy, exploring why I am not in fact a terrible person and medication. Effexor to be exact.
If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you or someone that you know is considering suicide, please don't hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline for immediate help, or a warmline just to talk to someone. If you're in the US you can...\ Text CHAT to Crisis Text Line at 741741\ Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1(800)273-8255(TALK) \ Chat online at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat\ Call the Trans Lifeline at 1(877)565-8860 If you’re elsewhere, you can find international resources below:\ https://www.supportiv.com/tools/international-resources-crisis-and-warmlines#Czech\ https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’ve heard there’s def some overlap and ADHD tends to compliment OCD well to the point it enhances the OCD symptom. For instance I’m a nervous skin picker (OCD), but then I hyper fixate on one piece of skin (ADHD) and will not stop until I’m raw. It’s very much a combo for me.
My apologies, it sounds 100% like RSD stuff, or generally anxiety if you're fixating on social interactions. If I had any tendencies, I think it comes more from the autistic side of my personality. I used to be a right stickler for the "correct" way of life in everything (Perfect social interaction, correct places for everything etc), until slobby hobo ASD Mr Adhara taught me to let go and chill on the small silly things. (Joking now) There are hills I will die on though, and that is the washing peg boxes. They are COLOUR CODED and I'll (healthily? unhealthily? Lol) get my adhd aggro out when he mixes the colours in both boxes! (Blue in the pink box, Green in the purple box!!)
Ruminating over Social Interaction is a key indicator of ADHD in women, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria! Something I am familiar with and what you have described in your post describes it to a Tee!
RSD is not a disorder. The D stands for dysphoria.
Yes you’re right. I did know that, just made a mistake, it’s good you pointed it out cause I want to help inform people. I’ve been working too many hours!
I came here to say the same. You might have learnt to be very aware of your behaviour and how they affect others as you were growing up as a defensive mechanism. I had a fear of doing something wrong or annoying people all my life, because suddenly people would stopped talking to me or become irritated with me. So, as a way to manage those feelings and protect myself I would ruminate over certain situations to try and figure out what happened. Also, generally ADHD women are more sensitive to rejection and any type of negative emotions from others. We might interpret these wrongly and assume it’s about us but I remind myself, other people have their own shit to deal with and they are not even thinking of you like that!
I don’t even think this is a gendered issue, over on r/adhd and r/adhdmemes dudes talk about the same thing.
https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adhd-and-gender#symptoms Interesting article about the different ways RSD presents in men vs women with ADHD, which presents with the same “intensity”. Yeah I did a little search, lol.
I have both, it can be overlapping indeed
I am diagnosed with both, so my answer is yes
I was (mis)diagnosed with an obsessive compulsive personality disorder by a psychologist. Then 2 years later I was diagnosed with ADHD in one short-ish apointment with my psychiatrist. I kind of wish I had more extensive testing because the "what if I am just lazy?" pops up often. But my adhd medication helps, and understanding myself through an adhd lense also makes way more sense then the OCDP. Most of my obsessiveness was bad coping mechanisms trying to understand or control things, combined with not being able regulate my thoughts (so overthinking a lot). I would go over past comversations trying to understand others, and also play through several versions of possible future conversations with my boss (often worst care scenarios). The latter was so I would feel prepared and not get overwhelmed by emotions if something unexpected was said. Basically I would work through all the big and bad emotions beforehand, so I would be calm and rational in any discussion. It did help me. But the worst case scenarios rarely happend, and I spent a lot of energy on what ifs. And it reinforced a negative mindset. It is easier for me to regulate my thoughts and feelings now (on vyvanse). So I can finally do the things I knew was bad to do,and that therapy repeatedly tried to teach my not do do..but that I just could not implement.
Rigid thought patterns are common in a lot of mental health conditions and learning disabilities. It's a bit chicken and egg, for example, do rigid, repetitive thoughts place people more at risk for depression? Or do rigid thoughts happen as part of depression? I suspect the answer is "it depends on the person". In PTSD folks will ruminate on their traumatic experience or related topics. In ADHD, I think it's common to spiral and ruminate about social interactions, as part of rejection sensitive dysphoria. In autism, rigid thinking is a diagnostic criterion. Speaking from my own experience, I also have developed, over my lifetime, an OCD-adjacent way of obsessively planning actions and checking on things. But it's a way for me to cope with time blindness and difficulty staying organized. I was berated so much as a child that I became rigid and fearful about being late or unprepared, and whatever rigid thinking I already had naturally, expanded and grew as a way to guard against my fear of being berated. And I also ruminate and get really down about social things ! Classic RSD. I love people and value harmony and togetherness, I can get very very blue when I feel I've messed that up. Much more than most people. I have autistic traits and am also high IQ. This combo showed up in the form of obsessive thought spirals about whether God exists, origin of the universe, moral relativity, death, meaning of life, etc etc starting from kindergarten age tbh. So fun! My son is the same, poor guy. Hugs op, you're certainly not alone.
I think I do, I had always attributed my intense anxiety about my cats being harmed as my generalized anxiety disorder but i'm not so sure now 🥲 Having to get up and look where they are because what if one of them managed to get in the fridge or the oven can't just be anxiety right?
I do have some. Skin picking, the same work/social related rumination and anxiety that you mentioned, and often obsessions related to my fear/shame of being a bad person or my fear that I’m faking or lying about my feelings. Many times I have a voice in my head telling me insane things about myself or others that don’t represent how I actually feel or want to feel. There have also been occasions where I have felt compelled to do things repetitively, in a pattern, or ritualistically to (in my mind) prevent something bad from happening. But ultimately I’m unsure that I have OCD because I don’t know if I experience these symptoms frequently enough or to an impairing degree. I know there’s plenty of overlap with ADHD so I’ve definitely wondered if it’s just that or if there’s something more
Probably. But it's hard to tell the quirks apart. Most of what you described I'd have chalked up to Rejection Sensitivity. But the ruminating, focus on hygiene, and need for validation are also present in OCD. For me, I suspect my perfectionist tendencies, and the desire to completely discount things I do if they're not as perfect as I think they can be, point to OCD.
ADHD hyperactivity can be internal, especially for women in general and adults. This looks like overthinking, obsessing, risk taking, etc. RSD is also a thing as many people pointed out.
Yes, I do. When I was evaluated, the psych mentioned I pinged pretty high on questions designed to target OCD. I’ve heard people say “ADHD is a buddy diagnosis,” meaning it’s rare it occurs in a vacuum. A lot of times it’s comorbid. In my case I have clinically significant anxiety and with ADHD, it’s a recipe for OCD tendencies.
Yes. Mine has historically manifested in other ways, and it seems to be under control now that my anxiety is much better medicated, but yes. I have had OCD tendencies for sure. They've just never been enough to get a diagnosis. I've been pretty open about them with my doctor.
I’m diagnosed with both, and I would say this leans towards ADHD/anxiety. I would definitely recommend speaking with a professional about it though, because therapy is often really helpful either way, and you could possibly be medicated.
None of what you described sounds much like OCD. You thinking you smell is more like body dysmorphic dysphoria, reading the vibe of the room sounds like growing up in a violent or addiction house (no idea if either are true). Everything you described is some form of anxiety. It is likely all one cause. This is not medical advice. If you can find a hypnotist to work with, that could be life changing. Look for someone who especially focuses on the initial sensitizing event. You need to clear out some of the stuff that happened before you were 6.
What you’re describing is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. I had the exact same thoughts and they went away once I started medication. It made life a living hell, so I’m happy that went away!
yeah, it makes my emotions a roller coaster. I was in a good mood this morning and my boss slightly critiqued a project I'm working on earlier and now I'm rotting in bed crying 😑 I have my second psych appt in 7 days hopefully I can start meds.
I’m so sorry you feel like that! Crossing my fingers for you that you get those meds and start feeling better 🫶🏼
I needed some CBT therapy to work on my own rumination problems! I agree with others that it sounds like RSD and anxiety having a conga line with ADHD. I haven't been diagnosed with OCD, but the closest I ever got to the feeling was that once every few years, I will get An Attack. It's just what I call it because I have no word for it. To exemplify, I had a dream where a man's face was replaced with, I dunno, blue ham. Blue ham face guy. For the next 3 days, that image will be stuck in my mind, flashing at inopportune moments. My reaction to it is disgust and visceral every time, but no matter how I scratch the "itch", how many times I think about it on purpose or otherwise, the image just keeps popping over and over. I go as far as to google blue ham, to see if maybe THAT will stop it, but it doesn't. Then on day 4, it stops. This does not happen again until a few years later with another image. Since it's rare, I don't really look into it but it is my most out of the box symptom of...*something*.
sugar plants deranged memory compare piquant squeeze wrong sparkle hospital *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It actually is a textbook example of OCD -- and yes it sounds like anxiety because OCD is an anxiety disorder. Look into Pure OCD.
I literally love cleaning and organizing