ADHD Comorbidities

The words ‘ADHD Comorbidities’ are written on a baby blue circle background.

Hi Friends!

Today we’re going to run through some common ADHD comorbidities.

Before I get started, there are probably many individuals that only have ADHD. This newsletter will shed light on some common co-occurring conditions which might resonate with you.

Shall we begin?

Research shows that many people with ADHD might also have the following conditions/disorders:

• Another condition under the Neurodiversity umbrella

• Mental Health condition

• Substance use Disorder

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Neurodivergent conditions

A graphic titled ‘ADHD Comorbidities’ with the heading ‘Another Neurodivergent condition, for example, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, ASD’

Neurodiversity/Neurodivergence commonly refers to ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette’s Syndrome, Tics disorder, and Dyscalculia.

I’m sure we’ve all come across people that have ADHD as well as one or more of the neuro types listed above.

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1. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ADHD and ASD are both neurodevelopmental disorders but they’re not the same disorder. There are a few similarities between ADHD and ASD such as Hyperfocus, Executive Dysfunction, Masking, Burnout patterns, Poor Working Memory, etc.

“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently co-occur. With ADHD presenting in 30–80% of individuals with ASD, and ASD presenting in 20–50% of individuals with ADHD (van der Meer et al., 2012)” - Lau-Zhu, Fritz, McLoughlin (National Library of Medicine)

There is a big contingent of people who have ADHD and are Autistic on Twitter. If you wanna connect with people, search the hashtag #ADHDAutism.

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2. Tourette’s Syndrome/Tic Disorder

According to WebMD:

“More than 60% of those (children) with Tourette's syndrome also have ADHD. Researchers have found that there may be a genetic link between Tourette's syndrome and disorders like ADHD and OCD. - Medically Reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD on April 21, 2021

Study: Tourette syndrome associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The impact of tics and psychopharmacological treatment options

“Fifty percent of children diagnosed with ADHD have comorbid tic disorder. ADHD related symptoms have been reported in 35% to 90% of children with TS. Since ADHD is the most prevalent comorbid condition with TS and those with concomitant TS and ADHD present with considerable psychosocial and behavioral impairments, it is essential for clinicians to be familiar with these diagnoses and their management.” - Oluwabusi, Parke, and Ambrosini.

My knowledge of TS is limited, but the more I read about it, the more I wonder whether this could have been missed in the ADHDers that were diagnosed both in childhood and adulthood. Unless TS is quite hard to not notice? Who knows! I don’t…yet!

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3. Dyscalculia

I don’t want to play ND bingo, but I’m pretty convinced that I have dyscalculia. I’m even more convinced than Muhammad Ali was entering a boxing ring.

Although I have only been diagnosed with ADHD Combined Type, all signs also point to dyscalculia. I grew up thinking I was just bad at math or lazy when it came to it because I struggled to grasp the most basic things.

Here are some signs of dyscalculia that have really resonated with me from the British Dyslexia Association:

• Have a poor sense of numbers and estimation.

• Have difficulty in remembering ‘basic’ facts, despite many hours of practice/memorizing techniques.

• Have no strategies to compensate for lack of recall, other than to use counting.

• Avoid tasks that are perceived as difficult and likely to result in a wrong answer.

It took me so long to go through the ADHD diagnosis process that I won’t bother to seek a diagnosis for another ND condition.

Sad, I know.

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Mental Health - Anxiety

Many people, including Neurotypicals, have experienced anxiety at one point in their lives.

During my pre-teens, I was a worrier, I was even called a worry wuss.

I would panic about the smallest things and would break down. I recall my mum taking me to the GP to talk to them about it but nothing came of it. Today, they call it anxiety. It festered and I didn’t know how to control it, I believe it was the cause of my eventual migraine diagnosis in my mid-teens.

I’ve had a few people tell me that their ADHD symptoms were brushed off as anxiety.

“Overlapping symptomology between ADHD and mood, anxiety, or SUDs present several barriers to diagnosis and treatment. Studies have concluded that emotional dysregulation is a distinctive attribute of adult ADHD psychopathology, however these symptoms may be misdiagnosed as a mood disorder.

Physicians are often more familiar with mood and anxiety disorders, which may contribute to misdiagnosis and delays in treating ADHD in adults.

It has been suggested that stress, depression, and anxiety could manifest as a consequence of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD.” - Katzman et al

Were you diagnosed with anxiety before ADHD?

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🚨 Trigger Warning 🚨

Substance Use Disorder

Firstly, my heart goes out to anyone who has/or is currently dealing with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). This shouldn’t be a taboo topic or something people should be made to feel ashamed of.

“A substance use disorder (SUD) is a mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to a person’s inability to control their use of substances such as legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications. Symptoms can range from moderate to severe, with addiction being the most severe form of SUDs.” - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for the development and persistence of substance use disorders (SUD). Another explanation for the ADHD-SUD link is that ADHD-related symptoms, in particular impulsivity, lead to trying substance. In addition, SUD and ADHD may share similar structural and functional deficits, particularly in relation to dopamine transmission” - Ortal Slobodin and Cleo L. Crunelle

However, medical journals recognize that not all people are vulnerable to developing SUD as we all have different levels of self-control/circumstances.

Please call the relevant hotline or speak to someone you trust if you’re struggling with SUD. I hope you get better.

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How do you know if you have a co-occurring condition?

The truth is, you know yourself better than others. If you’re uncertain you could:

• Research symptom/traits of the condition, reading the relevant DSM criteria

• Follow people in online communities on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to learn more about the condition.

• Make a note of the key traits you identify with, including examples.

I hope this was helpful!

Rach, with ADHD.