What is the difference between ADD and OCD?

Answer 1

The opposite of ADD or ADHD is OCD.

The brain is split into hemispheres. Between the two hemispheres, there is a gland that transmits information back and forth between the two sides. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls personality, attention, and the ability to make wise decisions (this is the last part of the brain to develop, which usually takes place around the age of 25 years old). AD(H)D is simply an under-active (or under-stimulated) gland.

The part of the frontal lobe that is saying "hey, this is a really bad idea", is getting outweighed by the side of the brain that says, "this is going to be really fun". Because the gland creates an uneven distribution of thoughts, decision making abilities are seemingly easy, but frequently unwise. This is often referred to as impulsive behavior (also attributes to the "behavior problem"). In addition to the impulsive behavior. If you're able to understand the root cause, then it is easy to see how there are many, many more things that are associated with ADD, than simply the inability to stay focused on a general topic for any length of time.

Without writing a lengthy paper on it, I'll explain how OCD is, in fact, the opposite of AD(H)D. Before I do that, I would like to say that I believe the hyperactive part of AD(H)D is likely something other than ADD. They are frequently associated with each other, but I believe they are not necessarily directly linked. This, I can certainly be wrong about, but from what I've studied and experienced, I'm getting a strong indication that they are not one in the same. One thing is certain; every person is different, and experiences a significant variation in symptoms, with a significant variation of degree.

If an under stimulated gland causes a person to not be able to concentrate on a given subject or task for any length of time, causes the mind to have reduced inhibitions, impulsive behavior, poor hygiene, an unctroloable desire to express his or her thoughts immediately as they come, and so on, the over stimulated gland is quite the opposite.

With the over stimulated gland, you get what is most commonly referred to as obsessive compulsive behavior. Depending on the frontal lobe of the given person (what's important to that person), he or she can experience a strange ability to read lengthy books from start to finish in virtually one sitting. He or she may have an extremely difficult time making a decision because their mind is stuck weighing out all of the pros and cons, without the ability to come to a final conclusion. He or she may have extremely high anxiety because their natural insecurity is exaggerated because a single situation that would make him or her slightly nervous gets stuck in his or her mind, being played out in every single worst case scenario possible, until it is completely thought out... then it's all thought out over again... and then again (hyper paranoia). If this person is left alone, he or she can create a fictional scenario that he or she truly believes is real and there is nothing they can do to get their minds to shift gears or change to something else. It can create a severe anxiety attack or even a nervous breakdown. If a person is naturally a clean person or has a fear of being sick (maybe a natural hypochondriac), that person can be so fixated on what germs can do if they are not under control that they become to the unknowing world to be a germaphobe, who obsessively washes or sanitizes his or her hands and everything around him or her. If a person grew up in an environment where holiness and purity is the focus, and the child grows to really respect and want to pursue holiness and purity, the over stimulated gland will cause that person to spend his or her entire life pursuing nothing but that. He or she will never, and I do mean never, do anything to break any rule at all, ever. That person would virtually martyr himself or herself over not telling his or her wife/husband that he or she looks fat in the outfit that was just put on. Even the simple "white lies" are far more than simple to this person.

It is because the gland is over active that the brain is overwhelmed by "this or that" statements or "if/then" statements, that never get resolved. The OCD type of person could listen to the same song over and over and over again. They are frequently completely oblivious to their surroundings. We can go on and on and on, just like with the ADD.

When we understand that the gland between the two hemispheres is either under stimulated for the ADD, or over stimulated for the OCD, it is very easy to see many, many symptoms that are associated with each.

Before, when I was offering my opinion that the hyperactivity is not necessarily associated with ADD, I believe that the person who naturally has a lot of energy, simply expresses that energy without reservation or discipline, because the impulse to express it is significantly outweighed by the thought of "this is not the appropriate time or place to express this energy". It's an expression or inhibition problem, not an energy problem. To further support this, look at an ADD child or adult who is naturally lethargic. (Unfortunately, the lethargic people with ADD often slip through the cracks, as children, because their behavioral problems do not present themselves in a disruptive form, thereby reducing the attention drawn to and therefore given to the problems) He or she will take every chance he or she can get to take advantage of the opportunity to relax or veg-out. He or she will often create the opportunity, even to their detriment, in the same way as the hyper-active person, only it usually flies under the radar.

So now, if we were to say "ADHD", it would be like saying Attention Deficit (Hyperactive or Lethargic) Disorder, which simply isn't logical, based on what we know to be the root cause of ADD/OCD. It's simply ADD (perhaps ADD with hyperactive expressions, or ADD with lethargic expressions).

I hope this makes since.

If you're ADD and you made it all the way through this, congratulations... I know it was hard, and probably took a long time. Medication will change your world.

For both the ADD and the OCD, don't let anyone tell you that "you can do it without medication". They have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. No one who legitimately has ADD would say something so ignorant, and unless he or she has ADD, there is no way they can possibly understand your struggle. They'll probably say something like "if you just work a little harder or if you just ____, I know you can ___". If only it were that simple. Someone who tells you that you can "manage" your condition without medication would be like someone telling the person with bi-polar disorder that he or she can simply manage the condition without medication. We all know how foolish that statement would be, and the two conditions are very similar, in that they are neurological, not psychological or behavioral. There is no trained behavior that can correct the stimulation between the hemispheres of the brain. Although you can somewhat mask the condition, and somewhat manage it, you will never, ever, EVER perform at your true potential without the medication. (This comes from 13 years of experience working with these conditions.) Along with the medication, however, I cannot more strongly recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. The two will work hand-in-hand.

Answer 2

The opposite of ADD or ADHD is OCD.

The brain is split into hemispheres. Between the two hemispheres, there is a gland that transmits information back and forth between the two sides. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls personality, attention, and the ability to make wise decisions (this is the last part of the brain to develop, which usually takes place around the age of 25 years old). AD(H)D is simply an under-active (or under-stimulated) gland.

The part of the frontal lobe that is saying "hey, this is a really bad idea", is getting outweighed by the side of the brain that says, "this is going to be really fun". Because the gland creates an uneven distribution of thoughts, decision making abilities are seemingly easy, but frequently unwise. This is often referred to as impulsive behavior (also attributes to the "behavior problem"). In addition to the impulsive behavior. If you're able to understand the root cause, then it is easy to see how there are many, many more things that are associated with ADD, than simply the inability to stay focused on a general topic for any length of time.

Without writing a lengthy paper on it, I'll explain how OCD is, in fact, the opposite of AD(H)D. Before I do that, I would like to say that I believe the hyperactive part of AD(H)D is likely something other than ADD. They are frequently associated with each other, but I believe they are not necessarily directly linked. This, I can certainly be wrong about, but from what I've studied and experienced, I'm getting a strong indication that they are not one in the same. One thing is certain; every person is different, and experiences a significant variation in symptoms, with a significant variation of degree.

If an under stimulated gland causes a person to not be able to concentrate on a given subject or task for any length of time, causes the mind to have reduced inhibitions, impulsive behavior, poor hygiene, an unctroloable desire to express his or her thoughts immediately as they come, and so on, the over stimulated gland is quite the opposite.

With the over stimulated gland, you get what is most commonly referred to as obsessive compulsive behavior. Depending on the frontal lobe of the given person (what's important to that person), he or she can experience a strange ability to read lengthy books from start to finish in virtually one sitting. He or she may have an extremely difficult time making a decision because their mind is stuck weighing out all of the pros and cons, without the ability to come to a final conclusion. He or she may have extremely high anxiety because their natural insecurity is exaggerated because a single situation that would make him or her slightly nervous gets stuck in his or her mind, being played out in every single worst case scenario possible, until it is completely thought out... then it's all thought out over again... and then again (hyper paranoia). If this person is left alone, he or she can create a fictional scenario that he or she truly believes is real and there is nothing they can do to get their minds to shift gears or change to something else. It can create a severe anxiety attack or even a nervous breakdown. If a person is naturally a clean person or has a fear of being sick (maybe a natural hypochondriac), that person can be so fixated on what germs can do if they are not under control that they become to the unknowing world to be a germaphobe, who obsessively washes or sanitizes his or her hands and everything around him or her. If a person grew up in an environment where holiness and purity is the focus, and the child grows to really respect and want to pursue holiness and purity, the over stimulated gland will cause that person to spend his or her entire life pursuing nothing but that. He or she will never, and I do mean never, do anything to break any rule at all, ever. That person would virtually martyr himself or herself over not telling his or her wife/husband that he or she looks fat in the outfit that was just put on. Even the simple "white lies" are far more than simple to this person.

It is because the gland is over active that the brain is overwhelmed by "this or that" statements or "if/then" statements, that never get resolved. The OCD type of person could listen to the same song over and over and over again. They are frequently completely oblivious to their surroundings. We can go on and on and on, just like with the ADD.

When we understand that the gland between the two hemispheres is either under stimulated for the ADD, or over stimulated for the OCD, it is very easy to see many, many symptoms that are associated with each.

Before, when I was offering my opinion that the hyperactivity is not necessarily associated with ADD, I believe that the person who naturally has a lot of energy, simply expresses that energy without reservation or discipline, because the impulse to express it is significantly outweighed by the thought of "this is not the appropriate time or place to express this energy". It's an expression or inhibition problem, not an energy problem. To further support this, look at an ADD child or adult who is naturally lethargic. He or she will take every chance he or she can get to take advantage of the opportunity to relax or veg-out. He or she will often create the opportunity, even to their detriment, just like the hyper-active person. So now, if we were to say "ADHD", it would be like saying Attention Deficit (Hyperactive or Lethargic) Disorder, which simply isn't logical, based on what we know to be the root cause of ADD/OCD. It's simply ADD (perhaps ADD with hyperactive expressions, or ADD with lethargic expressions).

I hope this makes since.