Most people with ADHD have a comorbid condition. This means, along with ADHD, the individual has another mental health condition with which to cope. A Danish study (Jensen 2016) of individuals from age four to seventeen found that 52% of those with ADHD have a comorbid condition, and 26.2% had more than one comorbid condition. This makes life challenging. ADHD is tricky enough, but when you add another condition, that brings a whole host of troubles. That does not mean one is doomed to a life of struggle. It is possible to thrive. There is hope. So, whether you have anxiety, depression, or another condition along with your ADHD, you can thrive. How to thrive will be a challenge, but we can do hard things. If you are looking to navigate your co-existing conditions, follow the ideas below.

As mentioned on this blog before, ADHD often comes with “tagalongs.” One possibility for a co-morbid condition is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). According to an article written by Amitai Abramovitch, Ph.D. and Andrew Mittelman on the International OCD Foundation website, “over 35 studies have reported that an average of 21% of children and 8.5% of adults with OCD actually have ADHD as well.”

I have a powerful example of what hitting the reset button looks like, and this example comes from my own life. I did not hit the reset button on my ADHD, however. I hit the reset button on my life. Let a poem I performed at the 2018 International Conference on ADHD explain…

After a recent diagnosis of a rare bacterial infection in my intestines as well as irritable bowel syndrome, I began wondering if gastrointestinal issues were one of the many comorbid conditions that plagued ADHDers. The results of my searching were, well, crappy (if you'll pardon the pun). While not much research has been done in the area, there is some evidence that GI distress is common among those with ADHD. There are many GI issues ranging from serious diagnosable conditions to occasional digestive issues, so this is a wide area. I am not a medical professional. Therefore, I will try to simply relay facts instead of making any bold claims. The only claim I intend to make is that some people with ADHD experience gastrointestinal issues.