For kids and adults with ADHD, knowing about their ADHD and getting treatment for it can be very helpful. It does make a difference in our lives.
However, in a lot of cases, there’s more going on than just ADHD. There’s more at play. It’s not always as simple as just having ADHD.
And this is where comorbidity comes in.
What is Comorbidity?
Let’s begin by talking about what is comorbidity.
Comorbidity is when there is more than one condition present within an individual. It happens that some are diagnosed with more than one condition. Co-existing or co-occurring is also used to refer to comorbidity.
It does happen that individuals are diagnosed with at least two conditions.
Now let’s turn our attention to ADHD and comorbidities.
ADHD and Comorbidity
In many cases, it’s not as simple as just ADHD. For many, there are signs of at least one other condition on top of ADHD. It would see that approximately 80% of those with ADHD are also diagnosed with another disorder at some point in their life.
There are many conditions that co-exist with ADHD. There are several that are more common among ADHDers than others. Here are some that are quite common.
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Learning Disabilities
- Language Disabilities
There are more, but these are just a few examples of some co-occurring conditions that ADHDers may struggle with.
Final Thoughts
I have written some posts in the past on the subject of ADHD and comorbidity. However I think it’s time for me to take another look at the subject and some of the co-existing conditions.
Because in a lot of cases, it’s not as simple as just having ADHD. Sometimes, it’s more than just that.
