Saya Des Marais, MSW

OCD and ADHD are both misunderstood conditions, and many people don’t get the right diagnosis until adulthood. Sometimes, they’re confused for each other, which complicates diagnosis and treatment. It’s critical to know the similarities and differences between OCD vs ADHD so you can understand what you’re going through and get effective treatment.
Here, we provide a guide to the similarities and differences between OCD and ADHD, effective treatments for both, and how to tell the difference.

Although around 7% of U.S. adults live with ADHD, only around 20% of these adults receive a diagnosis and treatment.
If you live with undiagnosed adult ADHD, you might notice signs like fidgeting, problems managing focus, emotional outbursts, lack of motivation, and more.
Living with undiagnosed ADHD can lead to significant negative consequences, including a higher mortality risk.

There’s no doubt about it: Being a therapist is one of the most challenging professions in the world. Although therapist burnout rates have come down since their post-Covid peak, they still remain high, with over one-third of therapists reporting that they feel burned out in a recent survey by the American Psychological Association.
The reasons behind therapist burnout are complex. Many therapists feel burned out due to worsening c...

Key Takeaways
While many people occasionally tell small, harmless lies, compulsive lying goes beyond this. People who compulsively lie feel compelled to lie frequently, often without a clear reason, and are unable to control the behavior.
Compulsive lying isn’t recognized as a mental health diagnosis. But it’s linked with several mental health conditions, especially personality disorders.
If you’re struggling with compulsive lying, there are practical ways to manage it. Seeing a therapist can...

Every Fortune teletherapy review features in-depth analyses conducted by reviewers who have first-hand experience in mental health. For this review, we dug into consumer reviews, FTC and BBB claims, and peer-reviewed research studies conducted for each app.

When we commit to getting therapy, we expect results — otherwise, we wonder if therapy is worth it. Standard mental health treatment is usually effective, but it’s not the only option. Complementary and alternative mental health therapy can be used alongside standard treatment, and it’s a great choice for people who don’t see improvement with standard treatment or who simply want more options.

Key takeaways:
Contamination obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common type of OCD in which obsessions and compulsions revolve around dirtiness and contamination.
People with contamination OCD may fear getting diseases, touching bodily fluids, spreading germs, and more. To deal with these fears, they spend excessive time on rituals or compulsions — such as repeated handwashing or changing clothing.

Most people don’t just want a therapist with experience and qualifications. They also want to genuinely like their therapist. They might describe this as trusting their therapist, feeling a connection with their therapist, or simply “clicking” with their therapist. All of these things describe the same thing: the therapeutic alliance.

Self-harm in teens is on the rise, and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like it will go away any time soon. It’s terrifying for parents and other caring adults to realize that their teen is engaging in self-harm. It doesn’t help that teens’ self-harm is often misunderstood.
You might feel lost about why they would intentionally hurt themselves or worry that self-harming means that they will attempt suicide. But it’s critical that we, as adults, start to understand why kids sometimes self-harm a...

I have never been more proud of an article than I am of this one. Please read.

If you try one or two forms of antidepressant medication and don’t feel any relief from your symptoms, medical professionals may consider this “treatment-resistant depression.”

Culture plays an important role in every facet of our lives, including substance use. Practicing cultural humility is crucial for effective treatment for everyone.
Culture can be defined as a shared set of beliefs, values, experiences, and more. It affects everyone, no matter who you are or where you live.
Our culture plays a role in how we think, behave, and communicate.
Substance use is no different.

If you live with OCD, your symptoms may begin to affect your identity — including your gender, sexual orientation, moral beliefs, and more.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental health condition.
Its primary symptoms are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that cause fear or anxiety. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors done with the purpose of escaping anxiety caused by obsessions.

Key takeaways:
Overall, using alcohol can harm your self-esteem in many ways.
Although some people experience a temporary rise in feelings of self-esteem while they’re under the influence of alcohol, this effect almost always goes away.
People often get “hangxiety” after a night of drinking or an increase in anxiety as alcohol leaves their system. This can lower self-esteem.

Boys are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Some reports state that girls are up to 16 times less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment. These numbers don’t mean that girls are less likely to have ADHD, but rather that girls are less likely to receive the correct diagnosis and treatment.