Co-Morbid= Multiple Illnesses or Disorders

Co-morbidity with ADDers is fairly common. When I first heard the world ‘Co-morbid’ I was kind of creeped out. I have to admit, the word morbid is involved and to me that sounds kind of, well, morbid. Doesn’t it?

Co-morbid doesn’t mean anything like what I thought. Co-morbid is a term used when referring to the fact that more than one disease or disorder is present and they are related in some manner. Personally, I would prefer another word had been selected for such a description. Nobody really wants to explain their illnesses or disorders as morbid. 

Co-morbid means: multiple illnesses or disorders, usually related. When I was writing about Restless Leg Syndrome and the fact that many ADD/HD sufferers have RLS, I was referring to Co-morbid circumstances. I have learned recently that there are several types of ‘Co-disorders’ (I like that term better) which could be present with ADD/HD. I have put a list together for you of the most common, but this list is limited and in no way implies that you have any.

Remember, I am not a doctor, this is only informational and please, -please, do not attempt to diagnose yourself. Only a trained professional can diagnose and treat any mental disorder.

Potentially Possible Co-Disorders or Illnesses: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Enuresis (bed wetting), Learning and Communication Disorders, Sleeping Disorders, Asthma, Allergies, Restless Leg Syndrome, Tourettes Disorder, and Dysphoria.

This is the short list and more than likely your doctor has or will examine you for any of the above. There are more and these are the most common.

I think this is very interesting and helps explain why no two Adders are exactly alike. Some people do not fully understand the difficulties and complexity of ADD or ADHD. ADD/HD can also be the cause of some Co-Disorders, such as Anxiety, Depression and others. I believe the more people understand and know the issues of ADD/HD, and all that this disorder potentially entails, the better off we will be as a society and perhaps stigmas concerning ADD/HD will start to fade. The more the stigma surrounding ADD/HD fades, the more people will seek help. That’s my belief and that’s my goal.

Here are some links for your continued research:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comorbidity
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http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/mentalhealthstats.cfm
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http://www.baltimorepsych.com/ADD_Comorbidity.htm
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http://add.about.com/cs/comorbidcondition/a/comorbid2.htm

~Bryan

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