149 | OCD and ADHD

This Week’s Episode: Dr. Roberto Olivardia returns to the podcast this week to talk about OCD and ADHD. Roberto is a clinical psychologist and an instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. 30% of people with OCD also have ADHD. In this conversation, you will hear Roberto and I talk about some of the traits of OCD, specifically when it exists with ADHD. Roberto states that, “OCD always gets worse without treatment” and he describes some of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist. Connect with Dr. Roberto Olivardia: Email: You’ll Learn: [05:55] - Roberto talks about the frequency that OCD and ADHD coexist. 30% of the people that have OCD also have ADHD. [8:20] - There’s a lot of misconceptions about OCD. Roberto defines and describes OCD. [13:00] - Roberto provides an example of what real-life OCD is like. [15:15] - Roberto explains teasing out what is OCD and what is ADHD when he works with people that have both. [22:00] - Roberto shares some of his personal traits and habits. [27:17] - Roberto explains that many of his patients that have ADHD and OCD are unable to take medication for ADHD because it causes them to have better focus on their obsessions. [33:55] - Roberto talks about a recent session with one of his clients. In this session, Roberto ended up with a knife to his throat. [37:05] - Roberto shares an example of a teenage client with OCD and ADHD. [39:59] - Roberto talks about his experience with PANDAS. [41:50] - We talk about Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). [51:52] - I ask a question about workaholism with people with OCD and ADHD. Resources: Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: Not sure where to start on Audible? Start with Brené Brown’s or ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group! We have dates for our winter sessions for the group. The winter session will start on January 16th. We have two spots left for our winter session! Go to and schedule a call if you are certain you want to join. Productivity Q&A Get your ADHD questions answered live! These will continue in 2017 on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30pm. Tuesday, January 10th is our January Q&A. Go to . ADHD Friendly Guide to Understanding Insurance Go from “WTF!” to “Done!” with our three-part series. Jessica Stillwell will be presenting the information and answering all of your questions. Go to to register! ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group Do you want to improve your productivity, develop better habits, and experience the true power of accountability from members of our own tribe? Learn more at .   Want to be a guest? Hey! What about you? Do you have a story? Are you a Coach? Are you an ADHD Clinician? If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call .