There’s this really cool train museum not far from where we live. Inside there’s a kids area with the most elaborate train table setup I’ve ever seen. About 5 years ago, when Pickles was only 5, we found ourselves there to meet a playgroup on a very rainy day. The place was PACKED!! Suddenly she turned to me and said, “mommy I can’t breathe.”

It was a panic attack and I knew it because this wasn’t the first time. I knelt down beside her and could feel her heart racing and see her gasping for breath. I calmly told her to close her eyes and just listen to my voice. I reassured her that everything was ok, held her close and kept repeating myself. As soon as I saw her breathing become more regular we quickly packed up and headed home.

Anxiety, ADHD’s Partner in Crime

Wikipedia defines comorbidity as “the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders co-occurring with a primary disease or disorder; in the countable sense of the term, a comorbidity is each additional disorder or disease.”

What does that mean?

It means if your child has been diagnosed with ADHD it’s likely they have more than just that challenge to face. In Pickle’s case, in addition to ADHD she has anxiety and Tourette’s. There was an OCD diagnosis thrown at us at one point but I’m not convinced.

After doing a deep dive into the world of ADHD, I consider her lucky. Here’s a list of common comorbid diseases.

Now What?

My philosophy has been knowledge is power. Keep an eye out for the symptoms of the conditions listed above. If you suspect you might be facing one of these disorders, do your homework. You will be better prepared to take on whatever you are up against.

Keep in mind that treatment for one disease might have a chain reaction for another. For example, Pickles was diagnosed with Tourette’s a few years before her ADHD diagnosis. When we finally decided to use medications, her tics were really really bad:( We started out with this in mind and her doctor chose a medication that was less likely to increase her tics.

It’s not fair! ADHD is a big enough challenge but to continue to layer on top these other diseases??!! Yep, but you do not have to face these challenges alone. Please follow along with my blog and we can face these demons together.