OCD, ADD, Depression, & An Eating Disorder?
You have raised concerns that you may be dealing with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), ADD/ADHD, a mood disorder, and an eating disorder. However, TeenHealthFX cannot give you any kind of accurate diagnosis over the web, and if you do have any of these disorders they would require treatment from a trained mental health professional. That said, FX thinks that it is important for you to meet with a therapist for a consultation so you can find out if you are dealing with any mental health illnesses, as well as what the treatment recommendations would be depending on what you are diagnosed with.
It may be difficult for your mother to really see what is going on with you. It can be sad for parents to see their children struggling with things, plus some parents may find that feelings of guilt may come up if they are concerned that they have contributed to any of the difficulties their children are dealing with. However, ignoring the problem won’t make it go away – so FX does think it is important for you to try to talk about it with her at least one more time. You could start by empathizing with your mother about how difficult it must be for her to really look at and accept some of the difficulties you are experiencing. But then be clear with her that denying the existence of these issues is not going to make them go away – that you need to meet with a therapist for a consultation. Tell her that if you were having physical symptoms that were problematic and not going away, she would take you to your medical doctor for a check-up. And just as she would do that if something was physically wrong, let her know that you need her to take you to a mental health professional for the emotional issues you are dealing with. If she continues to be resistant to the idea, think of another trusted adult you could speak to who could advocate on your behalf for a consultation to be set up – your father, an extended family member, your doctor, or perhaps a counselor at school.
If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 888-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area. You can also contact your insurance company to get a list of in-network mental health providers or check with your school social worker or psychologist to get a list of referrals in your area.
As far as your question about the difference between ADD and ADHD, ADD is attention-deficit disorder and ADHD is attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder. The main difference between the two has been that people with ADHD tend to display hyperactive and impulsive behaviors in addition to inattentiveness, while people with ADD tend to display mainly inattentive behaviors. However, ADHD tends to be the preferred term these days as most people with the disorder have some combination of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors, even if one tends to predominate the other.
