OCD & Autism - The Connection & Differences

Hi! I'm Orion Kelly and I'm Autistic. On this video I explore what OCD is and its connection with #autism. Plus, I share my personal lived experiences as an #actuallyautistic person. #orionkelly #asd #autismsigns #whatautismfeelslike #OCD

⏱ Index:
00:00 - OCD & autism
01:24 - What is OCD?
02:41 - OCD Obsessions
07:00 - OCD Compulsions
08:48 - Connection & differences of OCD & autism

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ABOUT ORION:
Orion Kelly is an #ActuallyAutistic vlogger (YouTuber), podcaster, radio host, actor, keynote speaker and Autistic advocate based in Australia. Orion is all about helping you increase your understanding, acceptance and appreciation of Autistic people.

#AutisticVoices #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Autism #OrionKelly #ThatAutisticGuy #ASD

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⛔️*Disclaimer: The videos contained on this channel are for general education and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute professional advice. For professional advice and training seek assistance from a qualified provider. All views are my own and do not represent those of my employers or sponsors. Some images used are stock images.*⛔️

Related: autism, autism diagnosis, Orion Kelly, orionkelly, thatautisticguy, tiktok videos, autistic, autism in adults, autism in women, autism in men, autism spectrum condition, asd, autism spectrum disorder, aspergers, aspergers syndrome, autism in boys, autism in girls, dsm, dsm5, autistic adults, autistic kids, autism mom, autism parent, autism family, autism speaks, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism at work, am I autistic, adult autism test, autism disclosure, autism therapy, autism prevention, autism meltdown, autistic burnout, autistic behavior, autism symptoms, autism traits, autistic signs, what autism feels like, love on the spectrum, stimming, echolalia, anxiety

[Sarah-lypt]

As someone who was recently diagnosed with Autism and has been diagnosed with OCD for a number of years, they have many cross overs but for me there are differentiating moments. Autism and the need to stim or seek safety comes from a feeling of being out of control and unsafe and needing a physical grounding tool to reach relaxation again. OCD, however, is akin to that need for relaxation but it’s not usually triggered by outside influences nearly as much. It feels like a drug, I get a little hit, a brief moment of relief, and then it’s back with a craving for even more and it’s even more distressing. I’ve always equated OCD to feeling like I’m on a hamster wheel always chasing that sense of safety that I never really reach. Autism, in my experience, feels like a more voluntary choice. I can choose to remain unregulated and distressed but I won’t be able to function well. It doesn’t even feel like an option with the compulsions of OCD. I’m sure it feels different for everyone but for me in manifests in autism feeling like a need I need to meet and once it’s met I feel safe and comfortable, but OCD is a never ending urge constantly taking and never delivering on its promise of relief.

[SchlichteToven]

In a tongue-in-cheek sarcastic way, I'd say the main differences between autism and OCD are funding, activism, and du-jour coolness. When Orion was saying that if he loses something, everything stops till he finds it - if a similar thing happened with OCD (like if your hair is touching your face and it drives you nuts and you absolutely can't move on till you've fixed it so it doesn't feel weird anymore), you'd be expected to work very hard on not being bothered by it. Like as someone with lifelong (well, at least from age 7), severe OCD, I have to go to Exposure and Response Prevention CBT to become like a "normal" person, working really hard at it. Does Orion have to go to classes to learn how to not be bothered that he's misplaced something? I feel like with OCD, it's seen as being within your control to fix, and your responsibility to fix, whereas because of all the advocating Autistic people (and their mothers) have done, people just say, "I'm autistic, " and they get nods of understanding and extra time on tests. I'd like understanding of OCD, but I can't see anybody accepting us or appreciating us anytime soon.

There's a subtype of OCD called "Disgust OCD" (lots of OCDers have symptoms of this type along with symptoms of other subtypes, as I do). With that type, there are certain things that bother you and are completely unacceptable and unbearable to you, like slimy textures, the texture of dough in your mouth (that's one of my worst), the feeling of your hair not being perfectly pulled back and touching one ear, the feel of dry things (like sand dust left on your feet after being on a beach, or powdery things), the smell of vanilla or cigarette smoke, etc. This type of OCD i think is the closest to Autism, because there is no compensatory behaviour other than avoiding or getting away from the trigger. Like with classical OCD, if I get a sudden thought, hey, this house has flooring from the 1960s, when asbestos was widely used - what if this flooring IS asbestos, and what if when I moved that chair it caused asbestos dust to fly up from the flooring's seams by the wall, and I inhaled it? If I was having severe OCD at the time, i might have to throw out all the clothes I was wearing, shower, cut my hair off in case it got on it...none of which makes sense because if you've inhaled it, you've inhaled it, and no amount of showering is going to turn that around, and clothes could be washed instead of thrown out.

Also, with OCD, you might have "tendencies" as a baby or very young child, which my mum says I did, because I couldn't stand the feel of my socks as an infant and would cry and cry until I managed to kick them off, and then I'd be happy again. Later in childhood I still had a problem with socks - if the seams weren't straight it would send me into what autistic people seem to call a "meltdown" until it was fixed. But researchers think you probably need a "trigger" in the form of a virus or something else to develop full-on OCD. Whereas it seems that autistic people are born that way - aren't they? Also you can be born with autism so severe that you're delayed in learning to walk and speak and stuff like that, whereas there's no such thing as OCD that is so severe you don't meet developmental milestones, if you know what I mean? My next-door neighbour's kid has severe autism and can't function on his own. Like sometimes when he sits down (he's 18 now) he can't get up without his mum telling him where to put his feet and hands so he can stand up. That kind of thing doesn't happen with OCD.

Another major difference from an OCDer's point of view is that OCD people don't have a problem understanding social cues and stuff like that. I feel like the disorders arise from completely different places, but whatever causes them can affect behaviour in a similar way. Like you can have a rash that looks just like a rash someone else has, but one could be caused by an allergy and another by heat stroke.

[whitneymason]

My mom identifies as autistic and has a diagnosis of OCD. I was given the diagnosis of OCD as a teenager and got my autism diagnosis last year. So fascinating! Great video! I also really appreciate the visuals of your sources and literature as I'm terrible with auditory learning. ❤

[robertwarbrick]

I feel OCD/OCD-like behavior rears it head in ASD due to sensory overload. It is a way to feel in control when one has little or no control of environmental stimulation.

[SmallSpoonBrigade]

You can have both, as well as the trifecta of ASD, OCD and ADHD. All three involve executive dysfunction and all 3 can lead rise to similar problems.

However, in the case of OCD, it is important to remember that it is an anxiety disorder. If you're looking for something because you can't think of doing something else until it's found, that's not necessarily OCD, that could just be ASD fixation. But, if there's an anxiety component in that there's unrelated consequences that's going to point towards it being OCD related and not necessarily related to ASD or ADHD. Likewise, making sure to check to see that you have your keys before leaving could be ADHD or ASD related if it's something that happens from time to time, or even regularly, but if it's either never happened or only happened a few times, it's more likely to be OCD than the other two.

I've personally definitely got both OCD and ADHD and at absolute bare minimum a ton of strong ASD traits and it can be a bit of a challenge to figure out which condition is causing it, and if you choose wrong, you're probably not going to make decisions that improve the situation.

[maggieavilla]

Yet OCD is much more accepted then autism.
For me, work is very important. I know how the quality is, and what is acceptable, or a reject item on the 3 items I have run the most in my almost 3 months of working there. If I am unsure, I will set it aside, and ask the quality check person as she goes around. The other day I came in, and there was a partial tote of product. I could not accept them and put them under my name, until I had checked them myself. Since I was packing, the product goes down under my credentials. I know the other shifts don't check the parts hardly at all, and I could not refrain from inspecting the 70 pieces of product. They then told me I was going to move to another line, and I still could not leave until I had checked the parts on the 1st task. I physically could not. It didn't matter if I was fired or not. I could not leave my name on there if I didn't check the parts. I don't know what that is, but if I would have been able to stop, it would have bothered me all day. My name on it means that I personally guarantee that these parts are good and ready to go. If I don't know that, then how can my name be on it? Conversely, even though it would bother me that the parts were fixable, but still bad, as long as my name was not attached to it I would have at least been able to stop myself. It would have been hard, but I could have done it. With them not allowing me to take my name off of it, I just couldn't. Long story short, I blamed OCD, saying I may have the disorder, and I was sorry, but I had to finish this task. I was allowed to finish it. Had I blamed autism, I'm not sure the outcome would have been the same.. which is sad.

[Disciple-of-Jesus]

Texas USA here. All that you share has allowed me to understand my much younger (plutonic) roommate. We are both much more relaxed now. Thank you!

[jackiedorney]

Honestly this is the first time I've commented ever on YouTube. I just wanted to say a big Thankyou for your videos. I'm a late bloomer like yourself. After my ASD and ARFID diagnosis AT 37 I'm trying so hard to navigate the mental health system and balance my life around how ASD effects me. Your videos have helped ALOT and I'm very much looking forward to more. Keep up the good work mate 👍👍👍

[theautisticpage]

I am late diagnosed PDA Autistic and ADHD last year at the age of 51. Thank you for your educational videos.

[coniferous]

I know I’m two years late but it’s so refreshing to see such an accurate take on BOTH disorders. Thank you for researching and presenting your information in a clear and understandable manner!

[TheKjoy]

I am autistic, not OCD. I stim to self-regulate and use a variety of fidgets to accomplish that. It depends on which ones I have on me and where I am. I have ones that are more discreet, my key ring bike chain one or my hacky sack. I also have ones I'm more likely to use at home or around family, my spinners or folding cube (it clicks as I fold and unfold it).
I can see how someone who is autistic could be diagnosed as OCD, between our intense, obsessive interests, our stimming, and rigidity of routine. I have a routine I follow every morning with dishing out my medications for the day, but I am not compelled to perform this routine at 7 am every day no matter how tired I am.
I am not the only member of my extended family who is autistic or otherwise non-neurotypical, but as far as I am aware, none of us are OCD.

[jordanangelov]

Yep, exactly my case. I was diagnosed with OCD and three years later diagnosed with ASD and OCD. Both were late diagnoses.

[TheStefannafetS]

I'm a 30 year old guy and have OCD and I'm almost convinced I also have autism (not diagnosed though).

I have obsessive thoughts and "fears" that I can't get out of my head until I do a curtain ritual. But on the other hand, I also have obsessions I really enjoy. Also, I usually find myself stimming with the closet object I can reach, for non OCD reasons.

[marieke]

I am diagnosed with both OCD and ASD. I am afraid to leave my house without doing my ‘routine’ first, because I am worried that something will happen to my cats when I am away (so I check a lot of things before I leave)

I also use my ‘routine’ to encourage myself to leave the house and engage in social interactions. The outside world feels scary and overwhelming. I need the routine to give myself a ‘peptalk’ or something, so in that sense it’s stimming behavior I guess🤔

[aprilflowers]

Hello, thank you for talking about these 2 things :) my mom was told by my pediatrician when I was little that I had ocd, haven’t had a formal diagnosis but have seen psychiatrists and therapists and had them confirm I have OCD. I certainly do just judging my own experience of life. I’ve been questioning the last few years whether I’m autistic as well so this was a very relevant video for me. I wanted to say though, compulsions are not soothing from my own experience and from what I know about them, in comparison to stims which are soothing and enjoyable from what I know about them. Obsessions to compulsions is more of a spiral and they both cause distress and even guilt. It feels more like a trap. Whereas stimming I think gives a feeling of release and calm. Obviously different compulsions cause different feelings, some perhaps can make you feel better, but usually just for the moment and then the guilt comes in because you know it didn’t actually help anything and you’ve just been fooled by your mind again into doing something you really didn’t want to spend the time doing. The feeling of compulsions and the feeling of stimming are quite different I think. The imagery I get of a compulsion is avoiding a crack so you don’t cause you’re mothers back to break (I mean that quite literally is a compulsion).. The imagery I get of stimming is like a cat making biscuits on a fluffy pillow. I could be wrong but I just wanted to add that thought. In summary stimming is regulating and compulsions are certainly not (at least in my experience)😅 Thanks again for the video :)

[yukifoxscales]

I'm still not diagnosed, but I'm both very into symmetry, but also very cluttered.

[DavidLazarus]

In general, my rituals tend to save me time. For instance, the non-ritualized showers that I used to take 20+ years ago were much longer than my ritualized showers. For one, the ritual cuts down on my think time and it's doing "deep thinking" while try to do something else that makes me take longer.

[jennifergauthier]

This was so very helpful. Thank you! I think I was misdiagnosed my entire life ❤❤

[robertwarbrick]

You should see if you can interview The Aspie World. He has disclosed that he has an ASD and OCD diagnosis. I think it would be a great video. You have a talent for asking good questions.

[cirkusanette]

Remember, OCD obsessions are not enjoyable. They feed from fear and lead to compulsions that are also not enjoyable even when they give temporary relief to the distress. If you really like trains and obsess over them, or if you count to 10 to calm yourself down from a sensory overload, that's not OCD because the obsession is something you like and the compulsion doesn't come from an obsession. Hope that helps!