The Intersection of ADHD, OCD, and Perfectionism and Good Enough

Perfectionism doesn’t always look like excellence. Sometimes it looks like a blank document you avoid for three weeks, a project you restart ten times, or an email you reread until you’re too drained to hit send. I’m Rachel, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in ADHD and OCD, and I’m digging into a question that changes everything: when you’re stuck, is ADHD or OCD in the driver’s seat?   I'll walk through a real client story from the online content world, where OCD perfectionism turns into an exhausting loop of checking, rewriting, researching, reassurance seeking, and mental reviewing. That cycle isn’t about “doing your best” so much as trying to reach certainty that you didn’t make a mistake and won’t get attacked or misunderstood. I explain how Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and a fear hierarchy help you practice creating and sharing without feeding compulsions, so you can move forward even with uncertainty. Then we shift to ADHD perfectionism, where the struggle often lives in executive dysfunction, task initiation, time blindness, and the huge gap between a clear vision and unclear steps. I'll talk concrete, ADHD-friendly strategies like breaking work into smaller steps, externalizing the process, using body doubling and deadlines, lowering activation energy, and building breaks that interrupt hyperfocus. Along the way, I'll compare ADHD vs OCD patterns side by side, so you can spot whether you’re trying to execute a plan or trying to eliminate discomfort and doubt. I'll close with a practical definition of “good enough,” including a B-minus practice, plus an ACT choice point tool to help you choose actions that move you toward the life you want instead of away from anxiety. If this resonates, follow the show, share the episode with someone who’s stuck in a perfectionism loop, and leave a review so more ADHD and OCD brains can find us.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show 🌟 🌟Support the show and get episodes 5 days earlier 🌟 🌟        https://www.buzzsprout.com/2629683/support↗️ Visit the website: https://www.dopamine-and-doubt.com Follow on Instagram: @Dopamineanddoubtpodcast  https://www.instagram.com/dopamineanddoubt/ Email: [email protected] Love the show? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify-it helps listeners find the show! Resources from episodes: https://linktr.ee/dopamineanddoubt