Trauma can make children feel agitated, troubled, nervous, and on high alert — symptoms that can be mistaken for ADHD. Inattention in children with trauma may also make them disassociate, which can look like a lack of focus — another hallmark symptom of ADHD.
When kids are struggling with behavior and attention issues, the first explanation that comes to mind is often ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). But exposure to trauma can also cause symptoms that look like ADHD. And trauma can be overlooked and left untreated when kids are misdiagnosed with ADHD.
Many people think that ADHD is a result of trauma, but is it true? The answer is yes, but more for some people than others. The truth is that 90% of the time ADHD is not caused by trauma, but if the trauma is extreme enough, it can cause severe ADHD-like symptoms.
There are several overlapping symptoms between PTSD and ADHD, including concerns with executive functioning and restlessness. There also are some defining differences, such as intrusive memories and flashbacks. Comorbidity estimates among ADHD and PTSD range from roughly 12% to 37% across the lifespan.
Genetics. ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
Our results clearly showed that adult ADHD symptoms were associated with ACEs and emotional neglect and abuse. This was consistent with previous studies conducted with children [7. Family-environmental factors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Chinese children: a case-control study. PLoS ONE.
Roughly 8 in 10 adults with ADHD have experienced trauma, and more than 70% also have anxiety and/or depression, according to an ADDitude reader survey.
Adults who have experienced childhood trauma often have heightened anxiety levels. They may worry excessively and have trouble managing their anxiety. Childhood trauma can lead to persistent feelings of sadness, lack of interest in activities, and difficulty experiencing pleasure.
What symptoms does PTSD share with ADHD? While ADHD is a completely separate condition, it still shares several symptoms with PTSD—symptoms that are easily masked by a PTSD diagnosis. Some of the shared symptoms include: Difficulty concentrating.
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
Research shows that childhood trauma can shape how certain areas of your brain form. That includes stress-sensitive structures and connections that control how you think, feel, and act. Early life stress may result in changes that cause you to have common ADHD symptoms, including: An ongoing sense of fear.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
Traumatic Stress as a Risk Factor for ADHD
Traumatic stress, apart from other factors like premature birth, environmental toxins, and genetics, is associated with risk for ADHD. The connection is likely rooted in toxic stress – the result of prolonged activation of the body's stress management system.
(2006), one-thirds of children with ADHD who reported abuse had a comorbid dissociative disorder. Matsumoto and Imamura (2007) identified that childhood ADHD symptoms persisting into adulthood revealed significant associations with adult dissociative symptomatology.
Examples of ADHD Masking
ADHD masking is a way of hiding symptoms through learned behaviors that can be healthy or unhealthy. Many people with ADHD break social rules through their behaviors and may face shame and ridicule. As a result, they develop coping strategies to hide parts of themselves.
Most unresolved childhood trauma affects self-esteem and creates anxiety. Did you suffer a serious childhood illness? If so, you were likely isolated at home or hospitalized. This meant being removed from normal social activities and you probably felt lonely, maybe even worried about being different.
Millions of US children have been diagnosed with ADHD
Boys (13%) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (6%).
Roughly 80 percent of those with ADHD are diagnosed with at least one other psychiatric disorder sometime during their life. The most common ADHD comorbidities are learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, sensory processing disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.
Grief can also cause physical symptoms, including stomach pain, loss of appetite, intestinal upsets, exhaustion, and sleep disturbances—each of which can make ADHD symptoms worse. For some people, a loss of interest in things they enjoyed can also occur. Losing a loved one creates a hole in one's life.