Research Childhood Trauma Could Be Mistaken For Adhd

[Chava]

Interesting article, and I appreciate that they recognize that diagnosis like this is complex and takes more than 15 minutes: http://acestoohigh.com/2014/07/07/how-childhood-trauma-could-be-mistaken-for-adhd/

Personally, I have never been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, though one therapist wanted me to get checked because of my fidgeting. In school I was a "good" student (no behavior problems) but in lower reading groups and needing extra tutoring early on. It wasn't that I was not very bright. I was just not "there" a lot and really didn't follow things like instructions well at all. Somehow it got easier through the years. But I still notice in workshop/conference or other group settings how, if I'm stressed, I'm checking out partly and at some point have no clue what is going on in the outer environment or what people have been talking about. Filtering some of it out through looking down and taking fake notes but keeping my listening engaged seems to help. Anyway, with some young people I've worked with I have also really wondered about their ADD diagnosis (especially when meds aren't seeming to help them) but it's nothing I can do anything about except report what I noticed in working with them.

I recently saw a documentary where a young boy who had been through several foster placements in his first couple years of life, and then adopted, was diagnosed by one doctor as ADHD and was encouraged to go on meds at age 3 or 4. His adoptive parents didn't feel right about it and worked more instead towards providing him real support, structure, safety, and chances to work on his regulation. Difficult work for them and his teachers, but more in line with what he really needed.

I wish we had added DTD or CPTSD into the DSM...could perhaps clear up a lot of the misdiagnosis potential and putting dissociative or hyper-vigilant kids on stimulants.

 

[Tinyflame]

Hi @Chava , I'm surely an inappropriate authority to speak of the differences between PTSD & ADHD , but I've just had the oddest experience. A friend has ADHD , thought I understood but I didn't know the particulars well except for a family member with it. When I looked it up I found 3 things: 1) It is very serious, can be deadly & wholly misunderstood often 2) the similarities (especially through adulthood) are extremely similar to ptsd & 3) without (usually) medication & change in external environment (structure) it's very difficult if not impossible to navigate & manage it.

The first conclusion I came to was I cause way too much stress/ grief on my friend, bearing everything else he does, he said no. :sorry: The second I came to is it is very much 'me' represented in what I've read, so much so I've asked a member here who has both ptsd & adhd & she was kind enough to explain even more.

It can present very differently in girls, especially. And co-morbidities like anxiety can affect how it presents on the surface (eg anxiety). The hyperactivity part morphs more in to an interior restlessness oftentimes in adulthood. There are 3 types, inattentive, hyperactive, & combined. There is a very strong genetic component, & other factors (maternal smoking, strep etc) may influence the development. The difficulties in executive function researchers like Barkley & Hallowell described last through the lifetime, & if one is responsive to meds the meds will help them to be able to work on controlling it, since it concerns disregulation in dopamine re-uptake co-current with the 3 areas of the brain primarily affected. And- go figure- it can precede the development of ptsd? If anything for me, that & anxiety (if it is so) *might* explain why my ptsd is so severe. I normally am not pro-med, but it beats dying of SI or alcoholism, which I or my family have been more inclined. Not to mention it can help the right children if it's effective for them, they will not lose their life & future as I have.

If anything, after 30 years of struggling with ptsd I wish I could get it ruled out or treatment if I needed it, because it may have been what's missed all along & made managing the ptsd nearly unbearable. In my family as well. Not only may I not have understood them properly, but also it might have saved endless grief & self-medicating for them as well especially smoking & drinking- 300x more likely than the general population. Needless to say smoking too, esp to self-medicate). Not to mention even stopping the drinking I've lived on cigarettes & coffee (even with genetically-occurring cancer, & heart disease in the family. Perhaps I would not have done that or many things if something else was recognized as needing addressing. Perhaps I could have succeeded where I set out, & been able to regulate my emotions & thoughts better, & therefore too my relationships/ family as well. Although, yes- I did think toboganning (sp?) down the stairs in my house was 'normal' ;) ) It's not reltaed to intelligence or 'not knowing'. Some areas of the brain develop more slowly, others (motor control) develop more quickly (motor response, hence hyperactivity).

It's worth reading up on, I was hugely shocked. If you had it as a child you likely have it now, irrespective of the ptsd. No wonder my friend has understood & been so kind. If nothing else, it's so much like we go through.

But yes, parents/ adults should be disclosing the traumas of the kids to the Dr, yes, especially if the children can't. Do they always. Idk.

 

[Mallaky]

I have an ADD diagnosis. Its a big issue for me all the time, but I think its mostly PTSD. I remember when I sat at the doctor and tried to ask for help for all the scary emotional stuff and changes and he said something along the line of "I am not at all interested in this." when I had trouble holding back tears. Aaaaaah german mental healthcare. :troll:

I think that I might not have ADD, because I can directly link my ability to concentrate to my level of calmness. I dont think that is the case with "real" AD(H)D. Not in the amount I experience at least. I also feel like I have personality states that have a much easier time concentrating then others.
The link of concentration / mental status is even proven helpfull, because sometimes I only notice in what bad state I am in because of my inability to focus at all. Only then I will notice the screams inside of me.

I know definately that my problems are not caused by ADD alone, but I am very intrigued by the possibility of having both. I hope that I find a decent therapist soon to discuss this with. Next meeting in 6 weeks. (on another note: f*ck therapists that cancel on short notice because they and I quote "mismanaged their time" Sorry cant stop renting about this). The diagnosis is a few years ago. I did not pursue anything more in that matter after I got it, because i started to realize that my emotional issues are much more dire, so I tried to learn more there. Then I checked out for a 2 years and just excisted for a while without doing anything, :wacky:

 

[Chava]

If you had it as a child you likely have it now, irrespective of the ptsd.

My major traumas were before I entered school, so in hindsight the attention and learning difficulties were probably trauma and developmental related vs ADD.

But yes, parents/ adults should be disclosing the traumas of the kids to the Dr, yes, especially if the children can't. Do they always. Idk

Sadly, I'm sure not. I was hospitalized on life support a couple times, which my parents probably mentioned. But the worst traumas for little ones are the attachment and relational traumas (abuse/neglect by primary caregivers)...and would they offer up that info? Hmm.

@Mallaky ...there is quite a bit of overlap. When I read up on both I relate most to the disorganized sort of distractibility and needing to hyper-focus on something to ground myself. But it's not at all random...it usually comes from an amped up place. And stimulants (common among ADHD meds) would be pure hell for me because they amp me up more. So I believe it's all arousal stuff. The fidgets I had so badly with one therapist were because I was really uncomfortable talking with her. My current therapist allowed me to fidget (vs asked me if I might have ADD) and I did for a while, then it sort of settled. I didn't have all that "get-me-the-f*ck-out-of-here" background energy to myself.