9
'91 Girl
I think there's also more awareness. People are learning that the "know-it-all" is a narcissist, just like the big-headed jerk. It's just as common in women as in men, by the way.
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Poll Do You Have Adhd, And Did You Have Npd Parents?
- Post starter Pietro
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ericaboo
Diamond Member
I checked ADHD and NPD Parent.
My trauma began as early as I can remember, I was identified as "hyperkinetic" at age 9, diagnosed ADHD by a psychiatrist at age 40.
Dissociation - maybe level 5 but I'm often unaware that it's happening.
I don't think the ADHD was caused by my NPD parent, but I think the PTSD was caused by and made worse because the NPD parent couldn't handle the ADHD and took it out on me and I was more vulnerable because I was teased at home and school. There were no emotionally safe people in my childhood.
My trauma began as early as I can remember, I was identified as "hyperkinetic" at age 9, diagnosed ADHD by a psychiatrist at age 40.
Dissociation - maybe level 5 but I'm often unaware that it's happening.
I don't think the ADHD was caused by my NPD parent, but I think the PTSD was caused by and made worse because the NPD parent couldn't handle the ADHD and took it out on me and I was more vulnerable because I was teased at home and school. There were no emotionally safe people in my childhood.
- Post starter
- #15
I don't think all ADHD is caused by having an NPD parent. It does seem, though, that there's a correlation for many who do have ADHD, especially with regard to the dissociation aspect.
My son has raging ADHD, but he doesn't "zone-out", whereas I do. (Of course, I'm hoping that my son has no trauma caused by his dear old dad, but that's not realistic for any parent; I'll settle for "good enough".)
My son has raging ADHD, but he doesn't "zone-out", whereas I do. (Of course, I'm hoping that my son has no trauma caused by his dear old dad, but that's not realistic for any parent; I'll settle for "good enough".)
D
Deleted member 1860
Yes, and no. (Crap I voted wrong!)
But, my brother is yes and yes, although he doesn't have PTSD.
But, my brother is yes and yes, although he doesn't have PTSD.
1) My first Trauma was at age 7. In hind sight I believe I have had PTSD since age 7 but was not officially diagnosed until age 32 after another Traumatic event that occurred over an extended period of time (2006-2009). It wasn't until 2011 I began to experience severe symptoms of what I now know to be PTSD.
2) I was diagnosed with ADD around age 7. As an adult in my educational and professional life I believe this was a misdiagnosis and ADHD makes much more sense for the problems I face socially, vocationally, academically, etc.
3)4 or 5
4) Being the scapegoat or hated one in the family it makes perfect sense. However, I have no idea how it happened. Anxious to hear what the research comes up with.
2) I was diagnosed with ADD around age 7. As an adult in my educational and professional life I believe this was a misdiagnosis and ADHD makes much more sense for the problems I face socially, vocationally, academically, etc.
3)4 or 5
4) Being the scapegoat or hated one in the family it makes perfect sense. However, I have no idea how it happened. Anxious to hear what the research comes up with.
Friday
Sponsor
1) 17 = Trauma starts
2) 12 = Diagnosed, but I'd been ADHD my whole life, as it's born/ not acquired.
3) It completely depends how PTSD symptomatic I am. Normal ADHD-Disassociation being a 1-2, just enough to take breaks from my senses for a time / not only completely manageable, but highly beneficial in my life, or 3-4 if I'm in hyperfocus mode (annoying but necessary, or glorious but whoops! I'm late!)... PTSD-Disassociation is easily double that, maybe 6-8 when I'm doing badly, and is exceptionally damaging to my life.
4) Irritated. ADHD is not caused by bad parenting, poor diet, not enough sleep, the moon in Jupiter, or any other kind of nonsense. If it's "caused" by that? It's not ADHD. It's Family of Origin Issues (ranging from abuse/neglect & PTSD on the upper-scale, down to easily fixed bad habits from lousy example), or malnutrition, or sleep deprivation, or pick cause&effect. It pisses me the hell off, all the misinformation about ADHD out there... All the "cures" that idiots espouse... Because they never had ADHD to begin with! If their so-called ADHD was "cured" by good nutrition? Then they had malnutrition. By eliminating something they're allergic to? By their allergies. By giving birth? By no longer working 120 hours a week? By dealing with their completely separate disorder? Then whomever diagnosed them was a bleeding idiot, because ADHD is not caused by external anything. It's a freaking diagnostic exclusion. While there are many, many, many things which either accentuate the strengths or bring out the weaknesses of the disorder (including bad parenting, malnutrition, et cetera), ADHD is it's own discrete constellation, structural neurology, as individual to itself as gifted ness, bipolar disorder, autism, etc.. It's born, not caused (or preventable). It makes as much sense "curing" ADHD with food/sleep/parenting/etc., as "curing" musical ability with good food/sleep/parenting/etc.
1) I had a somehow traumatic birth, or rather my mother had that with me, so do I answer by that? Biologically speaking, I would.
Socially speaking, around three.
2) Sixteen, if I'm counting right.
3) I disagree with the rating scale. I'm always multiple (as in multiple personality). It's not something that comes off, nor measures how dissociated I am.
I can be very non-dissociated, I'd still be multiple.
4) I don't know. People raising me were violent. I'm not aware what personality disorders would their type of behavior fit so well. I mean those categories are insufficient to describe them.
And ditto, re: causation of ADHD.
Socially speaking, around three.
2) Sixteen, if I'm counting right.
3) I disagree with the rating scale. I'm always multiple (as in multiple personality). It's not something that comes off, nor measures how dissociated I am.
I can be very non-dissociated, I'd still be multiple.
4) I don't know. People raising me were violent. I'm not aware what personality disorders would their type of behavior fit so well. I mean those categories are insufficient to describe them.
And ditto, re: causation of ADHD.
Last edited:
Truthful_Whispers
Not Active
I don't have ADD or ADHD. I have a few family members that do, though.
- Post starter
- #21
Interesting to be getting replies on this after so many years. :)
The problem with traditional psych diagnoses is that they are based almost solely on symptoms, not physical cause, which leads to a lot of potential overlap. We now have a little better idea of at least the current physical state of an ADHD brain and a traumatized brain, and this allows more differentiation. How the brain arrives at these physical states, however, is still in question. Is someone born with this state? Or is this state something programmed into one's genetics, to "express" itself at some point in time? Or is this state a matter of environmental impact? Or some combination of these?
We know that trauma causes fragmentation, and often repression, of significant pieces of memory, which leads to many of the same symptoms as seen with ADHD. We know that ADHD is largely caused by dopamine deficiencies in certain parts of the brain. I wonder if there's a correlation between these two things -- whether and ADHD state can be created in the brain due to fragmentation?
I certainly believe there is the possibility for an ADHD state outside of trauma. My son is, unfortunately for me, a "shining" example. ;) But he's also my brilliant, beautiful boy. :D
Part of the reason for doing this survey was because we saw a potential correlation in those with ADHD symptoms and/or diagnosis with NPD parenting and were curious as to whether the ADHD symptoms were actually caused by trauma, not "physical" ADHD.
The problem with traditional psych diagnoses is that they are based almost solely on symptoms, not physical cause, which leads to a lot of potential overlap. We now have a little better idea of at least the current physical state of an ADHD brain and a traumatized brain, and this allows more differentiation. How the brain arrives at these physical states, however, is still in question. Is someone born with this state? Or is this state something programmed into one's genetics, to "express" itself at some point in time? Or is this state a matter of environmental impact? Or some combination of these?
We know that trauma causes fragmentation, and often repression, of significant pieces of memory, which leads to many of the same symptoms as seen with ADHD. We know that ADHD is largely caused by dopamine deficiencies in certain parts of the brain. I wonder if there's a correlation between these two things -- whether and ADHD state can be created in the brain due to fragmentation?
I certainly believe there is the possibility for an ADHD state outside of trauma. My son is, unfortunately for me, a "shining" example. ;) But he's also my brilliant, beautiful boy. :D
I think I misunderstood the definition of "dissociation" at the time we did this. Still not sure I have a good understanding internalized. "Dissociation" has different meanings to different people. I'd really like to formalize this definition and better definitions for the various aspects of dissociation that keep coming-up.
M
MaggiB
I'm the daughter of a father w/ some obvious narcissistic tendencies and a covert narcissistic mother.
Age trauma started: probably around 9 or 10.
Age diagnosed with ADD: 23, though previously misdiagnosed with anxiety at 19.
Average level of dissociation: My ADD causes me to space out into my own head quite often (if not medicated) as I have always been highly imaginative but I am always aware of my surroundings and of reality. That's what makes ADD so frustrating for me, its that my brain gets so easily distracted bc it's constantly trying to pick up/dissect/solve/ponder so many things at the same time. ADD is a far cry from absence of reality or purposefully dissociating yourself from past trauma as a coping mechanism. It's a hyper-awareness of reality, not distancing yourself from it as to not acknowledge it.
Do I think my narcissistic parents caused my ADD? In my case, I don't believe so. My mind has always been this way- highly imaginative and creative since I was a toddler. Apparently very precocious, or so I have been told. lol I was born this way, though my emotionally absent parents did not help my ADD, they certainly did not cause it. That isn't to say that other people who show symptoms of ADD/ADHD can't correlate their diagnoses w/ that of having NP's. But I still wouldn't base those two as cause and effect. I feel it is more possible that symptoms of ADD can be exacerbated by having poor parenting, but not the root cause. It's also possible symptoms of suppressed past trauma could be manifesting as symptoms of ADD for some, but they actually have PTSD. ADD/ADHD is not anxiety, though it can seem like it sometimes to the undiagnosed or misdiagnosed person dealing with it. We may get anxious about our to-do lists, or deadlines at work, or looking like an ass bc we totally spaced out during class/conversation. People don't understand that to a true ADD brain, adderall or "speed" actually calms us down- it has the reverse effects on us as it does someone who actually has an anxiety disorder, and not ADD. We get anxious bc we can't focus, it's not that we can't focus because we're anxious. There is a major difference. Our minds aren't filled with compulsive anxious/depressive thoughts, they are filled with every thought all the time all at one. ADD/ADHD is like having 100 tv's playing on as many different channels while one guy is flipping the light in the room on/off while another guy is in the corner clanging cymbals. and the whole time you have read the same paragraph of a book 23 times and still don't know what it says. And if you're the hyperactive type, you also feel an intense urge to run around/fidget/move...all. at. the. same. time. That my friend is ADD/ADHD. There are some who like myself are misdiagnosed but actually have ADD, but in my opinion I think too many people are knee jerked into the diagnosis-especially as young children. Not all, but way too many.
Age trauma started: probably around 9 or 10.
Age diagnosed with ADD: 23, though previously misdiagnosed with anxiety at 19.
Average level of dissociation: My ADD causes me to space out into my own head quite often (if not medicated) as I have always been highly imaginative but I am always aware of my surroundings and of reality. That's what makes ADD so frustrating for me, its that my brain gets so easily distracted bc it's constantly trying to pick up/dissect/solve/ponder so many things at the same time. ADD is a far cry from absence of reality or purposefully dissociating yourself from past trauma as a coping mechanism. It's a hyper-awareness of reality, not distancing yourself from it as to not acknowledge it.
Do I think my narcissistic parents caused my ADD? In my case, I don't believe so. My mind has always been this way- highly imaginative and creative since I was a toddler. Apparently very precocious, or so I have been told. lol I was born this way, though my emotionally absent parents did not help my ADD, they certainly did not cause it. That isn't to say that other people who show symptoms of ADD/ADHD can't correlate their diagnoses w/ that of having NP's. But I still wouldn't base those two as cause and effect. I feel it is more possible that symptoms of ADD can be exacerbated by having poor parenting, but not the root cause. It's also possible symptoms of suppressed past trauma could be manifesting as symptoms of ADD for some, but they actually have PTSD. ADD/ADHD is not anxiety, though it can seem like it sometimes to the undiagnosed or misdiagnosed person dealing with it. We may get anxious about our to-do lists, or deadlines at work, or looking like an ass bc we totally spaced out during class/conversation. People don't understand that to a true ADD brain, adderall or "speed" actually calms us down- it has the reverse effects on us as it does someone who actually has an anxiety disorder, and not ADD. We get anxious bc we can't focus, it's not that we can't focus because we're anxious. There is a major difference. Our minds aren't filled with compulsive anxious/depressive thoughts, they are filled with every thought all the time all at one. ADD/ADHD is like having 100 tv's playing on as many different channels while one guy is flipping the light in the room on/off while another guy is in the corner clanging cymbals. and the whole time you have read the same paragraph of a book 23 times and still don't know what it says. And if you're the hyperactive type, you also feel an intense urge to run around/fidget/move...all. at. the. same. time. That my friend is ADD/ADHD. There are some who like myself are misdiagnosed but actually have ADD, but in my opinion I think too many people are knee jerked into the diagnosis-especially as young children. Not all, but way too many.
@Pietro, what I'm hinting at is once dissociation to the degree of forming separate states (as in 'personalities') sets in as a survival mechanism, while fluctuating in depth & type & type of awareness of it, doesn't really completely vanish. Just like the trauma it arises out of' effects on one's brain don't vanish.
You can think of D.I.D. as cyclical and depending on a lot of factors not dissimilar to PTSD. But point being the style of perceiving isn't something that completely goes away, just because one is having a calm period of life; symptoms associated with it may be in remission, the change itself stays.
You can think of D.I.D. as cyclical and depending on a lot of factors not dissimilar to PTSD. But point being the style of perceiving isn't something that completely goes away, just because one is having a calm period of life; symptoms associated with it may be in remission, the change itself stays.
D
Deleted member 8714
1) At what age did your trauma begin?
Three years old.
2) At what age were you diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?
I was not.
3) How would you rate your average level of dissociation, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being mild day-dreaming and 10 being Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) -- previously called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)?
I had poly-fragmented DID. Completely healed now.
4) Intuitively, how do you feel about the possibility that ADHD might be caused by having NPD caregivers -- at least in part?
Don't know because I don't have ADHD. Though my husband has ADHD and we believe at least one of his caregivers had NPD.
Three years old.
2) At what age were you diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?
I was not.
3) How would you rate your average level of dissociation, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being mild day-dreaming and 10 being Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) -- previously called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)?
I had poly-fragmented DID. Completely healed now.
4) Intuitively, how do you feel about the possibility that ADHD might be caused by having NPD caregivers -- at least in part?
Don't know because I don't have ADHD. Though my husband has ADHD and we believe at least one of his caregivers had NPD.
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