Adult ADHD and Childhood Trauma

If you're looking for a deep dive into the correlation between adult ADHD and childhood trauma, then this video could be for you. In this video, we talk about adverse childhood experiences and the brain.

We also discuss the potential ways in which childhood trauma may contribute to the manifestation and exacerbation the symptoms of ADHD in adults.

#adhd #trauma

Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes and not intended for self-diagnosis. If you believe that any of the points apply to you, please visit a therapist for a proper diagnosis.

Writer: Sara Del Villar
Editor: Rida Batool
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Animator: Gossekidd
Youtube Manager: Cindy Cheong

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References:

[she__khinah]

Of course there is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and ADHD. As a child with ADHD I got so often screamed at and beaten for my ADHD symptoms like executive dysfunction and forgetfulness. Getting constantly punished for executive dysfunction, forgetfulness, stimming or being annoying is not an uncommon experience of children with ADHD. So I'm really not surprised that there is a link between ADHD and trauma. At school teachers categorize you as lazy, a genius or as just being stupid. Nobody has normal expectations for you.

[Yashuop]

Raise your hand if you've been watching Psych2Go for a long time🤚

[Ads_]

I've experienced childhood trauma & also still experience adhd as an adult, I relate to this vid on a deeper level. Whoever is reading this & has experienced the same like me, sending lots of hugs 2 u ♡♡♡ Gud times r coming ur way soon!! Keep going ♡

[lauriefaber]

This is literally my story. Childhood abuse and trauma / C-PTSD. Fast forward several years. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in my early 30s. Even though i'm now being treated for both, I don't know that the ADHD would have ever presented were it not for the abuse I suffered as a child.

[goofball]

I have ADHD and nobody thought I did because I always got good grades. The trauma however of constantly being screamed at, called “annoying” and never being able to organize myself leading to punishment has caused me to be depressed as a teenager

[adequatemagic]

Adult ADHD diagnosed in 1997, at 37. I was misdiagnosed in highschool (class of 1978) as temporal lobe epilepsy. I had childhood trauma (catholic school from 9-12 years of age, yes I was abused) 😢

Thank you for this. Reframing my perception sounds promising.

[davloe]

Childhood trauma can cause adhd-like symptoms, and having (especially undiagnosed) adhd can lead to childhood trauma. For me personally, mostly the second is true. Having an extremely competitive entrepreneur father who never had time or cared much about my feelings, but expected me to "just function" has left emotional scars that to this day make me unable to work or study (I'll just stop putting effort into anything after a short time, sabotage myself and ultimately destroy any faith I could possibly have in myself). I put my attention on my childhood trauma for some months now and I see a lot of inner improvements, but it's too early to challenge myself again (since it'd only reinforce my beliefs about me being a failure). Nonetheless, I can and will overcome this eventually!❤️‍🔥

[lauragadille]

I just got diagnosed with ADHD and now I see how it relates to my childhood trauma

[Limehead]

I believe Childhood Trauma leading to CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is the main diagnosis for most people with mental health disorders. I feel that if you look at any other mental health disorder and compare those symptoms to the symptoms of CPTSD, most of the symptoms are covered by those of CPTSD...

Early trauma really messes up a lot of lives 😢

[lilbrownbear]

i think one way to differ between PTSD and ADHD is that once you realize your triggers, where they stem from and have a control on you emotions, behaviors and defence mechanism, PTSD can be dealt with. As time passes by one can overcome such triggers and ones reactions to them. While with ADHD, the symptoms persist regardless of identification amd control of triggers. Also its not constant and fluctuates depending on your mental state. For example, you might not always be sensitive to sensory stimuli and are likely to be so when stressed or tired.

[poppins]

This made me think of the ADHD folks superpowers like photographic-like memories, acute awareness of what is happening around them, the ability to learn things in minute detail at hyper speed, especially if it’s a special interest etc etc. Yes it’s sh*t that those qualities may also be the result of trauma but ADHD is more than negatives and deficits.

[funnytv-]

To start living the life you’ve imagined, ask yourself a simple question: What would need to change?

Break it down into tiny parts. The smaller the better.

Choose just one and take one simple step today. Nothing more. Tomorrow, take another one.

Taking even one tiny step toward the life you’ve imagined is a way of embodying your choice. So try it now, Fabulous Traveler. You can start living the life you’ve imagined - today.

[sinnamon-troll]

Having ADHD doesn't childhood trauma. They way you get treated by adults, your peers, and the school system for your behavioral problems due to *having* ADHD causes the trauma. They would rather beat and scream at you than help you.

[MRPotatoSpud]

my UNDIAGNOSED adhd is the thing that caused childhood trauma and then depression

[SimplyAri_Kim]

Thank you so much for helping people for making these types of videos. It really helps me mentally and when I watch your videos I learn more about myself, who I am, who I want to be and how to make it happen. ❤❤❤
Keep up the amazing work!

[zacflemo]

As someone whom had received severe bullying as a child due to my adhd, this video hit home

[JustNora]

I have cptsd and was dx in my early/mid 30s with ADHD and now possibly asd. Looking back at my childhood I remember my report cards from the middle of elementary school through middle school my teacher(s) would write, "Has trouble staying on task/focused, or has trouble concentrating, " and I remember my mom saying, "Nora, stay on task!" while I performed various chores or homework. Being messy but needing structure and order were also big things, and still are.
I was also a premie baby and while I was only in the nicu for six weeks I wasn't held by hardly anyone. My parents didn't get to hold me until 3 days after I was born, and my mom told Dad to hold me first even though it was Mother's day. I think she had post pardom depression. Both pairs of grandparents came over to "help" in the early days, before I was home, but they weren't really any help with childcare of my 17 mo old sister, which is what she really needed, so my mom didn't get much chance to drive a city over to see and hold me. We now know how important skin to skin contact is for bonding, and in premies to help regulate their autonomic functions like breathing and heart rate. Being kept from the mother in those first few weeks causes babies to develop anxiety later in life (a study on mice anyway). I wasn't even held much until I was about a year old and had caught up in size and weight to my peers due to home monitoring etc. That's info given by both parents. I'm sure that the lack of contact probably caused some problems with me. Plus my mom wasn't happy to be pregnant with me before my sister was two and out of diapers. So possibly in utero trauma as well?
It's complicated.

[foxyloon]

This video really hits close to home. I've had a very turbulent childhood, a series of traumatic experiences while growing up due to my living environment. Have also observed several ADHD symptoms being present, and had therapists agree with that assessment when I explain my struggles. Just urges me to seek an official diagnosis all the more.

[mintygirl]

At 45 yrs old, I have recently come to realise that I suffer from ADHD and I too had a traumatic childhood. From when I was around the age of 5/6, my sister became ill, paralysed, had multiple tumours and brain surgeries and died when I was 22. I’ve always known I was wired differently, and it comes as a little relief to be able to put a name to the reason why. Hopefully, I can now navigate my way through this.

[Orech-the-Nut]

Being differently wired leads to a specific kind of trauma (experience of being excluded, targeted, critised, gaslit, overlooked etc. Because you seem or behave weird or you not fit in), so the coincidence of innate neurodivergence and trauma is much more difficult to untagle.
Because of general tendency to target or overlook needs of those, who’s brain functions in a different way, it is nearly impossible to be born neurodivergent and to have no trauma or ACE at all!
I want also point this out, because this kind of connection between neurodivergence and trauma is often overlooked.