![]() ![]() Medication can certainly be effective as far as ADHD treatment goes. Most people find that stimulants and similar ADHD medication (caffeine, Adderall, Vyvance, Ritilan, etc.) can help them focus, which reduces some of their symptoms. How do you treat ADHD that may have been caused by trauma? If you have had, or suspect an adhd diagnosis or have experienced similar symptoms, we can help. However, if you can’t really pinpoint what caused your symptoms or when they started, or if you lived through several adverse childhood experiences, chances are you have a lot more going on than an mood swings or an inability to focus. If this is the case, you may find significant relief with therapies like EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, or psychoanalysis. However, if your symptoms began and are primarily associated with a single traumatic experience (such as a car accident or assault) or series of events (such as living in a war zone), than an ADHD diagnosis is unlikely. Since several symptoms between PTSD and ADHD overlap, it’s best to be evaluated by a mental health professional who has experience with developmental trauma and complex trauma. Is it post traumatic stress disorder or undiagnosed ADHD? ![]() When your brain spends most of it’s energy regulating your nervous system and trying to deal with toxic levels of stress hormones, it just doesn’t have the energy to devote to executive functioning. But a child who is exposed to physical, mental, or emotional abuse on a regular basis can develop any number of neurological issues, chronic stress, including adhd like symptoms, a mood disorder (such as anxiety), or struggle with a long term mental illness that they just can’t seem to nail down. If a child is exposed to early childhood trauma and is surrounded by supportive and nurturing caregivers who recognize PTSD symptoms on children and they, with the help of a professional, help them process the traumatic event, they may never develop any long term symptoms of executive dysfunction. A lifetime of trauma may, over time, slow down your executive functioning. This can explain why some people don’t experience symptoms of ADHD at all until they are adults. Your brain’s number one job is to keep you alive and it does whatever it takes to adapt to the toxic stress you experienced as you were growing up. In children, high levels of cortisol (which is caused by traumatic stress) are considered toxic, further diminishing cortical functioning. These children cannot accurately recognize what is and is not a threat, nor can they adequately regulate their behavioral response.Īdditionally, traumatized children show repeated activity in the pituitary gland, which elevates cortisol levels along with other stress-related hormones. While atypical development of the PFC can happen for a number of reasons ( brain injury, genetics, etc), studies have shown that when a child, whose brain is still developing, is exposed to a traumatic event, healthy connections between the PFC and the hippocampus are diminished. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision making, impulse control, working memory, and goal oriented behavior… in short, the symptoms associated with ADHD. Can trauma cause ADHD in adults?ĪDHD is a neurological/neurodevelopmental executive functioning disorder that primarily affects the prefrontal cortex (PFC). While hyperactivity might be overt and obvious in children (e.g., running around, climbing on things inappropriately), it can become more internalized in adults, manifesting as frustration with others or yourself, feeling overwhelmed, risk-taking, impatience, or having a mind that never wants to relax. It’s also worth remembering that the symptoms of ADHD can change as a person moves from childhood to adulthood. Other types of impulsive behavior such as substance abuse.Making hasty decisions without considering the long-term consequences.Interrupting or intruding on others’ conversations or games.Difficulty engaging in activities quietly. ![]()
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