Someone with PTSD may struggle to follow instructions because they're preoccupied with intrusive memories, but their behaviour looks like the distractibility of ADHD. Hypervigilance practised by someone with PTSD may look like inattention, typically associated with ADHD.
Some studies found that when you have ADHD, you're four times more likely to also have PTSD. And you're twice as likely to develop ADHD when you have PTSD. Their symptoms can look the same, and they can cause similar changes in your brain. As a result, researchers are studying connections between ADHD and PTSD.
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.
“The lasting effects of trauma, especially trauma in childhood, can include inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity — the core symptoms of ADHD. So, trauma-related symptoms can be similar to ADHD symptoms, and vice versa,” Hanselman says.
PTSD is also considered a form of neurodivergence. However, this is an acquired neurodivergence (meaning it is situational and can be resolved through treatment). At this point, the person may return to their neurotypical baseline.
Awareness of PTSD in children has been fairly limited until recently, which means symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for more familiar childhood diagnoses. For example, a child's response to trauma can sometimes mirror the signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
In response to trauma, a child's developing brain can become programmed to “look out” for behaviour, activities or events that they perceive as threatening. This “hyper-vigilance” can often mimic hyperactivity and distractibility associated with ADHD.
Research published in 2015 shows that Adderall, a stimulant medication originally developed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may also work for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
(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.
PTSD can be misdiagnosed as the symptoms or behaviors of other mental health conditions. Conditions such as anxiety, depression, acute stress disorder, and more, have similarities to PTSD. It is important to note that not everyone who experiences a traumatic event has PTSD.
PTSD can make existing ADHD symptoms worse. Childhood PTSD can include disorganized or agitated and hyperactive behaviors. For some children, the symptoms of PTSD can look similar to ADHD symptoms, making it harder to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
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.
Both ADHD and PTSD can lead to social difficulties, such as troubled relationships and isolation. Hyperactivity and outbursts. Hyperactivity is characteristic of ADHD, which can look like emotional outbursts to onlookers. PTSD can trigger outbursts as well, including anger and aggression.
Studies show adults diagnosed with ADHD are more likely than those without ADHD to also have posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. That's a mood disorder you might develop after a traumatic event. People with PTSD can have ongoing trauma symptoms, or ones that come and go.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
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Methylphenidate (MPH) is a central nervous system stimulant that blocks dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, selectively increasing prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. MPH can improve PTSD symptoms: avoidance behaviors, social withdrawal, hyperarousal, and working memory.
vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now) intrusive thoughts or images. nightmares. intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma.
There are four medications currently recommended as first-choice options to treat PTSD. Zoloft (sertraline) and Paxil (paroxetine) are FDA approved to treat PTSD. But Prozac (fluoxetine) and Effexor XR (venlafaxine) are also good first-choice options, even though they're not officially approved for PTSD.
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.
Using behavioral therapy to create routines and reduce vulnerabilities improves both disorders. Treating ADHD can also reduce sleep difficulties associated with PTSD. Assessing for and treating both disorders is the most effective approach to managing these life-altering diagnoses.
Research shows that, compared to those without ADHD, those with ADHD are more likely to suffer migraines, digestive issues, muscle pain, and insomnia. Since most ADHD brains do not linger on unpleasant issues, somatic discomforts often remain unaddressed.