WHAT IF IT’S NOT ADHD…BUT UNRESOLVED TRAUMA?
When I was growing up, it wasn’t uncommon to hear someone say, “Oh, I have ADD” or blame the fact that they like things clean and in order on their “OCD.” I am in my 40’s now and my guess is that over the years not much has changed. As a trauma therapist, a good number of clients walk in the door with a previous ADHD diagnosis and, if I can be frank, I believe it’s highly misdiagnosed. Here’s why. Did you know that many of the symptoms of ADHD, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder mimic those of trauma/PTSD? Now, you may be saying to yourself that “I don’t have trauma” or “how do I even know if I have trauma?” Well, to put it in layman’s terms, trauma is anything that overwhelms your ability to cope. It doesn’t need to be a death or sexual assault (although those are important and certainly apply) but it could be your partner’s affair, a medical diagnosis, parental neglect, or experiences with discrimination and bullying. It is how you internalize your experience and is, at times, so deeply rooted that you don’t even realize it’s there.
According to the DSM-5-TR (our newest diagnostic manual), trauma and ADHD are alike in that they both include difficulty with attention, concentration, and learning. The difference is that trauma symptoms generally appear following a traumatic event or series of events across the lifespan. Other symptoms may include:
Dissociation;
Avoidance behaviors;
Exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about the self, others, and the world;
Feelings of detachment from others;
Sleep disturbances;
Hypervigilance; and
Irritability (to name a few).
Please hear this – what I am NOT saying is that ADHD isn’t a real thing. It most certainly is! However, any therapist well versed in trauma will look beyond the medical model of “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?” or “what did you have to adapt to?” in order to function the way that you do. They will also offer an evidence-based trauma therapy (such as EMDR) to help you begin the process of healing. Just remember that healing takes time and your life is worth it!
Written by Samritha Sanchez, LPCC – Thrive Marriage and Family Counseling, Grand Junction, CO.