Wendy always struggled with completing tasks, but it was so much more than that. She would start a project, then start doing something else, only to become distracted and never finish the project. When she missed a deadline for the third time in a month, her boss suggested she finally get support for her ADHD symptoms. But she did not know where to start.
She made an appointment with me, thinking that I could "cure" her ADHD. Together, we were able to dig into some of her unresolved childhood trauma from growing up in a home filled with domestic violence and chaos. We worked together to alleviate some of the symptoms of her trauma that were exacerbating her ADHD symptoms while helping her understand and have empathy for this part of her. However, she still felt that she needed some support for her ADHD, especially with how it manifested at work.
Like Wendy, many of my clients who are diagnosed with ADHD and other attention deficit-related symptoms find that the symptoms impact their lives in different ways, ranging from simply annoying to sometimes even dangerous. As a trauma survivor and fellow neurodivergent myself, I often can relate to these symptoms. Like many clinicians, I often find that my clients' ADHD symptoms manifest as a result of their trauma. And, of course, while this is not always true for every individual with this diagnosis, "[m]ore and more research indicates that people with ADHD are more likely to have experienced childhood trauma" (Romaszkan, 2023).
As with any mental health intervention, trauma history should be part of a thorough assessment when making any diagnosis or treatment plan. C-PTSD often presents with similar symptoms to ADHD: Hypervigilance, hyperarousal, impulsivity, and distractibility are common.
I spoke with Scott Shapiro, M.D., a productivity coach who specializes in working with professionals trying to improve their lives and productivity while coping with symptoms of ADHD. Productivity coaching is a tool that is focused on helping individuals with ADHD improve in their personal or professional lives, such as in areas of time management, planning, organization, etc. As so many of my clients present with symptoms that can mimic ADHD, I find that productivity coaching can be a great tool to support them with their needs while also validating these symptoms.
"It has been incredibly exciting for me to witness my clients make significant progress towards their goals," he shares about the experience. Like many clinicians and medical professionals, Shapiro does not discount the importance of therapeutic support, often urging clients to get therapy prior to starting productivity coaching in order to work on any mental health or trauma symptoms present that can impact clients' symptoms, reporting that productivity coaching can be a "valuable supplement" to those with ADHD. Therefore, Wendy was able to continue to work with me to address her trauma history while also completing productivity coaching to help improve the ways her ADHD was affecting her professional life.
As a clinician and fellow survivor, I often wonder if earlier intervention could have helped my clients (and myself) minimize symptoms later in life. In any discussion on ADHD, it is crucial to look at the high rates of its diagnosis in kids. In fact, "With a prevalence of over 5 percent, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequent disorders within child and adolescent psychiatry" (Drechsler et al., 2020). Furthermore, research has shown that children who experienced trauma were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (Schilpzand et al., 2018).
With this increasing prevalence of ADHD diagnoses in our younger population, finding trauma-informed ways to support them is crucial. Jamesalina Tyus, LCSW-BACS, is a licensed clinical social worker who works with adolescents in a school and in private practice. Like many who work with youngsters, she finds that many of her young clients present with symptoms of ADHD. "Children with ADHD are usually seen as a behavior problem when they just think differently," she said. And this is true, as research shows that individuals with ADHD often face stigma and discrimination (Mueller et al., 2012).
Therefore, it is imperative for therapists who work with kids to learn the best way to support them. Tyus gives the suggestion to find ways to keep young people focused by understanding their learning style, whether it is visual, auditory, or kinetic. From there, she recommends using gentle tones for redirection "to minimize making the child frustrated," as well as minimizing distractions such as television.
Her parting recommendation is to "be patient and give breaks," which is a reminder to show kindness to yourself and others around you.
If you are struggling with trauma, ADHD, or any mental health symptoms that are impacting your life, look for support from a mental health clinician who is trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming.
To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
References
Mueller AK, Fuermaier AB, Koerts J, Tucha L. (2012) Stigma in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Atten Defic Hyperact Disord. 4(3):101-114. doi:10.1007/s12402-012-0085-3
Drechsler R, Brem S, Brandeis D, Grünblatt E, Berger G, Walitza S. (2020). ADHD: Current Concepts and Treatments in Children and Adolescents. Neuropediatrics.
Romaszkan, M. (2023) ADHD and Childhood Trauma: Unraveling The Complex Link. ADHD And Childhood Trauma: Unraveling The Complex Link - ADHD Online
Effa, C. (2024) The link between ADHD and trauma. Medical News Today. Is there a link between ADHD and trauma (medicalnewstoday.com)
Schilpzand, E.J., Sciberras, E., Alisic, E. et al. (2018) Trauma exposure in children with and without ADHD: prevalence and functional impairment in a community-based study of 6–8-year-old Australian children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 27, 811–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1067-y
Brown, Nicole. (2017). Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and ADHD Diagnosis and Severity. Academic Pediatrics. 17. 349-355. 10.1016/j.acap.2016.08.013.
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