Can childhood trauma cause adhd?

Childhood trauma, meaning trauma caused before the age of 18, can affect people in many ways.  Trauma shapes the way victims feel, think, and act.  One of the ways some persons who have been traumatized as children acting may see themselves behaving is similar to those who have been diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.  Some persons who have experienced trauma may be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.  Symptoms that are shared between ADHD and PTSD are difficulty with keeping attention, poor impulse control, lack of focus, insomnia or difficulty sleeping, distractibility, impulsiveness, irritability, inability to concentrate, poor memory, anxiety, sensitivity to sensory stimuli, mood disorders, lack of self-esteem, and heightened likelihood to use or abuse substances.  

Since ADHD and PTSD have many symptoms that are alike, it takes a mental health professional who is trained to properly assess if someone has ADHD, PTSD, neither or both.  If a person has both ADHD and PTSD, the question then becomes, which came first?  Unfortunately, there isn’t a large amount of research on this subject.  However, many experts suggest that PTSD, or trauma, causes ADHD in childhood trauma.  This is because if the child had ADHD first, he or she would have presented with these symptoms before the trauma.  However, trauma rewires the brain, affects development, and creates new habits.  Thus, a growing and developing child may cope in new ways after trauma than they had previously and respond differently to stressful stimuli. 

Getting Help for Trauma, ADHD or Both

If you have experienced trauma, most research suggests that psychotherapy is the most beneficial form of treatment.  There are numerous forms of trauma therapy that are evidence-based and can be discussed with a counselor.  Any counselor who is trained in trauma therapy should present you with all your options for trauma therapy, not just those that he or she is trained in or can provide to you. 

If you suspect or have been diagnosed with ADHD, medication, and psychotherapy are considered a winning combination for treatment.  Working with a psychiatrist, your general practitioner, or doctor for medication is 50 percent.  The second half is working with a therapist to help improve coping and behavior skills.