ADHD and Trauma
I've just read a very interesting article on the association of ADHD and trauma called Towards an understanding of the ADHD-Trauma connection. (Littman 2009). I became more interested in this connection through involvement in our ADHD support group and also working with families affected by domestic violence. It became clear to me that there were similarities and I began to think about some of our families in our support group where trauma was also present and to ask myself "Is it ADHD, or is it trauma/domesticviolence related?" There are similarities between the behaviours of children with ADHD and trauma. According to Littman, in response to repeated trauma, the child's brain will try to protect itself, leading to hypervigilance. This hypervigilance can mimic hyperactivity and inattentiveness because the child becomes more focussed on distractions. Littman says that since both ADHD and trauma result in similar cognitive and behavioural manifestations, this can le