ADD, brain chemistry & trauma history | ADHD Information

I think this is a question best answered by a very skilled psychiatrist! I wonder about the same thing myself.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say my childhood was traumatic... I mean, we certainly weren't the Brady Bunch or anything, but I guess my childhood was still far from "normal". My father was a binge alcoholic, and my mother was severely clinically depressed. My parents seperated for awhile, but I remember being ecstatic about it because it meant I didn't have to listen to them scream at each other anymore. My sister and I saw a child therapist to deal with our mother's depression for a while, and she was great.

Generally, until I reached my teen years, I was a pretty happy child. My mother would get upset about something and I would be the one telling her everything would be okay. Although I was a depressed teenager, I never turned to drugs or alcohol or anything. All in all, I think I turned out pretty good.

Not sure where I was going with all that, , I guess I am trying to convince myself that my brain wasn't actually messed up by my parents....

I was wondering if anyone has a trauma history and how you think that may have effected your AD/HD?  I was reading about brain chemistry and how repeated traumaic experiences change the brain chemistry.  Children (and adults I would assume) who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often are misdiagnosed as AD/HD. 

I was dx'd with PTSD prior to being dx'd w/ depression and then finally ADHD as we peeled the layers away.  I have no doubt I am ADHD but as I look back I can't pick up on symptoms that adults may have complained about.  As I remember things I was not hyperactive or inattentive but my preception obviously could be off.  It could also be that there was too much going on in my chaotic home life for the adults to pick up on anything.   I had a major trauma in middle school grades and I do distinctly remember ADHD signs, symptoms and complaints but again how do you seperate trauma from ADD?  At what point is the brain chemistry permently altered?   

I read some very interesting articles at Child Trauma Academy on how the environment at critical points in a child's development organizes the brain in specific ways.   This works as a positive thing when the imput is good stimulation but when its traumatic the brains actual chemistry is altered.  I found this interesting because report cards and teacher's comments do not fit with an ADD child in elementary school but most certainly do in middle school.  I know there is no way for me to know the 'cause' of my ADD but I still found it interesting.  It also makes me feel more comfortable with medication because there is a biological reason behind the ADD.  (I think there is a biological reason behind everyones ADD by the way- no just me or trauma survivors.) 

I don't know what the rules are for posting web sites so I won't do that but you can do a search for the above web site and then search again for medical journals and articles using ADHD as a key word to read the articles I read.      

I feel as if I have had a very traumatic life, but it would probably be considered mild in comparison to other lives.  

I have always been a very deeply emotional being for as long ago as I can recall.  Everything touches me on a profound level.  And the most profound experiences in my childhood were with my family.  I grew up very defensive and I always felt like no one heard me, much less understood me.  I felt alone and sometimes emotionally abandoned.  I longed for understanding and compassion that never came.  My family was also loud and combative on a verbal level.  Every night we all seemed to succumb to a yelling and screaming contest of wills between the four of us.  I have always been the weakest one emotionally in the family.  My mother, father and brother are extremely strong willed and could outyell, outargue me by a mile.  I would always give in eventually.  That was the reason I left home as soon as I could.  I wanted to find a shelter of peace in my own home.  Ever since I have tried my dead level best to avoid confrontation at all costs.  I abhore it!  It would seem that the constant verbal confrontations growing up had more of an effect on me than I originally thought.

Quite soon after I left home I suffered the break-up of my first engagement, which was, for me the end of life as I knew it.  All I can say is I temporarily lost my sanity.  I attempted to end my life the first time then, and was hospitalized on the crazy ward for five or seven days.  The psychiatrist knew that I was in trouble and needed help, but my parents refused it because the bulk of my problems were aimed at them, and they were in too much denial to believe that they were at fault.  To them nothing was wrong with their daughter.  Boy, were they ever wrong!   

At the time I needed psychiatric help it was denied to me and I believe I have only worsened since then.  I might be a different person today if I had gotten the help when I needed it the most the first time.  I believe I would have achieved emotional stability and would have had a successful life.  And the adhd factor might have been something I could have overcome, because I would have been a stronger person.  That's only a presumptive thought though for another time and place.  Today, I can only make the best of a regretful life.  

Peace~   

Ive had a very stressfull childhood. Lots of drugs and drinking within the family. Lots of death due to cancer or AIDS. I started pulling my hair out and later found its a disorder called "Trichotillomania" Iove always been depressed. Was dx'd with ADD in middle school. Im ALWAYS day dreaming. I cant do my job. My focus is everywhere else. I get bored easily.

 

I dont know much about the resources or information out there about ADD b/c I was always more concerned with my Hair pulling. Now Im on Lexapro for the stress and depression but It seems to make me more unfocused at work now.

I do believe that my childhood surroundings added to both problems.

I've had social and school difficulties all my life - and I fit the day-dreaming type of ADD with added impulsiveness (impulsiveness is sometimes only put as ADHD I notice).

HOWEVER I did have a trauma and consequent PTSD as a young adult, and since then I have been a total mess intellectually.  I can remember at the time - I was at university - my thinking became always fuzzy, like there was always really bad static interference.  Before that I was extremely erratic, but every now and then I could concentrate and my thinking would sometimes be super clear.

I actually wonder if the effects of trauma on concentration, might sometimes be best treated with AD/HD meds - since it is a kind of temporary AD/HD.  I mean after the PTSD symptoms are dealt with.  There was no magic treatment for trauma/PTSD for me.  It took me years to recover, and in the end it was self-treatment that worked not professional help.  And though I recovered re. PTSD symptoms, my concentration didn't show any improvement until AD/HD meds.

... but I should add that AD/HD meds haven't solved my concentration problems (yet).  They help tho'.