ADHD Scapegoat Podcast ADHD × Trauma: Why the Overlap Is Real (& What to Do About It)
Sep 11, 2025
Explore the complex relationship between ADHD and trauma. Discover how shared symptoms can lead to misdiagnosis and confusion. Learn how traumatic experiences can amplify ADHD symptoms and why proper evaluation is crucial. The hosts delve into practical tools for identifying trauma triggers and ADHD patterns. They emphasize building a multidisciplinary care team for effective treatment, and share actionable strategies for managing daily challenges. This insightful conversation offers validation for those feeling misunderstood in their journey.
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ADHD Is Biological; Trauma Is Exposure-Based
- ADHD is neurodevelopmental with a genetic predisposition while trauma is exposure-based and situational.
- Studies show high co-occurrence and interaction between ADHD and traumatic stress across the lifespan.
Symptom Overlap Fuels Misdiagnosis
- ADHD and trauma share symptoms like distractibility, hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and sleep problems.
- This symptom overlap explains frequent confusion and misdiagnosis between the two conditions.
Hypervigilance: Baseline vs Triggered
- ADHD causes persistent cross-context hypervigilance while trauma produces situational trigger spikes.
- When both exist, baseline hypervigilance can escalate into nonstop alertness under trauma.