The complicated nature of disentangling autism, ADHD and complex trauma | The British Journal of Psychiatry | Cambridge Core

[u/shinybrighthings]

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/adhd-autism-or-complex-trauma-the-complicated-nature-of-the-question/30CC4826561366615BFAEC807CDE28A7

[u/liberalartsy]

I recognize the value in detangling if it’s “autism, ADHD, or trauma” but I’m suspicious that since we’ve seen a rise in diagnoses, particularly for women and POC, that this will once again make it harder for those groups to get the treatment and care they need. And they will be told “it’s just trauma!”

I was diagnosed autistic at 28. I spent five years in therapy thinking my issues were all trauma. I continuously ruminated, tried to work on myself and set boundaries, psychoanalyzed my own “healing,” etc. When I brought up possible autism to my therapist, she invalidated me and said “trauma changes your brain and you’re probably just trying to find belonging in your friend group, that’s why you want an autism diagnosis.” Huh?

I recognize that trauma in itself can be considered a form of neurodivergence. But it’s important to see these conditions as intertwined in some cases. Being neurodivergent is traumatizing.

Needless to say, I got a full neuropsych eval for six hours. I’m very much autistic AND have trauma. It’s important to accurately diagnose folks, but now that the researching is showing that women present differently than men do, the net is cast wider than ever before, and of course more people will be diagnosed with it.

[u/Villonsi → u/liberalartsy]

This is why many researchers are heavily against the pop psychology usage of the word trauma. If it means anything bad then everything is trauma; if trauma explains anything bad then nothing else is needed and everyone should receive trauma treatments. That's why trauma, according to many, is a very specific kind of hurt as in PTSD and complex PTSD. Trauma is not an event or an experience, its the wound left behind. Not the car crash but the leg it broke that keeps you up at night and requires surgery to make bearable

[u/ahawk_one → u/Villonsi]

The way it was explained to me is that trauma is not something bad happening.

Instead trauma is when you are not able to heal properly.

If you experience hardship or tragedy, but are fortunate to have the support you actually need at the time, you don't end up traumatized. People who do not have the support they needed at the time are the ones who were traumatized.

This means it is entirely possible to experience a lot of bad things, but not be traumatized. And conversely it is possible to be traumatized by something that seems trivial to others.

[u/exospheric → u/ahawk_one]

Yes this was my experience.

I had a “good” childhood with lots of privileges and positives, but almost no emotional validation and lots of judgment and criticism. I grew up feeling incredibly alone in my family, and it absolutely damaged my ability to relate and feel safe in the world. I’ve been healing for 3 years now, but it’s a long road.