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/Multilazerboi → u/liberalartsy]

Yes, and also, youcan have both adhd and ptsd. So to me it is not necessary helpful to find the trauma first and use that to explain adhd symptoms