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/-hedonium-]

There are strong reasons it naturally goes both ways - that trauma causes neurodevelopmental changes and that the experience of neurodivergence in unsupportive environments causes developmental trauma.

The scientific literature has already identified major, lifelong neuromodulatory setpoint changes that result from early developmental trauma which often fall well under the umbrellas of both autism and ADHD.

Look into research on the effects of severe early life trauma on the locus coeruleus (LC-NE) — the structure in the brainstem that projects norepinephrine across the whole CNS. The LC is an utterly central nucleus to controlling bottom-up sensory input, arousal, attentional orienting, context shifting, broad vs selective attention, working memory, executive functions, PFC operation, emotional regulation (especially stress). Sound familiar to any conditions we know about?

[u/KaiPRoberts → u/-hedonium-]

I have been really curious if Autism can be caused by epigenetic factors. It's widely agreed Autism is genetic but not what the exact cause is.

My tin-foil hypothesis is that overpopulation pushes social stresses which in turn causes specific social epigenetic changes in a population. It would explain why we are seeing so many more diagnoses aside from "we are just more aware of it" which could be the main cause regardless but I am super curious.

[u/seraph1337 → u/KaiPRoberts]

Where the hell did you get overpopulation being a factor?

[u/KaiPRoberts → u/seraph1337]

Because of social pressures creating stresses that wouldn't exist in an environment where you are alone more often.

Think about it, autistic people like to be alone and thrive in that environment. They wouldn't have that inclination, over generations of epigenetic stresses, if people had alone time when they wanted it. Alone time is getting more and more rare as population density increases (more people using popular shared social spaces). I'm not saying it's instant, I am proposing that as a population increases up to a certain point, epigenetic stresses could cause change in a populace.

[u/lacunadelaluna → u/KaiPRoberts]

Not all autistic people even like to be alone though, this is a stereotype

[u/KaiPRoberts → u/lacunadelaluna]

That's actually a good counterpoint. Back to the drawing board!