At the Root of ADHD: Trauma vs Genetics

Hacking Your ADHD

William Curb

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 702 Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2024

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today’s episode, we have a listener question dealing with the root cause of ADHD and whether or not ADHD comes from trauma or it's something we're born with.

I’m sure a lot of people have had similar thoughts on what the root cause of ADHD and sometimes it’s hard to find accurate information because so much of it can conflict.

In today’s episode, we’re going to be looking into the issue of whether or not ADHD is an issue of genetics or if it is one of trauma - but I also want to be upfront about this and be clear that this isn’t really a both side issue, all of our best research supports the idea that ADHD is a genetic condition.

Just as a note before we get started, I do talk a good deal about trauma in this episode, so if that’s not your thing, feel free to skip this episode.

Sign up for my Newsletter Any And All Distractions

Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page

Find the full show note at HackingYourADHD.com/173

This Episode's Top Tips

Just in case I didn’t make this clear enough in the episode, ADHD is a genetic condition, and while trauma may play a role in the severity of ADHD, it is not a cause of ADHD.
The mix-up between the conditions comes from the overlap in symptoms between ADHD and trauma, such as difficulty concentrating, disorganization, and inattention, which can complicate diagnosis and management.
Trauma can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, potentially pushing subclinical ADHD diagnoses into clinical ADHD territory. We also have to acknowledge the validity of individual experiences and perspectives regarding ADHD and trauma, recognizing that different factors may contribute to symptom manifestation and severity.
If you want to better understand what’s happening with you, it is best to consult with an ADHD specialist or mental health professional who can conduct a comprehensive assessment to untangle the complexities of ADHD and trauma, aiding in accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment plans.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. At MintMobil, we like to do the opposite of what big wireless does.
0:05.2	They charge you a lot, we charge you a little. So naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our prices due to not hating you.
0:15.6	That's right. We're cutting the price of Mint Unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month.
0:23.5	Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch.
0:27.7	$45 up front payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only.
0:36.3	Taxes and fees extra. Speed slower above 40 gigabytes seat details. Welcome to hacking your ADHD.
0:39.5	I'm your host, William Kerb, and I have ADHD.
0:45.9	On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain.
0:49.9	Hey, team, in today's episode, we have a listener question.
0:52.6	Hi, I love your podcast.
1:12.4	You probably have an episode on this. One coach told me that the prefrontal cortex is smaller. Other things I've read has said, no, that's not the case. My question is, are we born with this or does this ADHD come from trauma? What's your opinion? What do you think? That's my question. Thank you. All right. Thanks very question, Joanna. Sometimes it's hard to find accurate information because so much of it can conflict.
1:17.6	So in today's episode, we're going to be looking into this issue of whether or not ADHD is an issue of
1:21.3	genetics or if it's one caused by trauma. This isn't a both sides kind of issue. All of our best
1:26.7	research supports the idea
1:28.1	that ADHD is a genetic condition. But we'll get more into that in the episode. And just as
1:32.8	the note before we get started, I do talk a good deal about trauma in this episode. So if that's
1:36.1	not your thing, feel free to skip this episode. If you'd like to follow along on the show notes page,
1:40.4	you can find that at hacking your ADHD.com slash 173. I also wanted to let you know
1:46.4	about the Hacking Your ADHD newsletter, any and all distractions. And that's what this
1:50.9	newsletter is all about, the things that have caught my interest over the past week that I think
1:55.1	also might be interesting to you. In it, I bring you the top things of the week that have caught
1:59.2	my attention from the world of ADHD and beyond.
	...

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