ADHD - genetics or trauma?

[Alexop]

How many of you here agree with Gabor Matè? He argued that ADHD is strongly influenced by childhood trauma. The average psychiatrists say ADHD is genetical and trauma creates ADHD-like symptoms.

[something_else]

A proper ADHD test checks whether you displayed symptoms in early childhood for this reason. Usually symptoms develop between age 3 and 8, and at the latest 12. In my case when I got tested there were subtle symptoms from the age of around 5, with worse symptoms appearing around age 10.

I did not have any significant childhood trauma, my childhood was pretty awesome. Maybe something before the age of like 3? but both of my parents were very loving and caring.

Like many psychological issues, there's probably an element of both nature and nurture. With many people who have ADHD, there's a persistent feeling of being different or excluded, which contributes to worse symptoms over time. But the underlying cause is still genetic.

[LordFall]

I never heard about the trauma correlation before but it would make sense. Having trouble being present on a single task and being hyperaware of the environment sounds like a trauma response to me. 

[Majed]

@Alexop It's probably a combination. And it varies from individual to individual. Its causes vary uniquely depending on the individual. 

Edited Wednesday at 12:15 PM by Majed

[something_else]

Also, another thing worth noting is that both ADHD and Autism often run in families. If you have either, your children are much more likely to have one of them too. That doesn't confirm a genetic component, you could argue learned behaviour, but it does suggest there's a genetic component.

Edited Wednesday at 01:37 PM by something_else

[Alexop]

2 hours ago, something_else said:

A proper ADHD test checks whether you displayed symptoms in early childhood for this reason. Usually symptoms develop between age 3 and 8, and at the latest 12. In my case when I got tested there were subtle symptoms from the age of around 5, with worse symptoms appearing around age 10.

I did not have any significant childhood trauma, my childhood was pretty awesome. Maybe something before the age of like 3? but both of my parents were very loving and caring.

Like many psychological issues, there's probably an element of both nature and nurture. With many people who have ADHD, there's a persistent feeling of being different or excluded, which contributes to worse symptoms over time. But the underlying cause is still genetic.

Thanks for the anecdote. In my cases I think severe trauma caused my ADD. Now I am completely normal, no problem with concentration at all. That only after I fixed my psychological issues.

[something_else]

1 hour ago, Alexop said:

Thanks for the anecdote. In my cases I think severe trauma caused my ADD. Now I am completely normal, no problem with concentration at all. That only after I fixed my psychological issues.

It's very possible. Lots of things can cause ADHD-like symptoms, for example depression, trauma, anxiety. But if most of those are absent and you still struggle to focus, and it was present from a young age, ADHD is a likely explanation. 

Another way to determine it is how ADHD medication affects you. If it makes you feel 'normal' then that's probably another indicator that your brain doesn't process or produce dopamine at appropriate levels, which is a major source of ADHD symptoms. 

[Alexop]

@something_else mmmmyaaa... But we need to be careful and not victimize ourselves and blame our ADHD for not wanting to make the effort of paying attention. Or say that it cannot be cured. Attention is also trained. Interest in things is cultivated with time. And doctors are diagnosing ADHD like: "idk what is wrong with this person - therefore ADHD." Most people who come to us at outpatient psychiatry have ADHD diagnosis. 

If I had victimesed myself instead of fixing my life, it would have been much worse right now. On the opposite, some might really live with ADHD their whole lives. Idk if it is mostly because of of genetics or unsolved trauma.

Edited 15 hours ago by Alexop

[Joseph Maynor]

Be careful of people who are not licensed professionals diagnosing mental or personality disorders.  I have seen this abused.   

[Alexop]

10 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Be careful of people who are not licensed professionals diagnosing mental or personality disorders.  I have seen this abused.   

"Licensed professional" title does not impress me anymore. Most doctors are just a bunch of idiots who blindly follow authority. Most doctors even today tell people to eat brown bread and dairy. Most old doctors are fat and ill. 

Edited 10 hours ago by Alexop

[something_else]

9 hours ago, Alexop said:

@something_else mmmmyaaa... But we need to be careful and not victimize ourselves and blame our ADHD for not wanting to make the effort of paying attention. Or say that it cannot be cured. Attention is also trained. Interest in things is cultivated with time. And doctors are diagnosing ADHD like: "idk what is wrong with this person - therefore ADHD." Most people who come to us at outpatient psychiatry have ADHD diagnosis. 

If I had victimesed myself instead of fixing my life, it would have been much worse right now. On the opposite, some might really live with ADHD their whole lives. Idk if it is mostly because of of genetics or unsolved trauma.

I have had the opposite experience. Do you live in the US? It's incredibly easy to get a diagnosis and medication there, doctors diagnose ADHD left right and centre. Here in the UK it's a 5 year waiting list for a test unless you go private, and if you go private it's £1k to £3k for an assessment and like £100/m for medication.

The tests are extremely thorough too. You need two forms filled out by close friends and family, one of whom has to have known you since you were a baby. Each of those forms is around 2-3 hours of work, extremely in-depth. Then you need to do around 4-5 hours of form filling yourself, and a 2-3 hour in person assessment. With 6 monthly follow up assessments, sometimes monthly if they think you need it.

I agree with not victimising yourself if you have let's say mild to medium levels of ADHD like what I got diagnosed with. That can be overcome with willpower, though it can be exhausting.  But if you've ever met someone with severe ADHD it is rude to tell them not to victimise themselves and to take responsibility for themselves, their condition is literally a disability that specifically prevents them from being able to do what you're asking them to.

[Alexop]

2 hours ago, something_else said:

I agree with not victimising yourself if you have let's say mild to medium levels of ADHD like what I got diagnosed with. That can be overcome with willpower, though it can be exhausting.  But if you've ever met someone with severe ADHD it is rude to tell them not to victimise themselves and to take responsibility for themselves, their condition is literally a disability that specifically prevents them from being able to do what you're asking them to.

Of course. I live in Sweden.

[Valach]

On 14/10/2026 at 3:37 PM, something_else said:

Also, another thing worth noting is that both ADHD and Autism often run in families. If you have either, your children are much more likely to have one of them too. That doesn't confirm a genetic component, you could argue learned behaviour, but it does suggest there's a genetic component.

But traumas also run in families. You can easily observe similiar type of wounding in parents and their children. This topic is very hard to decipher really.

[Ulax]

On 14/10/2026 at 3:00 PM, Alexop said:

Thanks for the anecdote. In my cases I think severe trauma caused my ADD. Now I am completely normal, no problem with concentration at all. That only after I fixed my psychological issues.

How did you fix it?

[Vynce]

Why not both? 

Any genetical predisposition will get worse with enough trauma.

Edited 5 hours ago by Vynce

[Alexop]

4 hours ago, Vynce said:

Why not both? 

Any genetical predisposition will get worse with enough trauma.

This is my view too.

[Alexop]

5 hours ago, Ulax said:

How did you fix it?

Will power, self-CBT. I basically was zoning out and not paying attention in class, mostly because there was not much happiness and love I was getting from being in the present. I was getting bullied etc. so I was wondering about stuff, about video games I was going to play when arriving home. 

Now idk how much of this can be classified as ADD. If we look at ADD as a sign of coping for trauma, then yes. 

How do you separate trauma effects from genetics? And trauma can have a generational components too. You inherent the anxiety and stress of your parents. I think most of what we perceive as ADHD is either genetic predisposition to be more sensitive to trauma and stress followed by actual traumatic experiences OR some rare cases of unfortunate genetical combinations that gave you some intellectual disability and neuro diverse brain (Maybe some autism involved) that makes you wonder around and not get interested in human shit. 

And school is boring as fuck. Mild rebellion and boredom in school is a healthy sign for me.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

I didn't have ADHD (I think). But after severe C-PTSD trauma levels, my ability to focus disintegrated.

It took 3 years to retrain/recover it.

I flunked university and had to re-enroll to complete at a later time, it was that bad.

I could not keep linear thought, and I could not pay attention to anything that wasn't emotionally or energetically "charged" up with adrenalin.

This was back when I was 19yo FWIW.

Edited 40 minutes ago by Natasha Tori Maru

[integration journey]

It’s both.