In addition to being a sexual abuse survivor, I have also been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I was listening to a new book that came out in January and noticed that some of the symptoms I thought were due to SA were due to the ADD.

In addition, the author says in the book that "Most adults who have ADD suffer from a mild version of one specfic anxiety disorder, Post Tramatic Stress disorder or PTSD. This is because growing up with undiagnosed, untreated ADD usually leads to episodes of Mild Trauma, episodes of humiliation, rejection or failure. As well as the more severe kinds of Trauma, like physcial, sexual and verbal abuse"

I guess I'm wondering if ADD and SA are linked. Is ADD a symptom of trauma/abuse?

So I guess what I'm asking for from all of you, is how many of you also have ADD and also is it difficult for you as it is for me to distingish which symptoms are caused by what?

Jason

Jason I have ADHD and it was diagnosed not too long ago. I am 64 and have been told I have had it all my life. I dont think that SA caused it but I do believe that it really hightened the effect of physical and sexual abuse.

Lord you too Mike? Whew!!! I've been in such good company all this time and never knew it!

One word... Strattera!

Amazing what is really going on all around us ADD/ADHD folk. More amazing is how we compensated for not being able to see it!

Adaptation is how we survived both the SA and ADD/ADHD.

At this stage of the game after so many years now of having had undiagnosed ADD, I'm only just ready to start looking at what was what and how it affected my specific behaviors and thoughts. But I'm not sure anymore how much the "whys" matter compared to "how do I get started enjoying my life more?"

i have ADD n other stuff Jason, i sent u a messge from jake

Jason,

we talk of this some in chat. I do have attention troubles. I can focus on physical things. I can do sport, I can do building things, I can do art if I am not 'thinking' to much, but doing. But when I am needing to think, to listen, to learn things, it is difficult to me. I find myself things I can do, 'tricks' like to focus attention better. Like, if I am on here, to read or write something, I have to be moving my foot, something to give physical focus. In class, it would be moving foot, rolling my pen, something like that, to keep my head at the class and listening.

My head goes to fast most time, and it is hard to
slow it, to focus it. It is like to try to listen to everone talk at once in a resturant or something, that is like my head. But like I say, I find different things to fix the focus.

If I eat wrong thigns, like to much sugar things, or to much cafeine, it makes my head worse. If I lose on sleep to much, same, it makes my head worse. I get more paranoid, I get more easily scared, and panick more easy. Sometime I do that anyway, because the feelings from the abuse. I am not sure, sometime I guess one is like the other, but since the attention problem come first, I am not always sure which it is. I hop eyou find answers to help you Jason.

Andrei

Jason, I am bi-polar, but wasn't diagnosed until after I began remembering the SA. It's not ADD, but I'm convinced that the two are related in some way. Sometimes I think that maybe my reactions to the SA in some way simulated the symptoms of bipolar disorder and that I'm not bipolar at all, but just react that way because I'm on so much medication for it. But I'm afraid to go off the medicine. It's like a catch 22. Bobby

I was first diagnosed with ADD, then I started dealing with my alcoholism, then I was diagnosed with PTSD...only ten years later did I ever hear anybody talking about the interconnections.

An ADD diagnosis can be a blessing if it gives you language and treatment options to help you make it through an overwhelming world. Just don't let the folks you look to for help chop you into parts...carry the ADD and sruvivor identities side by side and a good therapist will work with you on both.

Peace,
Brian

I don't have ADD, but it looks like you have gotten some good input. Good luck in finding your own answers.

Leosha