Hello Brains!
On this channel we talk a lot about ADHD.
For obvious reasons.
But most of us don't
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It's complicated.
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According to our How To ADHD dictionary, Complex ADHD (noun)...
..is ADHD
ADHD and what?
Yes.
ADHD can come with many different co-occurring conditions.
Or comorbidities.
Such as anxiety. Depression. Dyslexia. Dysgraphia.
Dyscalculia. Autism. Trauma. And a lot more.
These comorbidities can mask our ADHD.
Exacerbate our ADHD.
Even impact how we respond to treatment.
Hence, Complex ADHD.
Complex ADHD is more complicated to recognize.
And to treat effectively.
But it's even more important to treat it.
Because long-term outcomes are understandably worse...
...for those of us who have multiple mental health conditions.
Especially if one or more of them go untreated.
Which they often do.
I did a survey recently on this channel.
I asked how many people received...
...a different mental health diagnosis
The answer surprised me.
Over half of them had.
Which meant over half of them weren't being treated for their ADHD.
And to clarify; generally speaking, the ADHD does come first.
ADHD can also get recognized while other conditions get missed.
The reason I was evaluated in the first place...
...my ADHD symptoms were more obvious after I experienced a traumatic event.
But I was only treated for my ADHD.
Nobody even really talked to me about the trauma.
Until, like, a few years ago.
Which was 25 years later.
It can go either way.
Sometimes the ADHD gets missed or goes untreated.
And sometimes the co-ocurrant conditions do.
Which is not good.
Because optimal treatment often requires treating both conditions, simultaneously.
That's not to say that there aren't times...
...where one of our mental health conditions needs to be treated first.
There are.
But if one or more of our mental health conditions...
...isn't being recognized or even considered as a possibility...
...it's entirely possible that our treatment plan won't be optimal for us.
Or could even make things worse.
Treating anxiety without treating the underlying ADHD for example...
...can worsen ADHD symptoms.
If it learned to count on that anxiety...
...to help us hit deadlines or inhibit our impulsivity.
And treating depression without addressing the underlying ADHD...
...is often ineffective, if it's not treating the root-cause of it.
Treating my ADHD without ever addressing my trauma...
...was a challenge.
Because I kept impulsively repeating patterns...
...that re-enacted that trauma.
Which made my ADHD related emotional dysregulation...
...way harder to deal with than it otherwise would have been.
So it's important that our mental health providers...
...recognize when we have Complex ADHD.
And understand how to treat it.
Or at least are aware how common it is for us to have a comorbid condition.
Becasue mental health providers tend to treat the presenting problem...
...whatever our immediate concern is.
It's important for us and them...
...to know to look beyond that in those of us with ADHD.
Because for us, having a comorbid condition...
...isn't really the exception. It's almost the rule.
Some of the most commonly diagnosed comorbid disorders in children...
...are learning disabilities. Anxiety. Depression. And Autism.
And children with ADHD...
...are five times more likely to die by suicide than their neurotypical peers.
Adults with ADHD are even more likely...
... to have one or more co-occurring conditions.
The most common being anxiety or trauma disorders.
Mood disorders. And substance use disorders.
Quick note: while those with ADHD are twice as likely...
...to have a substance use disorder as their neurotypical peers...
...treating the ADHD can actually help.
Because we're less likely to self-medicate.
Concerns about addiction shouldn't be a reason not to treat it.
In fact, it's a reason we
Check out his video on medication I did for more information on that.
Because these co-occurring conditions impact our ADHD...
...optimal treatment for ADHD is going to depend on our co-occurring conditions.
Thankfully, there's new guidance out for children and adolescents about this.
I'll link to it in the description below.
But it's really comprehensive.
It even takes into consideration conditions...
...such as socio-economic status, like poverty.
And how well someone responds to medication.
Again, these are the official guidelines for children and adolescents.
But multiple clinicians I spoke to...
...said that a lot of it can be extrapolated to adults as well.
And I've also linked to some research on treating ADHD comorbidities in adults specifically.
Personally, treating my trauma had a huge impact on my functionality.
I'm more cognizant about how my trauma affects me.
And how to put healthy boundaries for myself in place.
That help with that impulsivity.
I'm also able to cope with my emotions more effectively when they come up.
Which means I'm
I'm looking forward to seeing specific guidelines...
...be developed for Complex ADHD in adults.
For those of us for who...
...it's a little too late for us to be, you know, treated as children.
In the meantime, what's important for us and our treatment providers to know...
...Complex ADHD is more common than ADHD alone.
And it's important for a treatment plan to consider all the conditions involved.
As well as how they impact each other.
And
If you'd like to learn more about ADHD and other definitions...
...check out our definitions playlist here.
And let me know if there's an ADHD related term you'd like me to find.
Thank you to my Brain Advocates and all my Patreon Brains.
For helping me put together this list of common definitions.
So we know what it is that we're dealing with.
And have language for dealing with it.
Like, subscribe, click all the things.
And I will see you next video.
Bye Brains!
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