How Undiagnosed ADHD Leads To Trauma

Impulsive, hyperactive, inattentive, distractible... These are all labels associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed in childhood that often persists into adulthood. People with ADHD have a high chance of facing issues concerning family, relationships, education, employment, and more. In this short video, we will explore how undiagnosed ADHD leads to trauma.
Writer/Research: Chamae Quiachon & Sid Thompson
Editor: Sid Thompson
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Voice :Amanda Silvera ( / amandasilvera )
Animator: sarimopi
KZbin Manager: Cindy Cheong
#shorts

[@pandoraalberts5267]

Im 70 this year and my son is 50. We both have ADHD but we were never diagnosed because in those days people just thought we were "naughty children". Ruined lives, turmoil and tragedy.

[@YoMommazNUTZ]

Yeah, I was paddled a few times a day when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade (this was in New Orleans in 1989-91) in other schools I went to I would be given detentions and sent to the hall, my mom was military so we lived all over the country and not once even when my mother asked for me to be tested for it did they bother! Girls are more likely to go undiagnosed then boys in general, but one thing I found with my own kids is they are still pulling the same crap where boys get more help for Nero-Divergant issues than girls. I even asked why my son was the only one with a support teacher and they blew me off.

[@duggyrulz85]

​@@YoMommazNUTZI feel so bad that I can't change those things about the world, but it's terrible that it happened. I'm glad your son got help, but you're completely right. Us girls still get a lot of misrepresentation. I don't think people understand how long the biased history is and how long it will take to unravel that gnarly, tangled rope of history. 😞

[@supersunman6056]

I hope that you all have been able to heal after your struggles. You all deserve love and care.

[@user-ed1rv5hz3p]

Fact

[@user-tk3ou5ru1n]

I grew up with undiagnosed autism and adhd. Even as a young child I never felt like being myself was an option, I just tried to play a part. It caused a lot of unhealthy coping strategies and I didn't have much of a childhood. It's a releif I know what's going on with my brain now 🤷‍♀️

[@supersunman6056]

You will be able to find support. You are strong.

[@linarosieposie]

Same for me! Just got diagnosed with both at the age of 25 and so much makes sense now. It felt odd at first to deal with the diagnosis but the more I talk to fellow neurodivergent people, the less alone it feels. I hope there are some positive changes to come!

[@Esperetta]

The symptoms sure are relatable!

[@user-tk8ru5zs5y]

Same! I fidget so much, that I bring a poppet or a necklace with me everywhere just in case😅

[@_fire.is.so.cool.lol_]

Same 😅 How could I tell my parents tho...

[@damnablethief]

It's amazing how many people go undiagnosed for so many reasons. It took me until 30 to finally seek out actual help, and that was only because I started hearing voices all the time. It's been three years and a fight, I wish I could go back and get help as a kid...but ya atleast I am finally working on myself...some people never get there and do lose the fight with mental health. It's really sad.

[@brefree8346]

My son was diagnosed last year & its been a roller coaster of emotions & behavioral issues. Its a process but I love him & will continue to show up

[@SerialDesignationN560]

Friends tell me I have ADHD or ADD just for a constant leg tapping. I only do it when I don't have my music in my ear. I also tend to change the conversation every 3 mins. Then I get yelled at by my parents when I forget a simple task, not to mention when I get a B on an assignment.

[@aaronmartinez9243]

Maybe it’s better to seek a professional rather than self diagnosing on YT

[@SerialDesignationN560]

@@aaronmartinez9243 I know, not self Diagnosing just pointing out

[@sugarqbs]

even if you don’t have ADHD (and it can take a long time even through the proper channels to really be certain), a lot of the techniques and coping mechanisms that ADHD people use could still be effective for you. The experience of people with ADHD is more common than the condition, and we can all benefit from the things they’ve learned to adjust

[@foggy227]

Those could be possible symptoms, but you'd have to do more research into the specific symptoms. People with ADHD experience cronic symptoms while neurotypicals usually will only experience it in short burtst. Also there is no distinction between ADHD and ADD anymore, the widely accepted medical term is just ADHD.

[@SerialDesignationN560]

@sugarqbs got any mechanisms in mind? I knew music is literally a life changer for me but when that isn't an option I kinda don't know what to do with myself 😅

[@user-ju6dr2sr3c]

Man, these kinds of videos bring me up again especially the ones who bring up the mood theme. Im so wrecked these days

[@supersunman6056]

You are stronger than you think you are. You will recover.

[@wendychavez5348]

Take care of yourself! Watching these videos is an awesome step toward that goal.

[@timothymiata1384]

I already discovered it, thank you very much... only took 2 decades of me being abused for what I couldn't fix

[@doo_doodoo]

I have a lot of the symptoms of ADHD and lots of people have wondered but I’m not hyperactive and I’m a girl so it’s hard to be diagnosed. I hope anyone who feels like this will be okay and we’re in this tgh ♥️

[@junetime_panic3907]

AND THIS JUST SHOWS UP ON MY FEED???????

[@scorchinghotcheese]

The animator in this one has an amazing style!!

[@uzurismess2128]

I have ADHD and I’m diagnosed and still have trauma from it. It sucks a lot sometimes.

[@Crystalelements182]

I was 21 when I was diagnosed with ADHD. I always did well in school, so nobody thought to get me tested. After I graduated I started to realize how much I can relate to friends who were diagnosed and discovered that a lot of "random" things I did were actually coping strategies. Idk how I went so long without being treated

[@sandiletwala3001]

I relate to all these symptoms but I don't drink alcohol at all but the clumsiness and educational problems are there.

[@MrAlbinoYuu]

26 here, 27 in just over a month, talked to my doctor about getting tested for ADHD in order to begin treating the symptoms but was told I'd have to wait 5 years before I could be tested and potentially longer for the results to return. Needless to say I'm devastated at the thought of going undiagnosed and untreated until I'm 32 or older, feeling pretty hopeless but I'll keep pushing forward

[@vaultboy91]

I always had ADHD (for since i can remember i was 4)

[@vaultboy91]

and so i began growing up and i remember when i was in third grade my teachers began to question me about "are you paying attention in class"? or "dont be slow" . This type of treatment (not only from my teachers but also from students and my family). Not until when i was 14 my mom took me to a neurologist and he diagnosed me with ADHD. And what I didnt know is that WAY before that neurologist, other phycologist had told my mom about it. But my mom as always refused (btw i may have other mental problems). And this really left my a trauma because it was pill after pill for paying attention and being "quick" but people still hurt me often about my way of thinkikng (i am smart and creative but people tend not to notice that because i make TOO much mistakes)

[@JayliBeanz]

​@@vaultboy91my situation was almost identical to yours...

[@aidensell]

Im luckily diagnosed with adhd at the brisk age of 19 but i still have a lot of medical trauma. With being born with heart disease to getting 3 open heart surgeries throughout my life. My abusive father figure...its been rough for me. I dont think im ok at all....

[@Blackcatiberianwolftherian]

I have adhd and depression and one of the things that did that was my adhd

[@Ninja477]

This is too relatable man😭

[@chiviza]

I hate that it’s taken this long to get diagnosed. I was bullied by my family for being clumsy. I was always terrible in school unless it was biology or English classes, which I loved.

[@akasjs436]

Ive been diagnosed since since i was very young and im greatful to my mum having got me checked along with other things like autism

[@Ann_Mellow09]

I think i have undiagnosed Adhd...

[@KayB-hr1nm]

Same btw I feel like I’ve seen you comment been

[@mari75580]

girl same😭

[@Higesgirl]

*is very clumsy* ...Yep...

[@roughandrrag]

I was diagnosed with ADHD A year or 2 ago. I got on medicine for it and I was able to do school so much better. But my mom has just thinks that I just magically do not have it anymore, and guess what? I'm struggling like crazy again. This isn't the first stupid thing my mom has done. Because of the way she thinks that I just don't have any more for some reason. I've had to do summer school for the past eight years. And this time I am also gonna have To Do school work on Saturdays. I could go on a three hour long rant of everything stupid she does but i wont. But here is another dumb thing she does. The go cart in my profile picture I bought that when I was just twelve, I spent so much time-saving up to buy it and when I finally got it. I had to put so much more money ( My own hard earned money by the way) and work into it to fix it. finally got it fixed and it's so much fun but my mom thought that It would be a good idea the destroy it and send it to the scrapyard as a punishment for failing a test. I've got multiple tractors that I have fixed and she basically threatened to do this thing thing. Does this make me spoiled or am I the one that's right

[@noodlewater3876]

lol… my parents did the exact same thing. Once I got accustomed to the medicine they said I didn’t have it lol. But the medicine ruined my life too, because it made me loose a whole bunch of weight and made me a terrible person to be around, and increased my anxiety. For me it’s a little different, because I am still able to complete most of my schoolwork if I’m motivated.

[@roughandrrag]

​@@noodlewater3876 Man that may have been worse than my situation, The medicine really only obviously helped but made much hands shake real bad after a few hours.

[@jessikablake4784]

Oh and medicine is basically just drugs, thats what pharmaceuticals are I guess part of becoming an adult (and often failing horribly at it for many) is managing one usage of substances that come with multiple pros cons and hidden variables

[@-NeroXX-]

Me concentrating on the video cuz I have adhd (not self diagnosed): The pen curving from left to right:

[@skateywatey]

i was undiagnosed until i left home. my brother has adhd as well, he got diagnosed at at a young age and is also on the spectrum. so growing up he was always the adhd kid who my parents put attention and assistance to. i had such a skewed perception of what adhd was and i had no idea why i struggled in so many areas.

[@Hoivey]

Did you know, if you hold a pencil just right, it'll be flexible whule you shake it?

[@That1OrdinaryGuy]

its an illusion

[@IDrawThings936]

My mom always gets on me for forgetting things she just told me or being clumsy and not paying attention

[@arjaymartin0701]

In need for everything like it

[@joejanota707]

How come no one mentions the lower life expectancy for those with ADHD? I get it isn't a huge amount but it's still quite a serious part of living with it. Because of our condition, we are more likely to die in accidents and due to substance misuse. No one mentions it in these videos, I presume as not to cause concern. But when it comes to seeking help and assistance. Making life improvements and so on, it is worth mentioning to illustrate the seriousness of how ADHD can impact a persons life.

[@kikilala3430]

So true... Can relate to all these...

[@kathyking9928]

Yes, all of it is true!!

[@SynthDecay]

20, was diagnosed at 18. I didn’t realize how extreme a case I was until it was spelled out for me.

[@wendychavez5348]

My partner has ADHD, and he's fortunate enough to have gotten it diagnosed as an adult. His childhood would have been much easier if it had been diagnosed then, though in those days it wasn't yet a thing. At least, not a recognized thing. I accept his quirks, he accepts mine. Our families accept both of us as we are, and this is the healthiest relationship either of us has ever been involved in.

[@user-rx8te9yi8b]

"and so as i were telling You...oh a fly!"

[@geekygirlgaymesalot736]

So much trauma 💔

[@YoMommazNUTZ]

I have ADHD and Autism, I have broken so many bones as well as sprains it is ridiculous also i make sure all dishes i use are plastic so when i drop them they dont break lol. I am also a recovering addict, I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until I was 27, I wasn't diagnosed with Autism until I was 35! I do have Clinical depression and general anxiety. My husband and I have always made sure our kids get the best support and help with ADHD and Autism, because both of us have the issues 4 out of 5 of our biological kids also deal with both, the 5th biological kid only has ADHD.

[@Create_Your_World-cc9lq]

This describes me sooo why and yes I have ADHD 😭😭😭

[@lazylemon4081]

Am in my final year of uni, and I believe I am going to fail because of being unable to concentrate during exams and when doing coursework. I wish I knew about ADHD sooner so I could have gotten diagnosed before this happened :(

[@SquidOfFreedom]

I have reason to believe that I have ADHD or something similar, but I don’t know how to ask my parents about it…

[@elijahbaley5556]

Im thankful i was diagnosed at a young age.

[@Secretlady81]

I been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD/general anxiety, severe anxiety, PTSD, and severe depression I have a hard time.

[@Kazziel0vesall]

I think have adhd and I told my mom but she said that kids can’t have adhd so I will have to wait till I’m 18 to get tested if I have it which sucks

[@diegoelopez]

When I turned 29, I discovered that the postural walk was 100% ADHD and it made so much sense once I researched more. I've excelled with jobs and school, but it's likely due to my father being hard on me with my education. If it wasn't an A, he'd get irrationally disappointed in me.

[@THE-LIL-ARTIST]

Oh! That is a little bit too familiar, yay! 👹 (Save my sanity please im begging you)

[@juni629]

Now I know what is happening to me..

[@user-zl3fp4bq2z]

yep I have ADHD no more doubting

[@JoseVazquez-nd7zn]

Me: *trips over while watching video* "...Damn I think I might have ADHD"

[@syncringe1885]

"Substance abuse." THANK GOD I HATED MEDS!

[@hamallama4517]

I'm trying to get a diagnosis but it's so hard when the only adults don't believe you. "get your own therapist" with the adhd I think I have? that's impossible, and the best way to find a good one is to just try out different therapists which I can't do without adult support

[@roughandrrag]

It was similar for me to try and convince my mom to take me and get me diagnosed. You would not believe her when she found out that she was the one at wrong for 7 years.. But of course being her she just thinks I magically don't have it now that it's the next school year. And of course all the same problems are back and she doesn't recognize it.

[@Not_Me575]

... I think I might have ADHD

[@stormyplayswastaken]

then go see a professional

[@devinhixon]

That's me there talking about

[@sirsteamtrain7913]

I just learned to mask so hard it's almost like I don't have it anymore.

[@Im_leaving]

Luckily I was diagnosed at a young age

[@jacobporter419]

STOP following my life 😂

[@Mandosbug83]

Does having a emotional support stuffed animal help with adhd because that's what I do....

[@ronarchelalcantara6255]

Good thing I don't have ADHD, because I just got to a motor accident🤫😅

[@devthomaskutty550]

Undiagnosed autism or aspergers is worse as it gives bpd

[@HarperCarrico]

Me and my friend have adhd

[@cobaltcricket]

Undiagnosed ADHD can lead to misdiagnosis, up to and including self harm and si. #secondopinion

[@Whatasunnyday97678]

My parents don’t know what adhd is

[@fuffyloveful]

I think i have it then

[@USMCUrbanCamo2025]

It's sad when u have ADHD like me and u have ppl around or just online and somebody even cares what your going through let alone getting a reply saying something nice at 19 yrs old i give up on society i hope it collapses more i dont care

[@crob2636]

We got all these terms to survive in new human society. Otherwise all were walking naked bodies

[@Muho_is_me]

What is an " *undiagnosed* adhd "

[@oluwatamilorefatogbe6166]

Pls can you do please deylexi

[@bellatorna8664]

That's what your mom said last night

[@bellatorna8664]

P.s (we were doing it bud )

[@auroraflash]

High Chance 😂 more like destiny

[@user-ww9nq5kn2e]

First