Question: Do you think an event in your life can trigger ADHD?


Just wondering what everyone thought about it.

uspanter,
The word "trigger" is key word. I do not believe that life stressors can "Trigger" ADHD Symptoms, like they do Depression or Anxiety. I do believe life stressors can overwhelm the ability of a person with ADHD to compensate. thus leaving thier ADHD Symptoms exposed.
Stressers Overwhelm Compensating Skills, but they do not "Trigger".

IMHO

ADDvocate

uspanter,
The word "trigger" is key word. I do not believe that life stressors can "Trigger" ADHD Symptoms, like they do Depression or Anxiety. I do believe life stressors can overwhelm the ability of a person with ADHD to compensate. thus leaving thier ADHD Symptoms exposed.
Stressers Overwhelm Compensating Skills, but they do not "Trigger".

IMHO

ADDvocate
I agree with ADDvocate. I am sure I have been ADD all my life. I just couldn't juggle fast enough to keep up once I had children.

I would say "No," unless you're talking the "acquired type."

That refers to the approx. 20% of people with ADHD that develop it after a traumatic brain injury or some type of toxicity;whether it be ingesting lead paint,or something else toxic.

Even some ( but not all) chemo patients have developed ADHD as a result of treatment.

Otherwise, I'd say no.

Excellent question tho. Thanks.:)

Hi - I've been thinking about this a lot and for me (ADHD/Depression), I've always had these symptoms, to some degree since childhood, but only got diagnosed about 14 months ago (I'm in my 50's now) and the only reason I got diagnosed was because there was so much stress and anxiety and difficult events at work and at home, that they, on a continuous basis, made the symptoms so bad that I had to find out what was wrong with me.
And now, when I am removed from the anxiety/situations, the 'problems' diminish - they don't ever go 'bye-bye', but they definitely get better and I feel better.

So, maybe spending a day or two away from those triggers (events, places, people, confrontations, anxieties,etc.) and compare how you act and feel when those events are with you, may be helpful.
Bruce

Lots of things can cause add like symptoms. Thyroid problems, diabetes, metal poisioning, environmental stress, certain medications, and certain hearing problems.
That was just the top few that I can think of right away. If you are freshly diagnosed with add-like symptoms you would do well the have these potential; causes looked into and in some cases you can get a "cure" by fixing the problem..


Me :D

depression is another one.

It isn't "triggered" per say...you always have it. It may not come out until something forces it to, or until you can't cope anymore, but it's always there.

I was fine until a combination of university, sports, a breakup, and a really serious injury got to me. I suppose that was the "trigger", but looking back, it was pretty obvious that I'd been ADHD forever, but able to cope.

Hi - so actually a so-called, 'trigger' is really a subjective sense (real or otherwise) of being overwhelmed, which = 'poor coping skills' that should have grown and adapted during childhood and beyond. And the response to this 'inability to cope' is that the brain will 'act differently' = ADHD symptoms or depression or whatever = this is the brain trying to cope in its own 'neuro-circuit' way, since it has not learned how to cope in the normal way. So in this sense, I have 'stunted growth' or, lack of maturation in certain parts of my brain. So, I can't find anything good about this.
Bruce

Interferon treatment greatly exacerbated ADD symptoms in me. But it was there as far back as I can remember. I'm now 9 months out of interferon and pretty much back to my "normal" ADD self.

Bob