Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Childhood Sexual Abuse
Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the most commonly diagnosed disorders in sexually abused children from the ages of 3-12. […]
It is important to understand that when children are exposed to a traumatic event, in most cases, it results in a persistent disturbance in conduct, emotion, and cognition. Children with PTSD present with a combination of problems such as: impulsivity, distractibility, attention problems, emotional numbing, social avoidance, school failure, and regressed or delayed development. Yet these symptoms are also common in children suffering from ADHD. So without a full account of the child’s history, ADHD is often the most common diagnosis. […]
To make matters more complicated, when children are evaluated multiple times over several years, diagnostic confusion worsens. It is not unusual for the traumatized child to “accumulate” several diagnoses over the years as parents search out answers from different specialists. It is not uncommon for a traumatized child to be mislabeled as bipolar or manic depressive, or as having a conduct disorder, or as depressed. Unfortunately, there are often just as many treatment approaches, including changes in medication that accompany each new diagnosis. This can be tremendously frustrating for the parents, the child, and the mental health professionals who are trying to help these children. […]