ADHD and other conditions
ADHD and trauma
After a distressing event, you may develop symptoms that resemble ADHD, such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness and poor sleep. At the same time, people with ADHD are more likely to develop PTSD. That is why telling the difference matters.
Where they look alike
With PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, you may have symptoms that also occur in ADHD:
Concentration
Difficulty keeping your attention on something.Sleep
Poor sleep, for example because of bad dreams.Restlessness and tension
A rushed feeling and difficulty settling down.Easily upset
Crying or getting angry quickly.
How they differ
Since when?
Childhood or after an event
In ADHD, some features were already present before you were 12. PTSD starts after a distressing event, sometimes only years later.Re-experiencing
It keeps coming back
In PTSD, bad memories or dreams about the event keep coming back, for longer than four weeks. That is not part of ADHD.Startling
More easily and more intensely
In PTSD, you are startled quickly and intensely by things that would not have startled you before.They can also occur together
Both ADHD and PTSD
Someone can have both. That is why we always look at the overall picture and at your childhood.
How often they occur together
From a review of 22 studies on ADHD and PTSD (Spencer et al., 2016):
- In ADHD
- 2.9×as often: how common PTSD is in people with ADHD, compared with people without ADHD.
- In PTSD
- 1.7×as often: how common ADHD is in people with PTSD, compared with people without PTSD.
What this means for the assessment
- We ask about your childhood. If the features were already present then, that fits ADHD.
- In the medical intake, we also look at distressing experiences and the symptoms they cause you.
- If another serious mental health problem is at the forefront, or if another condition explains your symptoms better than ADHD, other care comes first. We specialise in ADHD in adults and do not carry out extensive diagnostics for other psychiatric conditions.
Do you have trauma-related symptoms?
Discuss it with your GP. Your GP can refer you to a psychologist or psychotherapist. Psychotherapy can help with PTSD.
Who is our care for?Questions about ADHD and trauma
- Not necessarily. Concentration problems that only started after a distressing event are more likely to be a consequence of that event. In ADHD, the features were already present in childhood. Discuss it with your GP.
- Yes. People with ADHD are in fact more likely to develop PTSD. If the trauma symptoms are at the forefront, they are treated first.
- Contact your GP or, outside office hours, the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost). Are you thinking about suicide? Call 113 or 0800-0113 free of charge, or chat via 113.nl. If you are in immediate danger, call 112.
Sources
- Thuisarts – I have PTSD (in Dutch) (opens in a new window)
- Spencer et al. (2016) – Association between PTSD and ADHD, J Clin Psychiatry (opens in a new window)
- Guideline on ADHD in adults (NVvP, Dutch Psychiatric Association) (in Dutch) (opens in a new window)
- JGZ guideline ADHD (youth health care) – diagnosis according to the DSM-5 (in Dutch) (opens in a new window)
Checked in October 2026.
ADHD and other conditions
Read more
- ADHD and autismADHD and autism: a lot of overlap, different causes. Since 2013, both may be diagnosed together. About the differences and where you can go.
- ADHD and anxiety & depressionPeople with ADHD are more likely to develop anxiety and depression, and concentration problems can also be part of depression. This is how you can tell the difference.
- ADHD and addictionWhy ADHD and addiction often go together, what comes first, what ADHD medication does and when you can come to ADHD Medisch Centrum.
- ADHD and personality problemsADHD and personality problems, such as borderline, can look alike and also occur together. Where they look alike, how the difference is identified and what this means for the assessment.
Still have a question?
Call us on 020 303 34 65 or email info@adhdmc.nl. You can reach us by phone Monday to Saturday, 9.00 – 17.00.