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So, which one is it? is there a biological reason ND people are predisposed to being more affected by trauma, or are we socially more vulnerable to experiencing traumatic events? Could it be both? Let's dive in 1/ https://twitter.com/ADHDelaide/status/1263086650508394496
ND people, specially those with social difficulties, have a greater risk of bullying and other types of abuse. But not only that; stuff that's harmless to NT people, like fire alarms and other intense sensory inputs, can cause trauma (PTSD) in people with Sensory sensitivity 2/
The way trauma manifests in ND people (specially autistic) is different from what it looks like for Neurotypicals. It's often overlooked because it can be invisible, and triggered by different reasons. It's suspected that many autistic people suffer from some level of PTSD. 3/
On a biological level, the one for responding to a life threatening events is the hypothalamus. It decides if we fight/flight, or we freeze. Freeze responses are associated with PTSD and trauma responses, but also seem to be more common in ND people. Why? 4/
Autism, ADHD and other ND conditions have distinct neuroanatomic characteristics in the lymbic system/amygdala/hypothalamus. Precisely the area of the brain that regulates response to fear, emotional regulation, hunger, temperature regulation... what a coincidence, huh? 5/
"PTSD can lead to hypervigilance and anger; it can cause recurring nightmares and other sleep issues; or it can lead to depression, persistent fear, aggression, irritability or difficulty concentrating and remembering things". Doesn't it sound familiar? (article at the end). 6/
The overlap between PTSD symptoms and the ND spectrum is big. In fact, there have been studies linking PTSD as a cause of ADHD due to the big overlap they have. This makes them difficult to tell apart, causing ND people to live with trauma they're often not even aware of. 7/
So, where does neurodiversity end and trauma response start? Are they linked, are they overlapped, are they distinct? No one really knows. But here's a personal interesting thought I have on this topic. 8/
What if what are considered classical symtoms of ND conditions (irritability, sleep issues, difficulty concentrating), aren't such but just the way brain deals with the trauma that living in a Neurotypical society creates? We're focusing on the coping, not the core. 9/
