PTSD and ADHD, tangled up (Hannah’s story)

ADHD and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can look similar in many ways. And together, they can morph into what guest Hannah Harris Green calls “a trauma ball of blame that’s hard to untangle.”

Hannah is a podcast producer, journalist, and writer who works in public radio. She talked about ADHD and PTSD on KCRW’s Bodies podcast, which she produced. (It’s an incredible episode. Link below.) She shares her ADHD diagnosis story here and talks about her Venn diagram of ADHD and PTSD behaviors (insomnia, trouble focusing, and more). Also in this episode: a “fall from grace” when school got harder. Plus, adding ADHD to an already layered identity.

Hannah’s episode on the Bodies podcast: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/bodies/adhd-women-ptsd-executive-function-messy

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.

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Related resources

• 6 ways ADHD and PTSD can look alike
• ADHD and sleep problems in kids
• Hannah’s episode on the Bodies podcast
• Resources for sexual assault survivors at rainn.org

As kids head back to school, it's a good time to remember: not every student experiences the classroom the same way. Through My Eyes, a free interactive experience from Understood, lets you step into a day in the life of a kid with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. See their strengths and challenges in a whole new way. Try it out here.

Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

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