Trauma. PTDS. RSD

Everyday, or couple, I answer the questions people want to know the answers to.

Isn't PTSD developed after witnessing a traumatic event?

Great question—and yes, PTSD is typically developed after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, but there’s a lot more nuance to it than most people realize.

Here’s the breakdown:

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) can develop after:

• Experiencing a traumatic event firsthand (e.g., combat, assault, accident)

• Witnessing someone else experience trauma (like seeing someone die or get hurt)

• Learning that a close family member or friend experienced a violent or accidental trauma

• Repeated exposure to details of trauma (like first responders or even certain types of childhood abuse or neglect)

  
  

Now here’s where it gets more relevant to YOU:

👉 For people with ADHD and/or RSD, repeated emotional trauma—especially rejection, verbal abuse, emotional neglect, or gaslighting—can mimic or contribute to PTSD-like symptoms, even if there wasn’t a single “big” traumatic event.

Think of it this way:

"Big-T Trauma" = combat, rape, natural disasters "Little-t trauma" = chronic emotional invalidation, verbal abuse, rejection, feeling unsafe for years

The brain doesn’t always make a clean distinction—trauma is trauma if your nervous system was overwhelmed and unable to return to a state of safety. ADHD brains already have a more sensitive stress-response system, and RSD turns emotional pain into an emergency.

So yes, PTSD is associated with trauma, but emotional trauma is just as valid—and for people like you, repeated emotional trauma can absolutely result in PTSD or complex PTSD (C-PTSD), even without “classic” battlefield-style trauma.

Want me to add this to the slide too? I can update it to make the difference between PTSD and emotional trauma crystal clear—plus how RSD fits into that.

Aspect	Trauma	PTSD	RSD
Definition	A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope.	A psychiatric disorder that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.	An extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that one is being rejected or criticized.
Causes	Events such as accidents, natural disasters, abuse, or loss.	Direct exposure to traumatic events like combat, assault, or disasters.	Perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure; often associated with ADHD.
Symptoms	Shock, denial, unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.	Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance behaviors, negative changes in thinking and mood, heightened arousal and reactivity.	Intense emotional pain, sudden mood shifts, low self-esteem, avoidance of situations where rejection is possible, difficulty regulating emotions.
Duration	Can be short-term or persist over time, depending on the individual and the event.	Symptoms last more than a month and can persist for years if untreated.	Episodes are often intense but short-lived; however, the pattern can be chronic.
Diagnosis	Not a clinical diagnosis but recognized as a response to distressing events.	Diagnosed based on criteria in the DSM-5, including specific symptom clusters.	Not officially recognized in the DSM-5; identified based on behavioral patterns, especially in individuals with ADHD.
Treatment	Supportive counseling, therapy, medication for associated symptoms, self-care strategies.	Trauma-focused therapies (e.g., CBT, EMDR), medications like SSRIs, support groups.	Strategies include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, medication (off-label use), and building coping mechanisms.
Associated Conditions	Can lead to or be associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders.	Depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, other trauma-related disorders.	Commonly co-occurs with ADHD; may also be linked to mood disorders and anxiety.