How Trauma and ADHD Intersect—and What Real Healing Looks Like

Have you ever felt like your mind is racing in 10 different directions, while something deeper inside feels stuck, scared, or unseen?

Many of my clients with ADHD come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, misunderstood, or even broken. They’ve tried medication, planners, accountability coaches and still find themselves cycling through burnout, shame, and emotional exhaustion.

If you live with ADHD and have a history of trauma, you're not alone and you're not broken. You're human. And there’s another way forward.

The Overlooked Link Between ADHD and Trauma

ADHD and trauma are often treated as separate issues, but research and lived experience tell a different story.

Early trauma can shape brain development, affect executive functioning, and wire the nervous system for hypervigilance or dissociation, key challenges often labeled as “ADHD symptoms.” For some, trauma may mimic ADHD. For others, ADHD may heighten the impact of trauma.

And when both are present, it can feel like you’re constantly trying to manage chaos on the outside while silencing pain on the inside.

Why Traditional ADHD Approaches Aren’t Enough

Many of the people I work with say: “I’ve tried all the tools and I still feel like I’m failing.”

That’s because the root issue often isn’t disorganization, it’s dysregulation.

When the nervous system is stuck in survival mode, it becomes harder to focus, rest, or make consistent progress. Shame, rejection sensitivity, or inner criticism only make things worse.

You don’t need more willpower; you need more safety.

IFS and EMDR for ADHD and Trauma

Here’s what I’ve seen work, again and again, for people with ADHD and trauma:

- IFS (Internal Family Systems): Helps you map your inner world, identify your “parts” (like the perfectionist, the avoider, the people pleasure or the inner critic), and begin to lead your life from a place of compassion and calm. - EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Reduces emotional overwhelm by reprocessing traumatic memories that continue to trigger fear, anxiety, or shame. - Somatic tools: Trauma-sensitive yoga, bilateral music, and creative expression help regulate the body and give your nervous system a new experience of safety.

Healing isn’t about managing symptoms, it’s about meeting the parts of you that had to adapt in brilliant, painful ways.

Simple Tools for ADHD Overwhelm

If you live with ADHD and trauma, try these strategies to support your nervous system and reconnect with yourself:

- Start your day with bilateral stimulation: Listening to bilateral music while walking, journaling, or even doodling can help calm the chaos. - Practice part mapping: Draw or write about the “parts” that show up during overwhelm (like the procrastinator, the people pleaser, the critic, the avoider). Then ask them what they need. - Use visual anchors: Post calming images or affirmations where you work to cue safety and presence. - Move gently: Try trauma-sensitive yoga or simple stretching to help your body feel grounded.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Small acts of self-kindness are enough to begin.

You’re Not Too Much—You’re Just Unmet

ADHD doesn’t make you flawed. Trauma doesn’t make you weak. These are simply the stories your nervous system has carried—often alone, for too long. In our work together, we go beyond labels. We listen deeply. We reconnect the pieces. Through this process, you begin to truly love yourself, not just in concept, but in action. You learn to speak gently to your parts, honor your needs, and stop abandoning yourself in moments of stress. I help people with ADHD and trauma find clarity, calm, and a sense of self-trust, often for the first time in years. I offer virtual sessions across Texas and Colorado, and I also lead retreats that weave together therapy, art, nature, and somatic healing.

Trauma and ADHD often overlap. Discover how EMDR, IFS, and somatic therapy can help you calm your nervous system and reconnect with yourself.

Warmly,

Gina Baiamonte, MS, LPC, CEO

www.AuthenticHealingandCounseling.com

Office: 281-501-0109