Is This a Concussion or ADHD?
Today, I misjudged my aim while reaching for the printer and collided with the corner of the desk, forehead first. I screamed out, it hurt bad. I’m grateful it didn’t collide with my eye. At first, I thought it was just a minor bump. But then came the headache, nausea, and a peculiar foggy feeling. I found myself unable to think clearly, emotionally off-kilter, and indecisive about my next steps.
Naturally, I looked up symptoms of concussion.
But then I discovered something intriguing: the cognitive and emotional symptoms of a mild concussion closely mirror those of ADHD.
Consider the overlap:
- Difficulty focusing
- Mental fatigue
- Emotional sensitivity
- Forgetfulness
- Sensory sensitivity
- Sleep disturbances
For those of us with ADHD, these symptoms are part of our daily experience. So, when a concussion occurs, we might not recognize anything amiss or may dismiss the symptoms as our ADHD. It can be incredibly hard to separate symptoms to work out if it is ADHD or concussion. This overlap can delay necessary rest and recovery, potentially making things worse.
In fact, research shows this confusion is common. A study of over 3,000 adolescents with ADHD found that many reported concussion-like symptoms even without a recent head injury. Nearly 29% of boys and 47% of girls met the criteria for post-concussion syndrome, just based on their baseline experience with ADHD.
👉 Read the study here
So yes, I’m setting aside my website updates tonight. The blog will still be here tomorrow. My brain deserves the same patience I try to give everything else.
Read other reflections here
