Are Fibromyalgia and ADHD Linked?

Studies as far back as 2017 indicate that if you are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, there is a 45% chance of also being diagnosed with adult ADHD. As a matter of fact, if you are neurodivergent in any of its various forms, research suggests you are simply more prone to autoimmune disease (percentages range from 30 to 50%).

An article found in PubMed Centra PMC (gov.) states, "Autoimmune diseases and neurodivergent conditions (such as autism and ADHD) are linked by shared inflammatory pathways, genetic predispositions, and immune system dysfunction often referred to as the 'neuroimmune hypothesis.'"1

I am currently working on a new digital magazine edition highlighting this link; and looking at some of the research that supports this theory. These findings answer so many questions that I have within my own life experience. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my early 30's. And, just recently have come to understand that I have lived with undiagnosed ADHD which has certainly had its affects on my life. So, for the purpose of this blog, let's unpack the appropriate human responses one might need to work through when coming to terms with hidden answers to the suffering they have endured–grief, anger, overwhelm, and then–acceptance and empowerment.

For many neurodivergent people, women especially, we have lived our lives knowing we never fit the system. And, if I'm being honest, we have put up with quite a bit of abuse trying to stay in environments that misread us, jumped to conclusions without having clarifying conversations, and projected their own fears or judgments onto us for various reasons. Sadly, especially for high functioning neurodivergents, we learned to be people pleasers, push ourselves beyond our limits, and not speak up for ourselves from an early age because we thought we just needed to do better. And, by doing better, people would finally understand us better. (This is a classic trauma response).

If you are one who is coming to this conclusion later in life, it's why you might be grieving. You wonder how your life might have been different if you had understood your unique wiring and made better choices that supported your emotional and physical needs. Let me encourage you with this, grief is necessary. An associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, Mary-Francis O’Connor says, “Grieving is a form of learning–one that teaches us how to be in the world without what has been lost. The background is running all the time for people who are grieving, thinking about new habits and how they interact in their changed world."

Often, the next stage of grief is anger. This too is healthy, as long as we do not lash out at others in an unhealthy way. Listen, as a Christian, it's okay to be angry at the right things. It's actually the right response to unjust situations. Studies show that women who suppress anger, instead of expressing themselves when their boundaries are crossed, are more likely to deal with autoimmune issues–which leads us back to our neuroimmune hypothosis linking autoimmune issues with neurodivergence. What we need to see is that healthy anger responses are communicators. They communicate the need for change.

Overwhelm is that feeling that everything is just too big, too much, or hopeless to tackle. And, truthfully, everyone has to decide their own threshold when it comes to managing overwhelm. For me, I want to know the answers and I can be hyper-focused when learning new things. But, I've also learned that I need times of rest from solution seeking, times when I seek out joy and wonderment, and times of simplicity and solitude.

This leads me to our last response–acceptance and empowerment. Can I just say, this is not a one time event. It's actually a daily decision. And, the more I simply say to Jesus that I know my life is in His hands, the more this becomes a reality in the depth of my soul. It's important to cultivate the understanding that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And, although we will look at how neurodivergence is both genetic and developed in a later blog, I live in the truth that Jesus is always rewriting my story–that His redeeming love covers everything that has touched my life, and reworks it for His glory.

So in that, I can learn to comfort others with the comfort I've been given.

And that my friends, is true empowerment.

If this speaks to you, and you find yourself in one of these stages, let me encourage you with this: self-compassion is vital. You don't have to rush through trying to be okay for everyone else. You are okay right where you are...

...and Jesus is right there with you.

1 (Qin J, Zhang Y, Hu R, Lin M, Yu R, Hua Y, Li Y. Association between autoimmune disease and neurodevelopmental disorder: a Mendelian randomization analysis. Ital J Pediatr. 2025 Mar 13;51(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s13052-025-01910-2. PMID: 40082977; PMCID: PMC11905720.)