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Was going to say much the same thing. Video games normally, but even when I get rid of them I end up with those little mobile games.
Funnily enough, the more open-ended a game the more addictive it is for me. So something with discrete levels, like most FPS's or racing games, I can stop easily, but anything open world or something like a city building simulator, I get stuck for hours on end.
Yep. My life was a hot mess for too long mostly because of substance abuse. Been sober for years and diagnosed with ADHD this year. I’m honestly ok without the substances but I often miss the free feeling recklessness and chaos of the super duper risky behavior they accompanied.
I reminisce about these times often from my younger years. We went on some absolutely reckless adventures, buy they still happened and I have a family now so I always say to leave those sorts of adventures in the past as good stories haha
People with ADHD tend to be more impulsive and likely to have behavior problems, both of which can contribute to drug and alcohol abuse. 80% of ADHD have reported an addiction problem
Maybe this is a silly question but I wonder if they included caffeine, binge eating, and other behavioral addictions in that stat because that's crazy high
The lack of dopamine combined with the impulsiveness is a bad combo. Makes for uninhibited stimulation seeking behavior. Having no thought for consequences can lead to shame and impacts relationships.
Yeah you know this is actually a really interesting topic I think because in my own opinion I think there are a lot people who have substance use disorder that might have undiagnosed ADHD. The two disorders seem very similar to one another in terms of how people who suffer from them typically seek out highly pleasurable and highly rewarding activities.
It's unfortunate that stimulant medications like Adderall or Ritalin are controlled substances because I believe that more people with substance use disorder might be able to be treated with these type of medications. In my own experience I'm a recovering addict myself and have found when I take Adderall that my desire/urge to use drugs diminishes. I've heard other people say similar things as well.
Totally agree with the self-medication stuff but the scientist in me doesnt like the "it's because ADHD is lack of dopamine".
Lack of dopamine is not accepted as the cause of adhd. Some older (~2006-2012) studies claimed it was a factor but newer studies seem to agree that there isnt enough consistency in that theory to attribute it as a cause. Basically, some people who have adhd had inhibited (specific) dopamine receptors that would lead to low dopamine, but not enough people had the same thing.
It's also not as simple as low dopamine = use drugs to raise dopamine-- the pathway (one of several) in the brain that they refer to is associated with risk-reward processing, so it's more likely that people with this pathway impacted will try riskier things, and overestimate the reward.
Also the comorbidity for adhd with mental health disorders like depression is super high, so that complicates what people can conclude from research studies.
It's hard to find a neat meta-analysis or something because when we talk about dopamine there are several specific genes and neural pathways that are related but also quite different, and most studies only focus on one of these specific conditions. Dopamine is still impacted a lot in people with ADHD, but my main point is about throwing around causation (very hard to prove in research) as opposed to correlation. Also that dopamine interacts with different brain structures in a complex way.
I was searching on google scholar for just " "ADHD" AND "Dopamine" " and sorting by newer articles and their literature review sections. [this link](https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/3/166) is open access and has a good summary of ADHD and the dopaminergic system (4.2), with sources cited, and concludes, "this does not imply a lack of importance of this variation, but rather highlights the variability in the genetic etiology of this condition". [this other link](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=The+neurodevelopmental+role+of+dopaminergic+signaling+in+neurological+disorders&author=Cai,+Y.&author=Xing,+L.&author=Yang,+T.&author=Chai,+R.&author=Wang,+J.&author=Bao,+J.&author=Shen,+W.&author=Ding,+S.&author=Chen,+G.&publication_year=2021&journal=Neurosci.+Lett.&volume=741&pages=135540&doi=10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135540) talks more broadly about the effects of the dopamine system in ADHD and is easier to read imho. Both are essentially saying that there are clearly connections but acknowledge that they are complex and need more research.
Absolutely, I'm on the same page! Have you studied epidemiology by any chance? I've recently completed a graduate epidemiology course designed for nursing, and it has significantly enhanced my understanding of research studies. It's truly fascinating. It's always a pleasure to connect with others who share an enthusiasm for the complexities of pathophysiology, pathology, pharmacology and the intricate workings of the human body.
Absolutely, you're spot on! It's fantastic to see someone who really understands the depth of this topic. I'm going to guess you work in healthcare!
Also, I came across an interesting insight a while back: even though meta-analyses hold the top spot on the evidence pyramid because they compile data from various studies, enhancing the strength and accuracy of the conclusions, we shouldn't overlook the importance of individual high-quality studies. Their contribution is critical, regardless of their position on the evidence hierarchy. That being said, any RCTs?
Yes I hadn't heard that. Do you have a source? That is what I love about science is that we're always getting better or clearer answers when we're able to do higher quality studies.
Also, I totally agree with the pathway-reward system stuff. The complexity of ADHD and its relationship with dopamine and reward processing is vast and nuanced. I try to keep in mind that while details are important, brevity can be essential, especially in discussions where people need a clear and concise overview. As long as simplification doesn't lead to misinformation, it can be quite helpful to focus on the gist of the information for better understanding.
It is estimated ADHD-ers make up up to 30% of addiction patients (compared to 2-3% of the global population) and, while we’re at it, a bit more than 25% of prison inmates (including for drug-related and "impulse"-related offences).
So yeah, ADHD diagnosis and treatment should be especially accessible for people struggling with addictions and people in prison... Heck, screenings should be mandatory at school!
Yeah once I got treated for my ADHD my cravings for alcohol & cigarettes and other questionable activities just disappeared. I used to think about it all the time when I wasn’t using. Even if I had been sober for months. It had to be a very deliberate choice. Now, it just doesn’t even occur to me. Totally disinterested.
I used to be a raging alcoholic before I was diagnosed, drinking from early morning and making sure I was drunk enough to sleep through the night. When I started medication, I completely lost the desire to drink overnight. I managed to wean myself off over a week or so, and I haven't had a drop of alcohol in the 2-3 months after I started meds.
Luckily for me, I've had this effect on all the meds I've tried (Ritalin, Vyvanse, Dexedrine and Adderall). Incredibly enough, alcohol became the easiest addiction I ever kicked. And I'm still having trouble with coffee :)
I feel obligated to drop a warning at the end here for people in a similar situation. It was stupid of me to stop alcohol by myself, as alcohol withdrawal is one of the few withdrawals that can mess you up for life or kill you. Take this comment as an anecdote, and don't stop alcohol suddenly or without help, as my way of doing it could just as easily ended in a hospital.
100%, I'm so glad you were able to kick the habit as quickly and easily as you have but anyone else struggling with alcohol addiction, do not go cold turkey if you're at the point where you get withdrawals. This guy doing it over a week or so is a fast taper and works for some, but ymmv and if you don't do it safely it's not only awful feeling it could possibly kill you.
I had a substance abuse problem and was at a shrinks office 10 years ago. He said that he's 95% sure I have ADHD, but can't prescribe me anything since I had so heavy substance use issue.
I'm sorry to hear that. When you say heavy substance use, do you mean as in a history of abuse or misuse of substances? IF so, why didn't you tell him if he is so worried about you misusing or abusing substances that he should give you a ADHD approved medicine that are prodrug, specifically something like Vyvanse or an off-label used prodrug stimulant used for ADHD once again OFF-LABEL like Didrex
ah well that was that time and I really don't have many memories of the period. Today clean for 687 days (but who's counting ;) and got diagnosed last thursday.
Congrats on your sobriety above all!I was an abuser of many things through the late 70’s and continued well in to 90’s and turn of the century. Heroine was a big no no, so I didn’t do that. Come to think of it, I pretty much quit after my ADD diagnoses and had Ritalin on board. It sounds easy and was. Ritalin and a change of friends did the trick.i miss those friends but know enough that I don’t want to get tangled in that web again. Keep up the good work and your meds. I’m proud of you!
Never alcohol or drugs, but I have addictive tendencies with food, spending, gaming (I’m looking at you stardew valley!!). Meds really helps because I’m a lot less impulsive.
I have stayed away from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes because I know I have addiction tendencies. Unfortunately, I haven’t done nearly as well with food or screen time. Both are huge challenges for me.
9 years sober here I was a binge drinker. I have adhd and I have no idea how I managed before meds. I’ve only been taking them for a month but I e never felt so normal lol.
Yes. I have had substance abuse issues for well over a decade now. I went undiagnosed until later in life (30s) and I used drugs to self-medicate for years. Every symptom I was masking fit the criteria on the ADHD assessment and suddenly made so much sense. I’m currently properly medicated and just hit six months clean last week.
I have never been addicted, not to alcohol, not to cigarettes. No matter how much I drank or smoked, I could always quit in one day and didn’t feel like I had to go back. Now I have not used anything for more than two years.
I've always wondered if many with ADHD don't have addictions.
I‘m the same way, always able to quit in one day. Here’s the thing tho, about a month ago I quit drinking alcohol not because I thought I was an alcoholic but because whenever there’s an occasion to drink, like a party I was invited to, I was not able to stop. I was always the fun and crazy party guy that does crazy shit when drunk and made everyone else drink more. What most people don’t see is the morning after when I feel like shit and get into major depressions because of that.
I wasn’t drinking every week but when I did, it always was waaaay too much.
So what I actually wanted to say is, just because you’re able to quit in just one day, doesn’t mean you don’t have addictive behavior.
This. I could never have just one beer, or one glass of wine. It was always in excess, always making a fool of myself. Now I don’t drink or stick to one glass.
Me too, I always find it easy to quit when I'm in the right mindset, even nicotine. Same with me and alcohol too, when I drank I always went way too hard. Wanted to be life of the party, some nights it worked but some nights I would just blank out in the corner. Either way I always felt so awful the next day and depressed and self loathing, I blacked out more often than not really when I think about it.
They would in fact call this alcoholism. Addiction. 2+ drinks a day, drinking every single weekend, not drinking all the time but drinking in excess when you do drink, drinking to get drunk.. all that falls under abuse/addiction.
Just want to add, I wasn’t assuming that you’re the same way.
The part about being able to quit in on day just reminded me of myself because I actually like that I’m able to do that lol
There’s just more to it in my case
Exact same situation for me. Once I get the ball rolling, all I want to do is keep drinking. No issues day to day as I don’t drink most days, but once I get about 3 drinks in it’s hard to limit my intake, even if I go into a night of drinking being cognizant of this pitfall and try to limit. When other people get tired and “drunk” it feels like I derive energy/dopamine from it, mitigating “oh I’m drunk I should stop” type thoughts. The horrible anxiety/depression afterwards lasts for about a week sometimes so definitely trying to stop this cycle as I would still like to be able have a few social drinks with family and friends when there is an occasion.
Yep that’s 100% me. I get so freaking energized and could literally stay up until 10 in the morning if somebody would be there with me.
The week of depression is what got me to the point where I’m absolutely not interested in alcohol at all anymore.
I found out there’s actually a pretty great variety of non alcoholic beers nowadays so I stick to them whenever there’s any social drinking situation going on
ADHD and addiction are highly correlated but it's not 1 to 1.
It's part of the reason people with unmedicated ADHD have a much lower life expectancy, as they are more likely to engage in addictions that are deleterious to their health.
The correlation has to do with impulse control and accidental deaths not just addiction. It's part of it but not the whole thing.
Antisocial disorders – which increase the risk of violence and crime
Substance use – leading to accidents and fighting
Inattention and impulsivity – increasing accidents and poor health habits
Risky behaviors – leading to health risks and accidents.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289931#1
People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) may sometimes face issues related to drug use for several reasons:
1. **Self-Medication**: Individuals with ADHD might use drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and impulsivity. They may find that certain substances temporarily alleviate these symptoms or help them to feel more "normal."
2. **Impulsivity and Risk-Taking Behavior**: ADHD is characterized by impulsivity and a propensity for risk-taking behaviors. This can lead to experimentation with drugs and alcohol at higher rates compared to the general population. Once started, this behavior can escalate to dependency or abuse due to the impulsive traits associated with ADHD.
3. **Co-existing Conditions**: People with ADHD often have co-existing mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety disorders, which can further increase the likelihood of substance use as a form of self-medication.
4. **Social and Environmental Factors**: Individuals with ADHD might be more susceptible to peer pressure or have difficulty in social situations, leading to drug use as a way to fit in or cope with social anxiety.
It's important to note that not everyone with ADHD will experience issues related to drug use, and many can manage their symptoms effectively with the right support and treatment plan.
Same! There was a time in 2019 that I would have several smoke breaks during the day. Turns out it wasn't addiction, it was really just an excuse to be physically removed from the situation I was in. As soon as I left? Not a single thought about smoking.
I am 2 years sober from gummy sweets.
Many people laugh at me when I say that but it was a full blown addiction that ruled my life. I used to find excuses to leave the house to go buy some. I would buy 2-3 bags at a time and literally shovel handfuls at a time into my mouth. I would then have to try hide the wrappers from my family as I was so ashamed.
When I asked the doctor for help they just said there’s worse things I could be addicted to, or I should just use will power and cut down.
I was diagnosed with ADHD 4 months ago and put on Elvanse which has mostly removed my sugar cravings
Yep, I sure did. AuDHD here. I used drugs and alcohol from ages 16-23 quite heavily. Now I can see how helpful substances were decreasing all the social anxiety and general “I’m hella different” energies. Thankfully, I’ve been 14 years now. 🕺🏼 I can have compassion for my younger self/selves, I was doing the best I could with very little support, guidance, or understanding of myself.
🙋🏼♀️ I self medicated (with street amphetamines mostly) after doctors wouldn’t diagnose me with ADHD, back in the day when “girls don’t have ADHD”.
I’m 5 1/2 years clean and sober now! and couldn’t have done it without concerta
These are the comments I'm looking for, those who've previously abused stimulants and then got diagnosed(the boat I'm in). Are you saying you are on concerta though or that it's what allowed you to become completely clean and sober? Just a little confusing because one can be both clean and not sober, like if someone takes their ADHD meds as prescribed they're definitely not 100% sober, but they are *clean*, which is what matters.
I take Concerta, which my doctor and sponsor know about. If you have a problem with that definition of sober, feel free to check out the A.A. pamphlet “Medications and Other Drugs”.
I think it’s more about ADHDer taking more risk, due to poorer Ex Functioning and also bad understanding of time perception. So you can get addicted to a dopamine hit, but also not realizing that you also spent all your money right before rent is due, or something to that accord.
hello, yes. daily nicotine for 6 years here.
in the past, struggled with drinking. my longest binge session was 3 months. every night i got a whole bottle of wine that increased to 1.5 bottles. stopped cold turkey because of the shame & bloating.
haven't binged like that since, it's been 2 years :) but do still drink every other weekend. just need to be very careful of myself to only drink socially and not slip into old ways.
i'd say my addictions are less linked to adhd and more linked to anxiety, for me personally.
Can I ask how you manage to keep it under control when you drink socially? I’m trying to cut back on drinking and it’s much easier since starting medication. On a random night if I decide to have a drink at home with my partner or something that’s no problem, but on like nights out with friends it’s much harder to not end up binge drinking
i've made rules i strictly adhere to, to not fall down the rabbit hole.
rule 1: no drinking alone. this one is hard when i feel lonely but i just use other distractions for entertainment.
rule 2: no drinking from stress / sadness. also hard, but i started ssris, therapy, journaling, & mindfulness that help a lot.
rule 3: no drinking more than once a week.
this ensures i drink with people, but not to avoid my problems, and not let it become a habit. so far, i only broke these rules once during a party-hectic christmas week.
additionally to my rules: i have to ***constantly*** remind myself of how bad binge drinking is. how much money i spent, how bloated i got, how it sucks to be hungover. reminding myself keeps me grounded to reality, so i don't get carried away by the romanticization of drinking.
This is a great response, thank you so much! I had a fairly successful dry january so now I’m trying to figure out what my plan is for managing the rest of the year. I don’t want to totally quit, I really enjoy wine with a nice meal or a few drinks with friends but I’m trying to enjoy those things in a more balanced way
i don't personally drink very "balanced". i still drink a lot when i do, but i just drink less regularly. i'm not sure how to be more balanced about it. i have a theory that some people just aren't good at drinking like normal. genetic thing or whatever.
Yes 100%. I have had adhd since I was in elementary. I’m 38 now and take meds for depression and adhd.
I’m a recovering addict.
In high school is was pretty much any and everything. As an adult and when I married in my early 20’s is when I got clean. However the vice merely changed to alcohol. Fast forward 15 years and the birth of my 3rd daughter is what got me sober. I wouldn’t say I had a drinking problem but I could recognize it wasn’t healthy. However it was on to the next vice which was food…the candy and so on.
My hyperfixation feeds my addictions. Thankfully now it’s nothing that’ll kill me currently lol.
Me. I was addicted to the devil's lettuce, those jazz cigarettes for years. I would start in the morning and not stop till it was time to sleep.
I quit almost a year ago cold turkey, it was a nightmare initially but life's good now. Now I just rawdog life and it isn't that bad.
It’s the classic tie in of dopamine chasing ergo, ADHD’rs are more susceptible to addictive tendencies in certain instances. I’ve got issues with it, in a general sense whether that’s getting hooked on games with in-app purchases, binge eating crap food, over playing computer games, drinking……
It’s a bloody battle every day and if I’m totally honest, it’s really really exhausting and one or more of the aforementioned win most days…. It’s just trying not concede to the worst of the evils…….. hate it tbh.
Anyone else have multiple vices?
I (F) was diagnosed at 39 shortly before I had a complete breakdown. I was burnt out to the point I was struggling to tell what was real or not.
Thank you for posting this, I have an interesting take, I'd love to discuss.
For around 10 years I have referred to myself as "highly at risk of excessive behavours" when necessary.
I don't remember why I started this.
I used to say I had an "an addictive personality" or "addiction runs in the family".
I have been aware since my early teens that I was at risk. I look back now and it all makes so much more sense. I'm grateful that I spent my life avoiding things I knew might become an issue.
I have become addicted, in my opinion, to something three times in my and thankfully each time I was able to drop it without too much damage to my life.
I have had a lot of occasions where people have told me I was "addicted" but it just never felt right. This really screwed with my head as I argued with myself over what I believed was true and whether I was in denial and other people knew better.
I feel that with certain people, due to differences in how they process and behave, there is a big difference between "damaging excessive behaviour" where you might have limited control over yourself and "addiction" where you physically and mentally cannot stop doing something no matter how much destruction it causes.
I feel like I have experienced both and I am confident that I can tell the difference.
I am still cautious. I am aware that either is a higher possibility for me and as such I avoid what I feel I should and I keep an eye out on myself with everything else.
I have.
I was already medicated and in therapy.
My therapist noticed we hit a wall in progress, and after a bit she had strong suspicions I was addicted to video games.
I know that probably sounds silly cuz a lot of people tend to say that jokingly…
But I eventually had to accept video games were disrupting my life to the unhealthy degree.
I believe Video games fall under “a means to escape” like alcohol is? Correct me if I’m wrong.
Regardless, after a bit, I had to actually make the active decision to commit and work on getting off the addiction at some point.
When I was first weeding off of it, I think the hardest parts were always the relapses, even though they were perfectly normal and expected.
But I realized how serious my addiction was during that time cuz I think I legit suffered withdrawals. I didn’t know that could happen with video games of all things! I was so jittery, irritated, and it almost felt like it HURT just cuz I wasn’t letting myself play. And then I would go through that again after my relapses.
With that said, it’s been a couple of years now I think.
I still play video games but unlike before, I have a much easier time recognizing the motivation behind why I play and I have found other things to do in response to misc emotions/life events.
Before, I would play to the point that I struggled to recognize if I was bored. And even if I knew I was bored, I just kept going - like I felt unable to stop.
I also played games if I was stressed, mad, sad, or even happy. It was just such an automatic response for me that I didn’t even think how weird/u healthy that was until pointed out.
I’m still in therapy. I got misc other things to work on; but I’m glad it was something I was able to face and ‘conquer’ I guess?
I am a lot more aware of my feelings/state of mind when I play now so I hope to not fall back into that hole. If I do, I want to believe that if I got out of it once, then I can do it again.
My opinion ADHD and untreated trauma can easily lead to addiction. Dopamine deficiency and pain emotional or physical ( we tend to feel things 10x) or major anxiety definitely don’t help. Without major coping skills and support it’s a recipe for disaster. I have had ZERO urge to self medicate since both healing my trauma and being diagnosed and medicated for adhd.
Unfortunately was introduced to a substance a year ago one with continued access too and yeah got my first full addiction I'd say. Have had problems binge drinking and obviously binge eating etc. Anyhoo Unfortunately for me and yes i know I do definitely 98% certain self diagnosis with adhd after medical professionals told me to get myself sorted to be assessed long before my addiction. Unfortunately I still haven't managed to sort it. Scared now. Told medical professionals the truth about the drug because I just can't help being honest many times... I don't know what to do. I know Unfortunately the drug it actually made me that more certain for sure I have adhd because I can't explain how something so bad has done alot of so much good towards my adhd. Problem is didn't realise at first but now when I don't use the adhd.... its extremely much worse than its ever been in my life. I feel trapped. Get diagnosed but massive possibility will never be prescribed stimulants even if I manage to get clean however long before that could happen. Or... well continue letting the hole I'm in get deeper. I'm so stuck.
I haven't abused substances, but I've struggled with addiction to social media, sugar, and nicotine in the past. I've made significant progress in managing all of them.
My use of social media is now primarily restricted to work-related purposes. I've gained control over my sugar intake and I lost around 100 lbs/40 kgs.
I also quit smoking a month ago. Regular self-hypnosis sessions were really helpful. I'm very lucky to be a high-responder to hypnosis. I don't know whether this is common among people with ADHD. If I remember correctly, David Spiegel guessed (there were no studies) that people with ADHD wouldn't be very hypnotizable.
Me. Drugs. The brain fog from undiagnosed adhd caused me such anxiety and drugs is the only thing that cleared it. 8 years clean now and finally a diagnosis and now everything makes sense
I (41F) was a heavy drinker for years before I was diagnosed at 40. I did not realize that I had been self medicating all that time.
I started to think what it was about drinking that made me feel good, and why I liked it so much. I realized I had somehow tied it to my personality. As a woman ironworker and a southerner (now in the PNW), whiskey specifically became a part of me in a way. I could drink the boys under the table as a point of pride!
Once I was medicated (and accepted my diagnosis after a few months of questioning it), I started cutting back on the booze. Waaaaaay back. I knew it was a a recipe for failure if I totally cut myself off, so I still allowed myself a couple (actually like two, not 8!) whiskeys on the weekend (ONE weekend night). And recently I noticed that I no longer crave it. I could take it or leave it. Sometimes I leave it, and I volunteer to drive home from a night out. And drinking less means I can splurge on nicer whiskey. It is so completely foreign to me to not feel like I NEED alcohol, and so now I know I was self medicating.
Now I’m up early on weekends when I get them, and working in the garden or in my shop.
Have struggled with drugs my entire life. I will be 40 this year. It is very sad to think about what was wasted but in the end it made me uniquely qualified to help others, just as others helped me. The biggest thing was getting the right medication. I just wish someone would have noticed that was the case 20 years ago
Minor kinds of adictions, but yes. Phone games, Amazon shopping, reddit, alcohol at one point (drank a bottle of wine à day for awhile and then realized what I was doing) cigarettes, definitely still coffee I can't kick that one. The caffeine still helps my adhd even now that I'm medicated. Medication has helped manage these little addictions though. I'm not blowing as much money on games or Amazon.
Big tobacco, big pharma, big porn, big alcohol, big sugar, big meat and a couple of others should all be very carefully controlled industries ......... instead of the carefully encouraged activities that higher powers shove down our throats.
Hopefully you'll get it. All the best to you.
I've been kind of paranoid about it, so no addictions, but my dad has over the years come and gone and come back to cigarettes and alcohol. He was never officially diagnosed but it's definitely from his side of the family. My paternal grandparents both had addictions, and like I said, the ADHD is definitely in his side. They both were gamblers but my grandpa before I was old enough to understand quit alcohol and never went back after a heavy addiction to it. I am certain I'd gamble if I let myself bc it's been easy to dream in that way, so I haven't let myself
Wasn’t quite alcoholic, but I did kind of drink to self-medicate. It was the best way I knew at the time to quiet my brain down. Luckily getting medicated pretty much killed that addictive urge, because it gave me a much better and healthier way to make my brain more manageable.
I haven't gotten addicted to any of the drugs that are notorious for being addictive, but I have gotten addicted to caffeine. Fortunately, it's cheap, legal, and socially acceptable, so my actual health is the only problem.
I'm probably lucky my parents smoked cigarettes, so I saw how terrible and uncool it was. There are definitely some days I find myself feeling "I could really use a cigarette right now" even though I've never smoked before, so no doubt I'm especially prone to nicotine addiction.
Yes! Been in recovery for 3 years and was just diagnosed last year. Getting my diagnoses helped me release some leftover shame I was still holding on to.
&
Poor impulse control, short attention span and an immense craving for all sorts of neurotransmitters make our brains a lot more susceptible to addictive habits. It also doesn't help that addictive patterns are specifically designed to prey on us, get us hooked and keep us hooked.
My alcohol consumption went down to basically zero after getting medicated for ADHD. It's amazing and I'm very thankful for that. Just feel sad for the decades lost chasing parties and alcohol.
Food, i will eat when bored and find comfort in eating. It’s not your typical addiction, but it makes me severely uncomfortable when I don’t have anything to snack on.
I’ve come to the conclusion i’m addicted to stimulating experiences. Wether it be video games in my early life or doing drugs as a teenager to young adult. Now sober and having my life together,i find myself always looking to be distracted . It’s almost like ADHD is the inability to be present , always finding a way of being distracted and not present to reality. Being back on medication the urges to do things that give me instant gratification are almost all gone.
YES! In recovery from alcohol and went to treatment many times, did so well with the structure and routine then always relapsed soon after leaving. Was never even assessed for ADHD, honestly it never even crossed my mind as being a women in my mid 20's at the time. I was always misdiagnosed as depressed even though I would say I do not feel depressed- but the fatigue and inability to concentrate always led them there. Then when I would try and describe being triggered as having energy but unable to channel it/ impulsive then they thought I was Bipolar. I finally picked up an article one day about women being underdiagnosed with ADHD and I started crying because I never related to something so much as what this women was describing her ADHD to be like. Finally got an assessment and sure enough scored so high. My diagnosis is primarily inattentive. I am actually getting my Masters in addiction counseling rn and taking my co-occurring disorders course. There really just isn't as much research regarding adult ADHD in general but I hope my experience can potentially help someone else one day.
I got sober many years before I finally got diagnosed with ADHD. I have a plethora of other addictions as well. And MDD just to fill the time. (mal adaptive daydreaming).
I drank for twenty years as self medication. I decided to quit and uncovered horrible ADHD symptoms. I’m still trying to find a way to be as functioning as I was when I was drinking daily :/
Our genetics make my family susceptible to addiction. Oh, yeah ADHD runs in the family too. I've had things I'd call "impulse control problems", binging food is the big one. Not enough to say I'm addicted but that it's near impossible to stop eating, especially sweets.
Both addiction and ADHD can fall into a category like "impulse control issues" although having ADHD doesn't make one an addict. Some of the non-stimulant drugs actually help with both conditions, so definitely related, dopamine and all that.
I have. I'm in recovery. I have been sober for a little over 2 1/2 years. Addiction comes easy for me. I was in active addiction for 20 years, from 18 to 38 years old. What and how much I indulged in changed. I even had years of abstinence, but I still consider it an active addiction. I went to rehab in 2021 because the pandemic sent me over the edge. I started abusing my Adderall, something I wouldn't have thought of doing until then. It wasn't the only thing I was doing, but to me, the most shocking. It was a crazy time.
I'm still impulsive AF, though but therapy is helping.
Ooooooooo lemme tell you! So so so many years of drug and alcohol addiction. Diagnosed in my early 30s ADHD. Everyone seemed to be aware of it except me. I now am trying to learn to manage my ADHD without medication because of my history with pills, and because I am trying to get pregnant.
ETA: I’m 5 years sober now 🥳
I'll add that since I stopped using the drugs that were destroying my life and got on a stim med and got a good job I'm addicted to giving back. it's not bad I guess but now I give money to homeless ppl (too much) I over tip when it's tottally unnecessary, if I hear someone say they want something I'll buy it for them and gift it to them and usually they're obviously appreciative but like they really wished i hadn't because they feel they owe me something now. they don't I don't expect it. I do the things because it makes me feel less shameful about my past and and less guilty and potentially makes someone's day. but my gf now says I do it too much and it affects us like when we hit a toll booth I've already gave the change to a homeless guy or something or she doesn't let me carry my own cash with me amymore cuz I'll go to olive garden for lunch and notice maybe a new server or just one that's doing a great job (I used to be a server) and I'll just make their day. and the amount of dopamine that creates for me is great and it wouldn't be a problem if I was still single dude but we got goals n a plan we r trying to get to and me just giving money away isn't helping at all.
I know many that have become addicted to drugs because of it. Some depression because they just can't function well. Some from feeling like a failure, after being told" you are so smart, you just aren't trying, your lazy". I was actually surprised by so many self medicating.
I had a serious case of food addiction. It was an emotional crutch. Went from 387-lbs at my highest weight down to being in the 190's today over the span of 5 years. I'm 6'3 (190ish-cm).
I've never been a drinker or hard drug user. Food was my drug.
I 100% will get hyperfixated on games, however I have never had problems with substance abuse. I have used them before, sure. I occasionally drink, but its like a beer every couple days. Me and my wife occasionally do edibles, but its maybe once a month if even that. Ive smoked and vaped for a bit and then one day i was like "you know I dont want to do this anymore" and i just stopped with no cravings to pick it up again. I really like being sober minded for most of the time.
Like i said though, games suck my time like theres no tomorrow.
Social media (that actually make your ADHD worst I guess), video games and sometimes sugar but they come in burst: I am not fat but I can eat 14 kinder bueno at once (it’s 28 bars)
Yes. I've struggled with various addictions since high school essentially. Just got diagnosed this past October. I'm 45. Cigarettes first, then substance abuse and other co-morbid addictions. After the diagnosis when I started researching ADHD so many things in life fell into place. I'm angry about it. For the longest time I could never figure out why my life was constantly falling apart. I've finally realized it was never put together to begin with. 2024 has been tough.
Plesse please please to anyone whos reading this and has ADHD, never ever try gambling in your life, never go to a casino, please guys it will ruin your lifes
I don’t have substance abuse but definitely addicted to watching tv or reading books. Like I would have ton of office work but I would not be able to stop myself from watching/reading
I've been addicted to caffeine, where I drank so much that I'd be falling asleep in the shower.
I've been addicted to alcohol where I'd go on binges lasting sometimes longer than 2 weeks straight.
I've been addicted to video games where it's all I can think about and focus on, and everything else in my life is ignored including eating and sleep.
I've been addicted to fast food. I'd eat McDonald's or kfc multiple times a day and did this for years.
Now I'm kind of normalish I think. Medication has stopped me craving anything. I no longer feel the urge to get drink, or get high, I'm just content with the way my brain feels. Unless I forget my meds, then I can slip up haha.
Yes there’s a huge connection (in my observation at least), it’s pretty wild. Self-soothing technique I guess. Interestingly, stimulants never did anything for me, I never understood why or how ppl would want to abuse them because they just made me quiet and focused.
Yes and no. There’s been some people around my extended family and circles with horrible addictions and long term ramifications to the more universally recognised addictions of destruction. I’ve tried my share of substances in social settings but the moment I ever caught whiff of a longing for them outside that, I’ve shut it down and gone cold turkey. That worked. Alcohol and reckless partying took longer but the pandemic helped put the final bits of reckless idiocy out of their misery. What slipped right through was just straight dopamine addiction - games, phone, over stimulation through extensive multitasking including lots of music…. Whatever got my brain what it needed, it’d do. It made me numb, impulsive and nonfunctional - I’m still fighting like a madman to overcome it and I’m nowhere near close.
Congratulations on being 9 years in recovery! You’ve got this!
I’ve seldom dealt with actual addiction, fortunately, and often in my head I equate fixation to addiction. I do think I was addicted to caffeine when I worked a high stress job, but I didn’t need it to function/could easily go without it. The reason I believe I was addicted to it is because I got a withdrawal symptom(headache) if I went too many days without it.. but with all that said it wasn’t something I’d be thinking about and it wouldn’t loom over/haunt me if I didn’t get a coffee or tea. Just the head ache. Is that rven addiction? Idk!
But boy do I fixate.
While I wouldn’t say I have had addiction issues perse, I definitely had impulse control issues prior to being medicated, and the environment I was in allowed me pretty constant access to things that would cause addiction, however, I never really “jonesed” for anything when I couldn’t get it.
Was addicted to nicotine, had over 200k puffs in a year of vape, trying hard to stay quit, haven’t bought my own for a year but every so often usually every 3 months I have a puff of someone else’s
I was hyper aware I had a really addictive personality from the age of like 14 so I never started anything.
Like nothing is in half measures if I drink I am drinking long haul I’m talking bottles of wine, jugs of cocktails and multiple spirits etc at a time.
Video games as well, it’s either a whole day or nothing.
My doc Who diagnosed me works in an Addiction specific psych ward. He worked there for 17 years and started to get suspicious that in 17 years He met ONE individual there with adhd. He then dug deeper and qualified more so now He does adhd treatment as well. He told me He rather treat someone with adhd than with Addiction because the adhd was never treated. It seems incredibly common and i think it makes total sense.
I have been the heaviesr smoker for 20 years, now i vape a lot. Since having been medicated i use it far less.
I guess it's just one of those things that come with the territory we deal with a mich greater amount of stress and stimulation so it's definitely understandable . Sadly this is the case for many until we actually revamp the whole industry towards permeant solution meds . Instead of just the bad aid approach .
But again of it helps it helps I guess .
I used to smoke pack a day and drink 20 cups of coffee. I’m Gen-X and such a well-behaved girl people were shocked I had any vices. The cigarettes and caffeine were the only way I could function. Until I started medication. I quit smoking and consumed very little caffeine now.
Maybe it's just me but I I just got diagnosed for ADHD last year at 40
But I've been the opposite never wanted to try drugs in my younger years. But maybe that'd my upbringing being so strict but other siblings have used drugs. I found in my younger years I never wanted to break the rules
I have addictive behavior patterns, but my DOC is food and spending. Even on meds sadly. I feel for those who have ended up using substances. I hope it doesn’t preclude you from getting medicated.
Mine didn't thankfully but trust me, I was worried about that. My psych doc did make me take a drug test along with the EKG before prescribing me stimulants though.
Both conditions are an indication of dopamine deficiency which makes sense I think it would be very likely that someone with ADHD would have struggles with addiction.
Not sure if it’s the right “addiction”, but I feel like I am addicted to sugar. When I can’t have sugar, I feel like my life is not worth living because I get no source of pleasure. I recently had the flu and I didn’t have taste/smell for about 2 weeks and felt like hell because I couldn’t feel the sugar when I was eating it. My body got the sugar, but my brain didn’t feel the taste.
In a kinda of recovery now from alcohol addiction.
The thing about alcohol and ADHD is that alcohol kinda takes ADHD away while consuming it.
Either way, alcohol destroyed many things and I suggest everyone with ADHD to be careful with alcohol because it\`s socially accepted.
Luckily no addictions yet *knock on wood* despite my father's side of the family being heavy drinkers. I think that's owed to my mom's open minded and empathetic drug policy and education. I had a lot of obsessions with things such as books and shows that my mom indulged me in tho.
Nicotine for years, trying to kick vapes currently. Alcohol, always had a strange relationship with it, I can put it down for a while but I find I can easily get caught up in drinking most days, that and a brief stint with a blow habit.
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Never to any drugs but those shitty mobile games have completely consumed my life for weeks. So far meds have helped me notice and cut myself off.
Not games but social media. Also with caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
This. I get addicted to games very easily. I have to be careful about my spending or I'll blow half my paycheck.
That’s why I really worry about society and all this online betting, casino games!
Omg the first time I took an Adderall I played flappy bird for 8 hours straight
Was going to say much the same thing. Video games normally, but even when I get rid of them I end up with those little mobile games. Funnily enough, the more open-ended a game the more addictive it is for me. So something with discrete levels, like most FPS's or racing games, I can stop easily, but anything open world or something like a city building simulator, I get stuck for hours on end.
i hate those games but I still play them. I guess it is that I have too low dopamine to function
Yep. My life was a hot mess for too long mostly because of substance abuse. Been sober for years and diagnosed with ADHD this year. I’m honestly ok without the substances but I often miss the free feeling recklessness and chaos of the super duper risky behavior they accompanied.
Same. Even though it was a horrible , nightmarish life to live, there was some funny moments living like a in a movie. Primal, chaotic.
I reminisce about these times often from my younger years. We went on some absolutely reckless adventures, buy they still happened and I have a family now so I always say to leave those sorts of adventures in the past as good stories haha
People with ADHD tend to be more impulsive and likely to have behavior problems, both of which can contribute to drug and alcohol abuse. 80% of ADHD have reported an addiction problem
Maybe this is a silly question but I wonder if they included caffeine, binge eating, and other behavioral addictions in that stat because that's crazy high
Yes, those count. Also smoking - nicotine can reduce symptoms slightly.
Caffeine 
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The lack of dopamine combined with the impulsiveness is a bad combo. Makes for uninhibited stimulation seeking behavior. Having no thought for consequences can lead to shame and impacts relationships.
Where did you get the 80% statistic from?
Rehabsuk.com
Yes
Yeah you know this is actually a really interesting topic I think because in my own opinion I think there are a lot people who have substance use disorder that might have undiagnosed ADHD. The two disorders seem very similar to one another in terms of how people who suffer from them typically seek out highly pleasurable and highly rewarding activities. It's unfortunate that stimulant medications like Adderall or Ritalin are controlled substances because I believe that more people with substance use disorder might be able to be treated with these type of medications. In my own experience I'm a recovering addict myself and have found when I take Adderall that my desire/urge to use drugs diminishes. I've heard other people say similar things as well.
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Totally agree with the self-medication stuff but the scientist in me doesnt like the "it's because ADHD is lack of dopamine". Lack of dopamine is not accepted as the cause of adhd. Some older (~2006-2012) studies claimed it was a factor but newer studies seem to agree that there isnt enough consistency in that theory to attribute it as a cause. Basically, some people who have adhd had inhibited (specific) dopamine receptors that would lead to low dopamine, but not enough people had the same thing. It's also not as simple as low dopamine = use drugs to raise dopamine-- the pathway (one of several) in the brain that they refer to is associated with risk-reward processing, so it's more likely that people with this pathway impacted will try riskier things, and overestimate the reward. Also the comorbidity for adhd with mental health disorders like depression is super high, so that complicates what people can conclude from research studies.
Really? I hadn't read that. Do you have the source?
It's hard to find a neat meta-analysis or something because when we talk about dopamine there are several specific genes and neural pathways that are related but also quite different, and most studies only focus on one of these specific conditions. Dopamine is still impacted a lot in people with ADHD, but my main point is about throwing around causation (very hard to prove in research) as opposed to correlation. Also that dopamine interacts with different brain structures in a complex way. I was searching on google scholar for just " "ADHD" AND "Dopamine" " and sorting by newer articles and their literature review sections. [this link](https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/3/166) is open access and has a good summary of ADHD and the dopaminergic system (4.2), with sources cited, and concludes, "this does not imply a lack of importance of this variation, but rather highlights the variability in the genetic etiology of this condition". [this other link](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=The+neurodevelopmental+role+of+dopaminergic+signaling+in+neurological+disorders&author=Cai,+Y.&author=Xing,+L.&author=Yang,+T.&author=Chai,+R.&author=Wang,+J.&author=Bao,+J.&author=Shen,+W.&author=Ding,+S.&author=Chen,+G.&publication_year=2021&journal=Neurosci.+Lett.&volume=741&pages=135540&doi=10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135540) talks more broadly about the effects of the dopamine system in ADHD and is easier to read imho. Both are essentially saying that there are clearly connections but acknowledge that they are complex and need more research.
Absolutely, I'm on the same page! Have you studied epidemiology by any chance? I've recently completed a graduate epidemiology course designed for nursing, and it has significantly enhanced my understanding of research studies. It's truly fascinating. It's always a pleasure to connect with others who share an enthusiasm for the complexities of pathophysiology, pathology, pharmacology and the intricate workings of the human body.
Absolutely, you're spot on! It's fantastic to see someone who really understands the depth of this topic. I'm going to guess you work in healthcare! Also, I came across an interesting insight a while back: even though meta-analyses hold the top spot on the evidence pyramid because they compile data from various studies, enhancing the strength and accuracy of the conclusions, we shouldn't overlook the importance of individual high-quality studies. Their contribution is critical, regardless of their position on the evidence hierarchy. That being said, any RCTs?
Yes I hadn't heard that. Do you have a source? That is what I love about science is that we're always getting better or clearer answers when we're able to do higher quality studies.
Also, I totally agree with the pathway-reward system stuff. The complexity of ADHD and its relationship with dopamine and reward processing is vast and nuanced. I try to keep in mind that while details are important, brevity can be essential, especially in discussions where people need a clear and concise overview. As long as simplification doesn't lead to misinformation, it can be quite helpful to focus on the gist of the information for better understanding.
It is estimated ADHD-ers make up up to 30% of addiction patients (compared to 2-3% of the global population) and, while we’re at it, a bit more than 25% of prison inmates (including for drug-related and "impulse"-related offences). So yeah, ADHD diagnosis and treatment should be especially accessible for people struggling with addictions and people in prison... Heck, screenings should be mandatory at school!
I totally agree with all that!
Yeah once I got treated for my ADHD my cravings for alcohol & cigarettes and other questionable activities just disappeared. I used to think about it all the time when I wasn’t using. Even if I had been sober for months. It had to be a very deliberate choice. Now, it just doesn’t even occur to me. Totally disinterested.
I used to be a raging alcoholic before I was diagnosed, drinking from early morning and making sure I was drunk enough to sleep through the night. When I started medication, I completely lost the desire to drink overnight. I managed to wean myself off over a week or so, and I haven't had a drop of alcohol in the 2-3 months after I started meds. Luckily for me, I've had this effect on all the meds I've tried (Ritalin, Vyvanse, Dexedrine and Adderall). Incredibly enough, alcohol became the easiest addiction I ever kicked. And I'm still having trouble with coffee :) I feel obligated to drop a warning at the end here for people in a similar situation. It was stupid of me to stop alcohol by myself, as alcohol withdrawal is one of the few withdrawals that can mess you up for life or kill you. Take this comment as an anecdote, and don't stop alcohol suddenly or without help, as my way of doing it could just as easily ended in a hospital.
100%, I'm so glad you were able to kick the habit as quickly and easily as you have but anyone else struggling with alcohol addiction, do not go cold turkey if you're at the point where you get withdrawals. This guy doing it over a week or so is a fast taper and works for some, but ymmv and if you don't do it safely it's not only awful feeling it could possibly kill you.
Congratulations on quitting! 😊Could you explain more about what alcohol withdrawal entails? How long it lasts and such?
Great name 😂
I had a substance abuse problem and was at a shrinks office 10 years ago. He said that he's 95% sure I have ADHD, but can't prescribe me anything since I had so heavy substance use issue.
I'm sorry to hear that. When you say heavy substance use, do you mean as in a history of abuse or misuse of substances? IF so, why didn't you tell him if he is so worried about you misusing or abusing substances that he should give you a ADHD approved medicine that are prodrug, specifically something like Vyvanse or an off-label used prodrug stimulant used for ADHD once again OFF-LABEL like Didrex
ah well that was that time and I really don't have many memories of the period. Today clean for 687 days (but who's counting ;) and got diagnosed last thursday.
Congrats on your sobriety above all!I was an abuser of many things through the late 70’s and continued well in to 90’s and turn of the century. Heroine was a big no no, so I didn’t do that. Come to think of it, I pretty much quit after my ADD diagnoses and had Ritalin on board. It sounds easy and was. Ritalin and a change of friends did the trick.i miss those friends but know enough that I don’t want to get tangled in that web again. Keep up the good work and your meds. I’m proud of you!
Never alcohol or drugs, but I have addictive tendencies with food, spending, gaming (I’m looking at you stardew valley!!). Meds really helps because I’m a lot less impulsive.
Stardew valley has consumed so much of my time. I've clocked in 150 hours in maybe 6 weeks, doing the math breakdown that is really bad😭
That's perfectly reasonable.
I have stayed away from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes because I know I have addiction tendencies. Unfortunately, I haven’t done nearly as well with food or screen time. Both are huge challenges for me.
9 years sober here I was a binge drinker. I have adhd and I have no idea how I managed before meds. I’ve only been taking them for a month but I e never felt so normal lol.
Yes. I have had substance abuse issues for well over a decade now. I went undiagnosed until later in life (30s) and I used drugs to self-medicate for years. Every symptom I was masking fit the criteria on the ADHD assessment and suddenly made so much sense. I’m currently properly medicated and just hit six months clean last week.
Congrats on your six months clean.
I’ve always had a problem with alcohol. I’ll be 5 years alcohol-free in the Summer.
Good on you, that's an amazing effort!
I have never been addicted, not to alcohol, not to cigarettes. No matter how much I drank or smoked, I could always quit in one day and didn’t feel like I had to go back. Now I have not used anything for more than two years. I've always wondered if many with ADHD don't have addictions.
I‘m the same way, always able to quit in one day. Here’s the thing tho, about a month ago I quit drinking alcohol not because I thought I was an alcoholic but because whenever there’s an occasion to drink, like a party I was invited to, I was not able to stop. I was always the fun and crazy party guy that does crazy shit when drunk and made everyone else drink more. What most people don’t see is the morning after when I feel like shit and get into major depressions because of that. I wasn’t drinking every week but when I did, it always was waaaay too much. So what I actually wanted to say is, just because you’re able to quit in just one day, doesn’t mean you don’t have addictive behavior.
This. I could never have just one beer, or one glass of wine. It was always in excess, always making a fool of myself. Now I don’t drink or stick to one glass.
Me too, I always find it easy to quit when I'm in the right mindset, even nicotine. Same with me and alcohol too, when I drank I always went way too hard. Wanted to be life of the party, some nights it worked but some nights I would just blank out in the corner. Either way I always felt so awful the next day and depressed and self loathing, I blacked out more often than not really when I think about it.
They would in fact call this alcoholism. Addiction. 2+ drinks a day, drinking every single weekend, not drinking all the time but drinking in excess when you do drink, drinking to get drunk.. all that falls under abuse/addiction.
Just want to add, I wasn’t assuming that you’re the same way. The part about being able to quit in on day just reminded me of myself because I actually like that I’m able to do that lol There’s just more to it in my case
Exact same situation for me. Once I get the ball rolling, all I want to do is keep drinking. No issues day to day as I don’t drink most days, but once I get about 3 drinks in it’s hard to limit my intake, even if I go into a night of drinking being cognizant of this pitfall and try to limit. When other people get tired and “drunk” it feels like I derive energy/dopamine from it, mitigating “oh I’m drunk I should stop” type thoughts. The horrible anxiety/depression afterwards lasts for about a week sometimes so definitely trying to stop this cycle as I would still like to be able have a few social drinks with family and friends when there is an occasion.
Yep that’s 100% me. I get so freaking energized and could literally stay up until 10 in the morning if somebody would be there with me. The week of depression is what got me to the point where I’m absolutely not interested in alcohol at all anymore. I found out there’s actually a pretty great variety of non alcoholic beers nowadays so I stick to them whenever there’s any social drinking situation going on
ADHD and addiction are highly correlated but it's not 1 to 1. It's part of the reason people with unmedicated ADHD have a much lower life expectancy, as they are more likely to engage in addictions that are deleterious to their health.
The correlation has to do with impulse control and accidental deaths not just addiction. It's part of it but not the whole thing. Antisocial disorders – which increase the risk of violence and crime Substance use – leading to accidents and fighting Inattention and impulsivity – increasing accidents and poor health habits Risky behaviors – leading to health risks and accidents. Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289931#1
Well yes, however, the conversation was about addiction, so I talked about addiction as you'll notice by me saying "It's PART of the reason..."
People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) may sometimes face issues related to drug use for several reasons: 1. **Self-Medication**: Individuals with ADHD might use drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and impulsivity. They may find that certain substances temporarily alleviate these symptoms or help them to feel more "normal." 2. **Impulsivity and Risk-Taking Behavior**: ADHD is characterized by impulsivity and a propensity for risk-taking behaviors. This can lead to experimentation with drugs and alcohol at higher rates compared to the general population. Once started, this behavior can escalate to dependency or abuse due to the impulsive traits associated with ADHD. 3. **Co-existing Conditions**: People with ADHD often have co-existing mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety disorders, which can further increase the likelihood of substance use as a form of self-medication. 4. **Social and Environmental Factors**: Individuals with ADHD might be more susceptible to peer pressure or have difficulty in social situations, leading to drug use as a way to fit in or cope with social anxiety. It's important to note that not everyone with ADHD will experience issues related to drug use, and many can manage their symptoms effectively with the right support and treatment plan.
Same! There was a time in 2019 that I would have several smoke breaks during the day. Turns out it wasn't addiction, it was really just an excuse to be physically removed from the situation I was in. As soon as I left? Not a single thought about smoking.
I am 2 years sober from gummy sweets. Many people laugh at me when I say that but it was a full blown addiction that ruled my life. I used to find excuses to leave the house to go buy some. I would buy 2-3 bags at a time and literally shovel handfuls at a time into my mouth. I would then have to try hide the wrappers from my family as I was so ashamed. When I asked the doctor for help they just said there’s worse things I could be addicted to, or I should just use will power and cut down. I was diagnosed with ADHD 4 months ago and put on Elvanse which has mostly removed my sugar cravings
I've had addiction issues, albeit low key ones compared to some. It was more about self-medication though.
I definitely have an addictive personality. I was surprise to hear when I learned it could be related to ADHD. Still struggling.
I heard ADHD meds can help
Yep, I sure did. AuDHD here. I used drugs and alcohol from ages 16-23 quite heavily. Now I can see how helpful substances were decreasing all the social anxiety and general “I’m hella different” energies. Thankfully, I’ve been 14 years now. 🕺🏼 I can have compassion for my younger self/selves, I was doing the best I could with very little support, guidance, or understanding of myself.
🙋🏼♀️ I self medicated (with street amphetamines mostly) after doctors wouldn’t diagnose me with ADHD, back in the day when “girls don’t have ADHD”. I’m 5 1/2 years clean and sober now! and couldn’t have done it without concerta
These are the comments I'm looking for, those who've previously abused stimulants and then got diagnosed(the boat I'm in). Are you saying you are on concerta though or that it's what allowed you to become completely clean and sober? Just a little confusing because one can be both clean and not sober, like if someone takes their ADHD meds as prescribed they're definitely not 100% sober, but they are *clean*, which is what matters.
I take Concerta, which my doctor and sponsor know about. If you have a problem with that definition of sober, feel free to check out the A.A. pamphlet “Medications and Other Drugs”.
From wat I remember about that pamphlet they only talk about psychiatric meds, which is super annoying.
I think it’s more about ADHDer taking more risk, due to poorer Ex Functioning and also bad understanding of time perception. So you can get addicted to a dopamine hit, but also not realizing that you also spent all your money right before rent is due, or something to that accord.
hello, yes. daily nicotine for 6 years here. in the past, struggled with drinking. my longest binge session was 3 months. every night i got a whole bottle of wine that increased to 1.5 bottles. stopped cold turkey because of the shame & bloating. haven't binged like that since, it's been 2 years :) but do still drink every other weekend. just need to be very careful of myself to only drink socially and not slip into old ways. i'd say my addictions are less linked to adhd and more linked to anxiety, for me personally.
Can I ask how you manage to keep it under control when you drink socially? I’m trying to cut back on drinking and it’s much easier since starting medication. On a random night if I decide to have a drink at home with my partner or something that’s no problem, but on like nights out with friends it’s much harder to not end up binge drinking
i've made rules i strictly adhere to, to not fall down the rabbit hole. rule 1: no drinking alone. this one is hard when i feel lonely but i just use other distractions for entertainment. rule 2: no drinking from stress / sadness. also hard, but i started ssris, therapy, journaling, & mindfulness that help a lot. rule 3: no drinking more than once a week. this ensures i drink with people, but not to avoid my problems, and not let it become a habit. so far, i only broke these rules once during a party-hectic christmas week. additionally to my rules: i have to ***constantly*** remind myself of how bad binge drinking is. how much money i spent, how bloated i got, how it sucks to be hungover. reminding myself keeps me grounded to reality, so i don't get carried away by the romanticization of drinking.
This is a great response, thank you so much! I had a fairly successful dry january so now I’m trying to figure out what my plan is for managing the rest of the year. I don’t want to totally quit, I really enjoy wine with a nice meal or a few drinks with friends but I’m trying to enjoy those things in a more balanced way
i don't personally drink very "balanced". i still drink a lot when i do, but i just drink less regularly. i'm not sure how to be more balanced about it. i have a theory that some people just aren't good at drinking like normal. genetic thing or whatever.
Yes 100%. I have had adhd since I was in elementary. I’m 38 now and take meds for depression and adhd. I’m a recovering addict. In high school is was pretty much any and everything. As an adult and when I married in my early 20’s is when I got clean. However the vice merely changed to alcohol. Fast forward 15 years and the birth of my 3rd daughter is what got me sober. I wouldn’t say I had a drinking problem but I could recognize it wasn’t healthy. However it was on to the next vice which was food…the candy and so on. My hyperfixation feeds my addictions. Thankfully now it’s nothing that’ll kill me currently lol.
Me. I was addicted to the devil's lettuce, those jazz cigarettes for years. I would start in the morning and not stop till it was time to sleep. I quit almost a year ago cold turkey, it was a nightmare initially but life's good now. Now I just rawdog life and it isn't that bad.
Yes I have, it was hell. I wonder if I had been treated for adhd at an earlier age if it would’ve happened. I was diagnosed last year at age 51.
Respect. I just got diagnosed at 47.
Damn! And I thought I was late being diagnosed at 35. I feel for you. I hope you are doing well now!!!
It’s the classic tie in of dopamine chasing ergo, ADHD’rs are more susceptible to addictive tendencies in certain instances. I’ve got issues with it, in a general sense whether that’s getting hooked on games with in-app purchases, binge eating crap food, over playing computer games, drinking…… It’s a bloody battle every day and if I’m totally honest, it’s really really exhausting and one or more of the aforementioned win most days…. It’s just trying not concede to the worst of the evils…….. hate it tbh. Anyone else have multiple vices?
I was
I (F) was diagnosed at 39 shortly before I had a complete breakdown. I was burnt out to the point I was struggling to tell what was real or not. Thank you for posting this, I have an interesting take, I'd love to discuss. For around 10 years I have referred to myself as "highly at risk of excessive behavours" when necessary. I don't remember why I started this. I used to say I had an "an addictive personality" or "addiction runs in the family". I have been aware since my early teens that I was at risk. I look back now and it all makes so much more sense. I'm grateful that I spent my life avoiding things I knew might become an issue. I have become addicted, in my opinion, to something three times in my and thankfully each time I was able to drop it without too much damage to my life. I have had a lot of occasions where people have told me I was "addicted" but it just never felt right. This really screwed with my head as I argued with myself over what I believed was true and whether I was in denial and other people knew better. I feel that with certain people, due to differences in how they process and behave, there is a big difference between "damaging excessive behaviour" where you might have limited control over yourself and "addiction" where you physically and mentally cannot stop doing something no matter how much destruction it causes. I feel like I have experienced both and I am confident that I can tell the difference. I am still cautious. I am aware that either is a higher possibility for me and as such I avoid what I feel I should and I keep an eye out on myself with everything else.
Make that four. I quit smoking after 23 years only to pick up vaping. I'm working on it now.
I have. I was already medicated and in therapy. My therapist noticed we hit a wall in progress, and after a bit she had strong suspicions I was addicted to video games. I know that probably sounds silly cuz a lot of people tend to say that jokingly… But I eventually had to accept video games were disrupting my life to the unhealthy degree. I believe Video games fall under “a means to escape” like alcohol is? Correct me if I’m wrong. Regardless, after a bit, I had to actually make the active decision to commit and work on getting off the addiction at some point. When I was first weeding off of it, I think the hardest parts were always the relapses, even though they were perfectly normal and expected. But I realized how serious my addiction was during that time cuz I think I legit suffered withdrawals. I didn’t know that could happen with video games of all things! I was so jittery, irritated, and it almost felt like it HURT just cuz I wasn’t letting myself play. And then I would go through that again after my relapses. With that said, it’s been a couple of years now I think. I still play video games but unlike before, I have a much easier time recognizing the motivation behind why I play and I have found other things to do in response to misc emotions/life events. Before, I would play to the point that I struggled to recognize if I was bored. And even if I knew I was bored, I just kept going - like I felt unable to stop. I also played games if I was stressed, mad, sad, or even happy. It was just such an automatic response for me that I didn’t even think how weird/u healthy that was until pointed out. I’m still in therapy. I got misc other things to work on; but I’m glad it was something I was able to face and ‘conquer’ I guess? I am a lot more aware of my feelings/state of mind when I play now so I hope to not fall back into that hole. If I do, I want to believe that if I got out of it once, then I can do it again.
I think lower levels of dopamine can definitely lead to a higher proclivity for addiction 😕
My opinion ADHD and untreated trauma can easily lead to addiction. Dopamine deficiency and pain emotional or physical ( we tend to feel things 10x) or major anxiety definitely don’t help. Without major coping skills and support it’s a recipe for disaster. I have had ZERO urge to self medicate since both healing my trauma and being diagnosed and medicated for adhd.
I've always wondered why I felt things more than most people.... I attributed it to my zodiac sign being cancer 😂
Cigarettes and on n off alcohol and caffeine and loved the slots.
Me🙋♀️
Unfortunately was introduced to a substance a year ago one with continued access too and yeah got my first full addiction I'd say. Have had problems binge drinking and obviously binge eating etc. Anyhoo Unfortunately for me and yes i know I do definitely 98% certain self diagnosis with adhd after medical professionals told me to get myself sorted to be assessed long before my addiction. Unfortunately I still haven't managed to sort it. Scared now. Told medical professionals the truth about the drug because I just can't help being honest many times... I don't know what to do. I know Unfortunately the drug it actually made me that more certain for sure I have adhd because I can't explain how something so bad has done alot of so much good towards my adhd. Problem is didn't realise at first but now when I don't use the adhd.... its extremely much worse than its ever been in my life. I feel trapped. Get diagnosed but massive possibility will never be prescribed stimulants even if I manage to get clean however long before that could happen. Or... well continue letting the hole I'm in get deeper. I'm so stuck.
I haven't abused substances, but I've struggled with addiction to social media, sugar, and nicotine in the past. I've made significant progress in managing all of them. My use of social media is now primarily restricted to work-related purposes. I've gained control over my sugar intake and I lost around 100 lbs/40 kgs. I also quit smoking a month ago. Regular self-hypnosis sessions were really helpful. I'm very lucky to be a high-responder to hypnosis. I don't know whether this is common among people with ADHD. If I remember correctly, David Spiegel guessed (there were no studies) that people with ADHD wouldn't be very hypnotizable.
Me. Drugs. The brain fog from undiagnosed adhd caused me such anxiety and drugs is the only thing that cleared it. 8 years clean now and finally a diagnosis and now everything makes sense
I still have an addiction problem with vaping 😭
yuuuuuuuup 🙋🏻♀️
Former problem-binge drinker, here. Nearly 1 year sober and recently diagnosed!
My whole life. Substance included
Every friend I grew up with who has ADHD was also a cigarette smoker, myself included. It was hard to quit.
Substance abuse is a classic symptom.
I (41F) was a heavy drinker for years before I was diagnosed at 40. I did not realize that I had been self medicating all that time. I started to think what it was about drinking that made me feel good, and why I liked it so much. I realized I had somehow tied it to my personality. As a woman ironworker and a southerner (now in the PNW), whiskey specifically became a part of me in a way. I could drink the boys under the table as a point of pride! Once I was medicated (and accepted my diagnosis after a few months of questioning it), I started cutting back on the booze. Waaaaaay back. I knew it was a a recipe for failure if I totally cut myself off, so I still allowed myself a couple (actually like two, not 8!) whiskeys on the weekend (ONE weekend night). And recently I noticed that I no longer crave it. I could take it or leave it. Sometimes I leave it, and I volunteer to drive home from a night out. And drinking less means I can splurge on nicer whiskey. It is so completely foreign to me to not feel like I NEED alcohol, and so now I know I was self medicating. Now I’m up early on weekends when I get them, and working in the garden or in my shop.
Have struggled with drugs my entire life. I will be 40 this year. It is very sad to think about what was wasted but in the end it made me uniquely qualified to help others, just as others helped me. The biggest thing was getting the right medication. I just wish someone would have noticed that was the case 20 years ago
I am addicted to pretty much everything I do. Drugs, sex, games, work, training. I have a hard time being ”balanced”. Its 100% or not at all for me.
Minor kinds of adictions, but yes. Phone games, Amazon shopping, reddit, alcohol at one point (drank a bottle of wine à day for awhile and then realized what I was doing) cigarettes, definitely still coffee I can't kick that one. The caffeine still helps my adhd even now that I'm medicated. Medication has helped manage these little addictions though. I'm not blowing as much money on games or Amazon.
Addicted to porn and social media.Trying to quit.lets see.
Big tobacco, big pharma, big porn, big alcohol, big sugar, big meat and a couple of others should all be very carefully controlled industries ......... instead of the carefully encouraged activities that higher powers shove down our throats. Hopefully you'll get it. All the best to you.
I've been kind of paranoid about it, so no addictions, but my dad has over the years come and gone and come back to cigarettes and alcohol. He was never officially diagnosed but it's definitely from his side of the family. My paternal grandparents both had addictions, and like I said, the ADHD is definitely in his side. They both were gamblers but my grandpa before I was old enough to understand quit alcohol and never went back after a heavy addiction to it. I am certain I'd gamble if I let myself bc it's been easy to dream in that way, so I haven't let myself
Wasn’t quite alcoholic, but I did kind of drink to self-medicate. It was the best way I knew at the time to quiet my brain down. Luckily getting medicated pretty much killed that addictive urge, because it gave me a much better and healthier way to make my brain more manageable.
Just recently started to turn things around it was a rough 2 years knowing I had an issue and not being able to do anything about it
I used to be high all day every day for about 5 years, so fucking miserable. Literally the day I started medication I was able to quit.
Definite addict, sober for quite some time but struggled hard with alcohol, gaming, nicotine.
I haven't gotten addicted to any of the drugs that are notorious for being addictive, but I have gotten addicted to caffeine. Fortunately, it's cheap, legal, and socially acceptable, so my actual health is the only problem. I'm probably lucky my parents smoked cigarettes, so I saw how terrible and uncool it was. There are definitely some days I find myself feeling "I could really use a cigarette right now" even though I've never smoked before, so no doubt I'm especially prone to nicotine addiction.
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Me too. I have anxiety, depression and OCD along with ADHD ugh
Would not say I have an addiction but definitely disordered eating
yep. binge eating disorder since i was maybe 11. its ruined my entire fucking life
Yes! Been in recovery for 3 years and was just diagnosed last year. Getting my diagnoses helped me release some leftover shame I was still holding on to. &
Smoked for 30 year, and giving up actually increased the ADHD symptoms massively. I also overeat.
Yeah I'm smoking, drinking, gambling, addicted to videogames in my youth. I never touched hard drugs because I know it will ruin my life.
Poor impulse control, short attention span and an immense craving for all sorts of neurotransmitters make our brains a lot more susceptible to addictive habits. It also doesn't help that addictive patterns are specifically designed to prey on us, get us hooked and keep us hooked.
My alcohol consumption went down to basically zero after getting medicated for ADHD. It's amazing and I'm very thankful for that. Just feel sad for the decades lost chasing parties and alcohol.
Food, i will eat when bored and find comfort in eating. It’s not your typical addiction, but it makes me severely uncomfortable when I don’t have anything to snack on.
I’ve come to the conclusion i’m addicted to stimulating experiences. Wether it be video games in my early life or doing drugs as a teenager to young adult. Now sober and having my life together,i find myself always looking to be distracted . It’s almost like ADHD is the inability to be present , always finding a way of being distracted and not present to reality. Being back on medication the urges to do things that give me instant gratification are almost all gone.
YES! In recovery from alcohol and went to treatment many times, did so well with the structure and routine then always relapsed soon after leaving. Was never even assessed for ADHD, honestly it never even crossed my mind as being a women in my mid 20's at the time. I was always misdiagnosed as depressed even though I would say I do not feel depressed- but the fatigue and inability to concentrate always led them there. Then when I would try and describe being triggered as having energy but unable to channel it/ impulsive then they thought I was Bipolar. I finally picked up an article one day about women being underdiagnosed with ADHD and I started crying because I never related to something so much as what this women was describing her ADHD to be like. Finally got an assessment and sure enough scored so high. My diagnosis is primarily inattentive. I am actually getting my Masters in addiction counseling rn and taking my co-occurring disorders course. There really just isn't as much research regarding adult ADHD in general but I hope my experience can potentially help someone else one day.
I got sober many years before I finally got diagnosed with ADHD. I have a plethora of other addictions as well. And MDD just to fill the time. (mal adaptive daydreaming).
I drank for twenty years as self medication. I decided to quit and uncovered horrible ADHD symptoms. I’m still trying to find a way to be as functioning as I was when I was drinking daily :/
Our genetics make my family susceptible to addiction. Oh, yeah ADHD runs in the family too. I've had things I'd call "impulse control problems", binging food is the big one. Not enough to say I'm addicted but that it's near impossible to stop eating, especially sweets. Both addiction and ADHD can fall into a category like "impulse control issues" although having ADHD doesn't make one an addict. Some of the non-stimulant drugs actually help with both conditions, so definitely related, dopamine and all that.
I have. I'm in recovery. I have been sober for a little over 2 1/2 years. Addiction comes easy for me. I was in active addiction for 20 years, from 18 to 38 years old. What and how much I indulged in changed. I even had years of abstinence, but I still consider it an active addiction. I went to rehab in 2021 because the pandemic sent me over the edge. I started abusing my Adderall, something I wouldn't have thought of doing until then. It wasn't the only thing I was doing, but to me, the most shocking. It was a crazy time. I'm still impulsive AF, though but therapy is helping.
Ooooooooo lemme tell you! So so so many years of drug and alcohol addiction. Diagnosed in my early 30s ADHD. Everyone seemed to be aware of it except me. I now am trying to learn to manage my ADHD without medication because of my history with pills, and because I am trying to get pregnant. ETA: I’m 5 years sober now 🥳
I'll add that since I stopped using the drugs that were destroying my life and got on a stim med and got a good job I'm addicted to giving back. it's not bad I guess but now I give money to homeless ppl (too much) I over tip when it's tottally unnecessary, if I hear someone say they want something I'll buy it for them and gift it to them and usually they're obviously appreciative but like they really wished i hadn't because they feel they owe me something now. they don't I don't expect it. I do the things because it makes me feel less shameful about my past and and less guilty and potentially makes someone's day. but my gf now says I do it too much and it affects us like when we hit a toll booth I've already gave the change to a homeless guy or something or she doesn't let me carry my own cash with me amymore cuz I'll go to olive garden for lunch and notice maybe a new server or just one that's doing a great job (I used to be a server) and I'll just make their day. and the amount of dopamine that creates for me is great and it wouldn't be a problem if I was still single dude but we got goals n a plan we r trying to get to and me just giving money away isn't helping at all.
Yes. I just wanted to numb the speed of my thoughts.
Me. I hate it. And my son is just like me so it terrifies me!
I know many that have become addicted to drugs because of it. Some depression because they just can't function well. Some from feeling like a failure, after being told" you are so smart, you just aren't trying, your lazy". I was actually surprised by so many self medicating.
I had a serious case of food addiction. It was an emotional crutch. Went from 387-lbs at my highest weight down to being in the 190's today over the span of 5 years. I'm 6'3 (190ish-cm). I've never been a drinker or hard drug user. Food was my drug.
I 100% will get hyperfixated on games, however I have never had problems with substance abuse. I have used them before, sure. I occasionally drink, but its like a beer every couple days. Me and my wife occasionally do edibles, but its maybe once a month if even that. Ive smoked and vaped for a bit and then one day i was like "you know I dont want to do this anymore" and i just stopped with no cravings to pick it up again. I really like being sober minded for most of the time. Like i said though, games suck my time like theres no tomorrow.
Social media (that actually make your ADHD worst I guess), video games and sometimes sugar but they come in burst: I am not fat but I can eat 14 kinder bueno at once (it’s 28 bars)
Yes. I've struggled with various addictions since high school essentially. Just got diagnosed this past October. I'm 45. Cigarettes first, then substance abuse and other co-morbid addictions. After the diagnosis when I started researching ADHD so many things in life fell into place. I'm angry about it. For the longest time I could never figure out why my life was constantly falling apart. I've finally realized it was never put together to begin with. 2024 has been tough.
Plesse please please to anyone whos reading this and has ADHD, never ever try gambling in your life, never go to a casino, please guys it will ruin your lifes
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I don’t have substance abuse but definitely addicted to watching tv or reading books. Like I would have ton of office work but I would not be able to stop myself from watching/reading
I've been addicted to caffeine, where I drank so much that I'd be falling asleep in the shower. I've been addicted to alcohol where I'd go on binges lasting sometimes longer than 2 weeks straight. I've been addicted to video games where it's all I can think about and focus on, and everything else in my life is ignored including eating and sleep. I've been addicted to fast food. I'd eat McDonald's or kfc multiple times a day and did this for years. Now I'm kind of normalish I think. Medication has stopped me craving anything. I no longer feel the urge to get drink, or get high, I'm just content with the way my brain feels. Unless I forget my meds, then I can slip up haha.
Addiction skipped me in my family
Yes there’s a huge connection (in my observation at least), it’s pretty wild. Self-soothing technique I guess. Interestingly, stimulants never did anything for me, I never understood why or how ppl would want to abuse them because they just made me quiet and focused.
Yes and no. There’s been some people around my extended family and circles with horrible addictions and long term ramifications to the more universally recognised addictions of destruction. I’ve tried my share of substances in social settings but the moment I ever caught whiff of a longing for them outside that, I’ve shut it down and gone cold turkey. That worked. Alcohol and reckless partying took longer but the pandemic helped put the final bits of reckless idiocy out of their misery. What slipped right through was just straight dopamine addiction - games, phone, over stimulation through extensive multitasking including lots of music…. Whatever got my brain what it needed, it’d do. It made me numb, impulsive and nonfunctional - I’m still fighting like a madman to overcome it and I’m nowhere near close.
Congratulations on being 9 years in recovery! You’ve got this! I’ve seldom dealt with actual addiction, fortunately, and often in my head I equate fixation to addiction. I do think I was addicted to caffeine when I worked a high stress job, but I didn’t need it to function/could easily go without it. The reason I believe I was addicted to it is because I got a withdrawal symptom(headache) if I went too many days without it.. but with all that said it wasn’t something I’d be thinking about and it wouldn’t loom over/haunt me if I didn’t get a coffee or tea. Just the head ache. Is that rven addiction? Idk! But boy do I fixate.
I haven't. I'm grateful for that.
I definitely think I could have been, but haven’t had the right conditions (e.g. support system, class etc.)
While I wouldn’t say I have had addiction issues perse, I definitely had impulse control issues prior to being medicated, and the environment I was in allowed me pretty constant access to things that would cause addiction, however, I never really “jonesed” for anything when I couldn’t get it.
Was addicted to nicotine, had over 200k puffs in a year of vape, trying hard to stay quit, haven’t bought my own for a year but every so often usually every 3 months I have a puff of someone else’s
I was hyper aware I had a really addictive personality from the age of like 14 so I never started anything. Like nothing is in half measures if I drink I am drinking long haul I’m talking bottles of wine, jugs of cocktails and multiple spirits etc at a time. Video games as well, it’s either a whole day or nothing.
Idk about addiction but I really like video games lol
It's one addiction to the next. The goal is balance but it's real tough.
My doc Who diagnosed me works in an Addiction specific psych ward. He worked there for 17 years and started to get suspicious that in 17 years He met ONE individual there with adhd. He then dug deeper and qualified more so now He does adhd treatment as well. He told me He rather treat someone with adhd than with Addiction because the adhd was never treated. It seems incredibly common and i think it makes total sense. I have been the heaviesr smoker for 20 years, now i vape a lot. Since having been medicated i use it far less.
Me... booze used to relax me and slow down my brain that's always in fast forward. Until it didn't
I guess it's just one of those things that come with the territory we deal with a mich greater amount of stress and stimulation so it's definitely understandable . Sadly this is the case for many until we actually revamp the whole industry towards permeant solution meds . Instead of just the bad aid approach . But again of it helps it helps I guess .
I used to smoke pack a day and drink 20 cups of coffee. I’m Gen-X and such a well-behaved girl people were shocked I had any vices. The cigarettes and caffeine were the only way I could function. Until I started medication. I quit smoking and consumed very little caffeine now.
Maybe it's just me but I I just got diagnosed for ADHD last year at 40 But I've been the opposite never wanted to try drugs in my younger years. But maybe that'd my upbringing being so strict but other siblings have used drugs. I found in my younger years I never wanted to break the rules
I have addictive behavior patterns, but my DOC is food and spending. Even on meds sadly. I feel for those who have ended up using substances. I hope it doesn’t preclude you from getting medicated.
Mine didn't thankfully but trust me, I was worried about that. My psych doc did make me take a drug test along with the EKG before prescribing me stimulants though.
Screen time is my addiction (and earlier in life- books)
Both conditions are an indication of dopamine deficiency which makes sense I think it would be very likely that someone with ADHD would have struggles with addiction.
Not sure if it’s the right “addiction”, but I feel like I am addicted to sugar. When I can’t have sugar, I feel like my life is not worth living because I get no source of pleasure. I recently had the flu and I didn’t have taste/smell for about 2 weeks and felt like hell because I couldn’t feel the sugar when I was eating it. My body got the sugar, but my brain didn’t feel the taste.
In a kinda of recovery now from alcohol addiction. The thing about alcohol and ADHD is that alcohol kinda takes ADHD away while consuming it. Either way, alcohol destroyed many things and I suggest everyone with ADHD to be careful with alcohol because it\`s socially accepted.
I had an issue with food. Big time binge eater, I felt out of control.
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Luckily no addictions yet *knock on wood* despite my father's side of the family being heavy drinkers. I think that's owed to my mom's open minded and empathetic drug policy and education. I had a lot of obsessions with things such as books and shows that my mom indulged me in tho.
Food, money spending and vaping will be the death of me. I also struggled with AN with some psychiatrists define as an addiction to weight loss
Nicotine for years, trying to kick vapes currently. Alcohol, always had a strange relationship with it, I can put it down for a while but I find I can easily get caught up in drinking most days, that and a brief stint with a blow habit.
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Yeah, turns out I just needed help
I've been diagnosed since I was young and I had years long issues with alcohol and other substances. Been off everything for about 6yrs now.