Teens and adults with ADHD often turn to drugs and alcohol. Experts weigh in on why — and what you need to know.
“My ADHD made me viscerally uncomfortable in my own body, desperately bored, and so impulsive that it was maddening. I often felt like I was crawling out of my skin,” says Sam Dylan Finch, an advocate and blogger atLet’s Queer Things Up, which focuses on mental health in the LGBTQ+ community.
Like many people withattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)— it’s estimated that
He’s also a part of the mere20 percent of adultswith ADHD that have been properly diagnosed or treated, since he was diagnosed with ADHD at 26.
Although he only started using substances when he turned 21, Sam rapidly found that he was using them — particularly alcohol and marijuana — in unhealthy ways.
“I wanted to slow myself down, cope with the unbearable boredom, and try to take the edge off of my reactive and tense emotions,” he says.
People with ADHD have above-typical levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, and may have trouble focusing their attention on a task or sitting still for long periods of time.
- having trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks
- being forgetful about completing tasks
- 很容易分心
- having difficulty sitting still
- interrupting people while they’re talking
Teens and adults with ADHD often turn to substances, like Sam did.
虽然没有关于原因的明确答案，但医学博士，医学博士Landmark Recovery, a treatment center for drug and alcohol dependency, says that people with ADHD haveissues regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamineand norepinephrine.
“Drug-seeking behavior may be used as a means of self-medication in order to compensate for this lack of balance and to avoid feelings of unpleasantness,” she explains.
It’s particularly challenging for adults with untreated or completely undiagnosed ADHD.
“It’s like playing with fire you can’t see, and wondering why your hands are burning,” explains Sam.
Sam is now in recovery for his substance use and receiving treatment for ADHD, and he feels the two are inextricably linked. He’s on Adderall now to manage his ADHD and says that it’s like night and day — he’s calmer, happier, and doesn’t have an overwhelming sense of dread when he has to be still or sit with himself.
“For me, there’s no recovery from substance abuse without treatment for my ADHD,” Sam says.
He and his therapist also noticed that boredom was one of his common triggers for his substance use. His treatment needed to center around helping both manage and channel that inner restlessness, without inducing it through drugs or alcohol.
The best treatments for people who have both ADHD and an addiction will treat both at the same time.
“In the case of substance abuse issues, patients need to be sober before beginning treatment for their ADHD,” explains Dr. Johnson.
约翰逊博士说，适当服用处方药有助于减少药物使用问题的风险。患有多动症的人可以采取一些一般步骤来降低成瘾的风险，包括服用处方药，定期锻炼，并在治疗过程中进行不断的行为健康检查。
她还说prescribers and clinicians can help their patients reduce their risk for misusing stimulants or becoming addicted to them by prescribing long-acting medications rather than shorter-acting ones.
Foradults with ADHD, the key is diagnosing and properly treating the condition. But it’s also possible to reduce the risk that teens and adults will turn to substance use in the first place.
“One of the strongest predictors of substance use disorders in adulthood is the early use of substances, and children and teens with ADHD have an increased likelihood of using substances at an early age,” says Dr. Jeff Temple, a licensed psychologist and director of behavioral health and research in the department of OB-GYN at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
The best way to prevent addiction for people with ADHD is by receiving treatment earlier.
This means that clinicians and parents need to work together after a child or teen is diagnosed with ADHD to figure out whatthe best treatment plan is— whether that’s therapy, medication, behavioral interventions, or a combination.
Rachel Fink, a mother of seven kids and an editor atParenting Pod, has three kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Her kids’ treatment is a combination of medication, accommodations at school, and regular exercise.
She was originally reluctant to medicate her children, but says that it’s been highly beneficial. Two out of three of her kids with ADHD are currently on medication.
她说：“服用药物的两个孩子都从每天被送回家，几乎完全被学校开除，到获得高成绩并成为成功的学生。”
Sam wishes that his parents had known what Rachel knows — and that he’d been able to get a diagnosis and proper treatment for his ADHD earlier.
Many parents are reluctant to medicate their children, like Rachel was at first, but it’s extremely important to find an effective treatment plan for ADHD as early as possible.
个人的治疗可能会有所不同，但它可以阻止孩子和青少年早期危险地尝试使用毒品和酒精来进行自我治疗。
“That’s really what I wish I’d understood — to take ADHD seriously,” Sam says. “Weigh the risks carefully. Intervene early. It can change the course of your entire life.”
Alaina Leary is an editor, social media manager, and writer from Boston, Massachusetts. She’s currently the assistant editor of Equally Wed Magazine and a social media editor for the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.