ADHD & Addiction
How do we begin to understand how addiction affects people with ADHD differently?
Addiction still tends to be a fairly taboo topic that isn’t openly discussed, understanding ADHD & addiction however can provide a huge insight into a lot of the behaviours you may present.
The best place to start is by understanding how an ADHD brain works differently to a neurotypical brain. Once you fully understand this you will begin to realise why addiction is so common in ADHD brains.
What are we actually talking about when we talk about addiction?
Google’s definition of addiction is ‘A brain disorder characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences’.
This important to note because ADHD brains are hard wired to seek constant stimulation, which can make us more vulnerable to addictive behaviours.
Addictive behaviours can range from the more known addictions we are aware of like drinking, smoking etc to lesser know behaviours like how we form relationships with others.
Addiction & Substances
Alcohol, cannabis, caffeine, cocaine & nicotine (among many others) all have one thing in common. They alter your minds state. Regardless of the actual substance, there is a reason why ADHD brains are more drawn to substances that alter how you are feeling.
Whether you are smoking to slow your thoughts down, taking stimulants to quieten your brain or drinking just to try and relax, often our chronically overstimulated brains can crave something to help us experience life less intensely (and make everything seem slightly softer).
ADHD people also experience a lot of substances very different to how neurotypical people would. If you have ever taken certain substances with your neurotypical friends and noticed that you feel less like you want to party and more like you could read a book back to front, your ADHD brain can be thanked for that.
“Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.”
Addiction & Relationships
Because ADHD brains are constantly looking for stimulation, this can often extend into the people we form relationships with. This can often look like becoming overly attached to someone very quickly. You know the deal, you meet someone new… its exciting, new & intriguing. They give you butterflies, you want to talk to them every single day. They give you a buzz, they make you feel good about yourself. The excitement of the unknown, where this could go etc.
This can be difficult however as it affects the way some of us form attachments to people. Certain relationships can become extensions of our needs for stimulation. When you begin to surpass the ‘honeymoon’ phase (which is essentially where you actually get to know that person as an actual person rather than the rose tinted version you created for yourself). You can often find yourself craving more - even if the relationship is good, you can find yourself nitpicking for issues to bring to the surface.
This can also affect attachments in terms of people with ADHD really struggling with independence (or an addiction to having someone with you). People with ADHD (particularly undiagnosed) are more prone to anxiety, racing thoughts & depression. Not to mention a range of difficulties like poor memory, executive dysfunction & emotional dysregulation that can actually make independence that bit harder. We can end up hanging on to people for security as living day to day with ADHD can be a scary thing to navigate alone.
People with ADHD can also end up with more sexual partners & enjoy more risky sexual behaviours than neurotypical people. Sex can offer both stimulation & relaxation and lots of people can use this as a coping mechanism.
Alot of people with undiagnosed ADHD struggle to spend time by themselves, however for a lot of people this can change post diagnosis due to getting to know how your brain works and being a bit gentler with how you approach daily life.
Money & Addiction
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this comes back to the need for stimulation again. Because ADHD brains have a lack of Dopamine we are constantly searching for something that will release that chemical. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward.
When we make an impulse purchase, we receive that sweet hit of dopamine and voila we are temporarily stimulated.
Addiction & Food
There is a reason that the saying ‘a can of dopamine’ has become a regular between me + Jess. Food & drinks (specifically high sugar content drinks & carbs) have real dopamine boosting abilities (not necessarily in a healthy way).
Like many pleasurable behaviors—including sex and drug use—eating can trigger the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain. This internal chemical reward, in turn, increases the likelihood that the associated action will eventually become habitual through positive reinforcement conditioning.
When you reach for your favourite comfort food or you grab that sugary drink, you are giving your brain a big old dose of dopamine! There are however more complexities that come into play here, People with ADHD are more likely to experience disordered eating. Poor memory, low self esteem & living in a state of constant overwhelm can dramatically affect the relationship you have with food.
The Real Issue
The real issue here isn’t whether you enjoy a joint or a good shag, but instead, the reason you are drawn to repeating these behaviours regardless of the negative impact it may have on our quality of life overall.
The need for stimulation is very real but it can lead to some pretty risky & destructive behaviours.
The more you get to know your brain and the more time you take to really unpick certain behaviours, the easier it can get to question whether certain habits are beneficial to you or not. This is a real complex subject & i have tried my best to be as concise as possible (to be fair if you’ve made it this far down then grab yourself a can of dopamine).
Self worth, confidence & acceptance also have huge roles to play in how we view certain behaviours. The best thing you can do for your ADHD brain is to relearn everything you have been taught about yourself from neurotypical society & begin being a little bit kinder to yourself in every way you possibly can.
If you are ready to dive a bit deeper into getting to know your brain then put your feet up, grab one of our resources and thank yourself later.
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