An understanding of the basics of ADHD makes for a more informed discussion of ADHD and addiction. At the outset, however, it is critical to note that there is no evidence that one disorder causes the other. However, the two can coexist. A person who is experiencing a substance use disorder and has an ADHD diagnosis is clinically considered to have a co-occurring disorder. In any case of a co-occurring disorder, the best approach is to seek treatment at a rehab facility that can accommodate co-occurring disorders. As a rule, both conditions must be treated at the same time for either to be effectively healed or managed.
Research shows a connection between ADHD and addiction. According to some studies, when compared to the general population, children with ADHD face an increased risk of becoming dependent on alcohol or other drugs when they are adults. The following facts and statistics further support the linkage:
These facts and statistics beg one important question: Why do people with ADHD face an increased risk of drug abuse? According to research, the answer lies (in part) in the reduced impulse control and behavioral problems associated with ADHD in general. These side effects may contribute to a person initiating into drugs. The risks are layered. For example, let’s say a teenager with ADHD and behavioral problems skips school. By not being in school during the day, this teen may end up in a social situation that involves drugs. The poor impulse control that goes hand in hand with ADHD may lower this teen’s resistance to the drugs offered.
The risks are not environmental alone. Genes and family can also play a role.
Regarding alcohol abuse and ADHD, both conditions tend to run in families, and they may even stem from some of the same genes.
For individuals with ADHD alone, psychostimulant medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are used as frontline treatments. In addition, individuals with ADHD may benefit from a host of supportive services when offered in conjunction with medication, including:
An article published in Psychiatric Times addresses some of the complex issues involved in treatment for ADHD and substance abuse. For instance, on the one hand, studies show that a person who is taking ADHD medication may remain in treatment longer than someone who is not. But on the other hand, a person who is in treatment for substance abuse who has access to a stimulant drug, such as Adderall, may abuse it. The key is for the person with co-occurring ADHD and a substance use disorder to get treatment from a rehab that can accommodate this dual diagnosis under one roof, or by coordinating care with a local psychiatrist’s office. Both treatment tracks will need to be monitored, and each must appropriately factor the other into the type of treatments selected.
For example, the attending psychiatrist may factor in the risk of the recovering person’s addiction to Adderall or Ritalin and decide not to prescribe a stimulant drug during the first 120 days of substance abuse treatment. The doctor can then monitor the non-stimulant-based treatment plan and discuss the client’s progress with the attending addiction treatment specialists.
Treatment plans can always be modified as necessary.
The point is that there are options, and they extend beyond medication alone.
As the National Institute on Drug Abuse discusses, there are numerous therapies that were developed for, or have been applied to, the treatment of substance abuse. Some therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can be applied both to ADHD and substance abuse. In therapy, treatment for ADHD and substance abuse often safely overlap within the same sessions.