Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is characterized by hyperactivity and inattentiveness. It affects all areas of the patient's life, says Russell A. Barkley of ContinuingEdCourses.net. According to the Partners Resource Network, approximately 3 to 7 percent of school-aged children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD and roughly 1/2 of them continue having ADHD symptoms as adults. Substance abuse is common among ADHD patients. Martin D. Ohlmeier and colleagues stated in a study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism in August 2007 that roughly 35 percent of adults with ADHD abuse addicted.
Link Between ADHD and Addiction
Dr. Timothy Wilens and colleagues state in AdditudeMag.com, that a small minority of adult ADHD patients say that they abuse substances to get high, and approximately 70 percent use substances to get sleep or improve their mood. Such "self-medication" is common among undiagnosed or untreated people with ADHD. Patients also report that such common symptoms of ADHD as impulsivity, social awkwardness and poor judgment abilities may put them at higher risk to start abusing drugs and alcohol.
Stimulant Medication and Addiction
It was initially believed that the stimulant medication that is regularly prescribed to ADHD patients might increase the risk for these patients to develop addictions. But studies show that this does not seem to be the case. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in April 2008 showed that ADHD patients who had started on ADHD medication when they were 12 years old or younger were at lower risk for developing a substance abuse than those who either had not received any medication or who started taking it later in life.
Prevention
ADHD medication may protect against future substance abuse and, according to Additudemag.com, even ADHD diagnosis seems to reduce the risk. A regular exercise program has also been proven effective in reducing the risk for substance abuse among ADHD patients.
Treating Both Addiction and ADHD
Wilens states in AdditudeMag.com that ADHD treatments should not be optimized until the patient has been substance-free for at least a couple of months. It is difficult to know whether ADHD treatments are working if the person is intoxicated on something else. According to SOSDallas.com, collaboration between ADHD and substance-abuse specialists is essential when treating both of these problems simultaneously.
Relapse Prevention
Additudemag.com recommends that the ADHD patient who is on a road for recovery from a substance abuse issues should join a 12-step program or other group therapy program for people with similar problems. This source also states that the patient should avoid being hungry, lonely, stressed or angry, since all of these can increase the risk for relapse.
References
- Partners Resource Network: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- AdditudeMag.com: Addiction and ADHD Adults
- American Journal of Psychiatry: Age of Methylphenidate Treatment Initiation in Children With ADHD and Later Substance Abuse
- ContinuingEdCourses.net: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: Diagnosis and Assessment
- Alcohol and Alcoholism: Comorbidity of Alcohol and Substance Dependence with ADHD
