This may be a dumb question, but I was wondering if there was any particular reason why so many people with ADHD struggle with alcohol and/or alcohol addiction? I know they can tend to have one or several addictions, but alcohol seems to be one that carries over to quite a few who have ADHD. Is it to quiet the mind? My ADHD husband's sister and brother (brother bi-polar and sister and alcoholic/ bi-polar undiagnosed) both had alcohol addictions. My husband is not ADDICTED to alcohol, but there are times I do think he does drink too much. He can go through a large bottle of heavy liquor (Sambuca) in just a few days, and says he can't get to sleep without a drink. It has worried me at times, especially due to his family's addiction problems. Plus, there are SO MANY other husbands/wives on this forum who ADHD spouses drink way too much. So, I'm asking the question.
ADHD and alcohol
Submitted by dedelight4 on 05/23/2015.
Yes there is probably a
Submitted by adhdkanga on
Yes there is probably a genetic overlap between ADHD and susceptibility to alcholism.
Deciding to drink if often impulsive behaviour, which is part of ADHD.
Drinking can TEMPORARILY relieve stress in people with ADHD (and others) until they get "out of control".
All people with ADHD should be strongly discouraged from drinking...
Alcohol is self medicating
Submitted by Hopeful Heart on
We were advised to put our 15 year old adhd son on meds. They said that he would be less likely to turn to drugs and alcohol if we put him on meds. I assume the drugs and alcohol are a form of self medicating to deal with stress, depression, anxiety, etc.
My husband has adhd, also. He has a lot of alcoholics on his fathers side of the family. Looking back, I think ADHD is also involved. Very interesting.
Thankfully, my husband won't go near alcohol or prescription pain medicine because of the history of addicts in his family. I give him a lot of credit for that.