How ADHD Increases the Risk of Addiction
Recognizing the Signs of ADHD and How It’s Treated
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, usually becomes noticeable starting around age 7. That said, some children with ADHD go unnoticed by their parents, who may assume the child is simply energetic or stubborn. Children with high IQ may also compensate for their ADHD symptoms with intelligence, making the condition less apparent — and as a result, it can go untreated well into adulthood.
How to Recognize the Signs of ADHD
ADHD symptoms fall into two main categories:
1. Inattentiveness, such as:
• Difficulty staying focused on any one thing for long • Trouble concentrating while listening • Difficulty paying attention for extended periods and missing details, leading to frequent mistakes in work • Frequently losing or forgetting things • Easily distracted by surrounding stimuli • Not finishing tasks on time • Avoiding tasks that require sustained thought or concentration
2. Hyperactivity and impulsivity, such as:
• Fidgeting, restlessness, difficulty sitting still • More restless than peers of the same age • Unable to stay seated, frequently getting up in situations that require sitting still, such as in class • Running around or climbing on things in inappropriate settings • Talking excessively • Answering questions before they’re finished being asked • Difficulty waiting for anything • Acting without thinking things through
In adults with ADHD, inattentiveness tends to be the more prominent symptom, while hyperactivity is often less obvious — making the condition harder to identify in adults than in children.
How ADHD Increases the Risk of Addiction
People with ADHD often share the following traits, which increase the risk of developing dependence on nearly any substance, as well as gambling addiction:
• A strong drive for excitement • Difficulty waiting • Difficulty controlling their own impulses • Low tolerance for frustration • Difficulty regulating emotions
These traits stem from reduced dopamine activity in the prefrontal region of the brain.
How ADHD Is Treated
People struggling with substance or gambling addiction should be assessed by a psychiatrist to determine whether they also have ADHD. If a patient showed signs of ADHD before their addiction began, it suggests they may have had underlying, undiagnosed ADHD. These patients should receive ADHD medication alongside addiction treatment. ADHD medication stimulates dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex, improving focus, thinking, decision-making, and impulse control.
Taking ADHD medication alongside addiction treatment significantly improves the chances of successfully quitting, since better self-control, impulse regulation, and emotional regulation also help patients resist the urge to use substances.
For patients who aren’t ready for residential addiction treatment, or whose addiction isn’t yet severe — meaning no psychiatric symptoms, no significant mood disturbance, and genuine motivation to quit — recovery is possible through outpatient consultation with a psychiatrist at a clinic.
Day One Rehabilitation Center recommends Piti Clinic, which offers psychiatric consultation covering general psychiatry, addiction treatment, geriatric psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry, including ADHD treatment, from psychiatrists with direct expertise in the field. Click here.
For more information, please contact us at: 99/1 Moo 6, Si Chula, Mueang Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Nayok 26000, Thailand +66 64-645-5091 [email protected] Mon – Sun: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (ICT)