People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD have difficulty controlling impulses, so it is not surprising that 50% of these patients may also abuse alcohol or drugs during their lifetime, according to a new study.
People with ADHD tend to show lower levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which are hormones that improve brain pleasure uptake. Those with low levels of these hormones may have difficulty feeling balanced and happy, and then look for means outside the body to help increase so-called “happy hormones”.
This means that patients with ADHD with a history of depression or anxiety are at an even higher risk of substance abuse.
According to the study, data from 6,872 Canadians aged 20 to 39 showed that people with ADHD (270 respondents) were much more likely to suffer from a substance abuse disorder, compared to participants without ADHD; alcohol was the most common THC cannabis intoxicant. One in three adults with ADHD claimed to have dealt with alcoholism during their lifetime and just over one in six adults fought other illicit drugs, including cocaine and heroin.
ADHD is thought to be the result of disordered activity in the frontal cortex of the brain, an area of behavior control, that is, the ability to control moods, stay focused, and motivated to work or plan and manage time.
“People with ADHD can self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to keep depression under control, and of course this is a recipe for disaster,” said study author Esme Fuller-Thomson, the whose work was published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism earlier this month. University of Toronto social work researcher and director of the Institute for the Course and Aging of Life told HealthDay that her findings “underscore the need for effective interventions to address substance use disorders. among people with ADHD “.
Psychologist Ari Tuckman, of children and adults with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), told HealthDay: “Given the lack of impulse control, people with ADHD are likely to break sobriety in this moment”. The “first domino” to mitigate the problem is to get treatment, which may involve medication and behavioral therapy.
These treatments were not a factor in the study, but Fuller-Thompson suggested that cognitive therapy “may have a very positive effect on ADHD symptoms, substance abuse problems, and depression and anxiety.” .