Alcohol and adhd

[Pogo75]

I’d like to know more about the relationship between alcohol and ADHD. I do drink more than I should. I also know—from experience and professional counseling—that I am not an alcoholic (thanks be to God). But I wonder what level of alchohol use is advisable—if any. It seems to me that alcohol calms me. But that’s my self-diagnosis.

[glitterpidgeon]

HA drinking more than I should was my *life* pre-diagnosis. I also wasn’t an alcoholic, but since alcohol was the only reliable way I knew how to calm myself I definitely abused it. I would get tired of it and quit for weeks or even months at a time, but once the novelty of being a teetotaler wore off I’d find myself going back to old habits to find some relief from a constant mental and emotional battle I couldn’t explain to anyone.

Getting diagnosed was a revelation. Taking Ritalin completely erased my desire to drink. In fact I can pretty reliably tell when my medication is wearing off by whether or not a beer starts sounding good

My psychiatrist explained that this was pretty normal for ADHD peoples. We abuse alcohol because it does help treat symptoms in the moment, but it does so at the cost of making ADHD symptoms worse in the long run (as well as being generally bad for your health in other ways). Not only does alcohol tend to disrupt sleep patterns (and poor sleep makes adhd much worse), but over time it also lowers the level of dopamine in your brain, which ADHD people already have less of and which will make symptoms much, much worse in the long run. The best thing I ever did was to quit alcohol and get medicated properly.

[Pogo75 in reply to glitterpidgeon]

Thanks, glitterpidgeon. I’ve avoided virtually all medications of any kind for almost anything all of my life (75 years), but my self-medication with alcohol is (finally clear to me) not a good solution. Next physical, which is soon, I’m bringing up the issue with the Doc. Thanks.

[glitterpidgeon in reply to Pogo75]

I’d agree medications can be a royal PITA but sometimes are better than the alternatives. I wish you luck and good health with your physical!