Just wondered out of curiousity if any addicts/recovering addicts were diagnosed with Add/ADHD as a child. :confused:

Non one?? I can't believe it. Some of us parents on this board were just trying to understand some of this addiction process...maybe find out why our kids have chosen this route and can't get out of it. Any feedback is much appreciated.........

A worried Mom...flint.......:angel:

I was major ADD as a Kid and still am adult ADD. I had some no drug treatment for it last year, it was quit interesting and showed me alot about that side of me.

As a kid, in the UK in those days, ADD was just part of mathamatics, lol. So I suffered uneedlessly, constantly been kicked out of the classroom etc. So I think in so addicts there is a link, I would love to hear of a study...

Thanks for replying. We were discussing this (parents on this board) and we also saw a link. Wish someone would do a study. I am sure we would all be enlightened. How old are you now?

34 and sober for 5 years, so I've had time to look into things like my childhood ADD and adulthood ADD.

There is research thats been done and continues to be done on addiction and ADD/ADHD.I know a couple people that are addicts and have been diagnosed with ADHD.I myself don't really know anything about ADD\ADHD but I'm a full blown addict and understand that.I think you're going to see more and more mental problems attached to addictions in the future....Dave:)

There is a book out called: The Link Between ADD and Addiction: Getting the help you deserve By Wendy Richardson. Do a search for Add+addiction and you will find alot of research there. Kim

Thanks Kim, I will get that book. I had no idea. See, we learn so much from this board and each other............:)

Could be link here,blasterboys undiagnosed ADD resulted in him getting kicked out of classroom etc and having a hard time growing up.my daughter never had this but she always felt she didnt fit in.In this there definitley is a link because most addicts admit to feeling different when growing up one way or t'other.I remember her saying she never felt part of this family and it broke my heart as her father and i are divorced but then i spoke with another mum who has a wonderful marriage and her daughter said the same.
ps,been on the sofa all day feel terrible could be flu.Sods law as i was going to have a big day shopping for winter clothes.Even if the pull of spending aids recovery,youngest fell down school stairs today and has torn ligaments in his foot,right on cue for our long weekend away,sadmum
One positive of being the parent of an addict,these things are trivial

Here we call that Murphys law. I think there is a connection with all this stuff too. There is research being done the internet is our friend!! :D sorry having such a bad day and I'm sure these things so seem trivial compared to the big picture just remember to take care of yourself!!! Kim

i am a recovering meth addict.was in prison and a treatment program there with 175 people in it and a majority of us had either been diagnosed with or had several symptoms of add/adhd.would love to see a study done on it.

My attention span is about 5 minutes at best etc and so the 12 steps have helped me deal with my Adult ADD with the meditation side and the seeking peace side. I am at my best when I'm in nature walking my dog.

I still really wish that I could read a book at home or focus on someone’s conversation for long enough to show I care. Really the 12 steps are sometimes limited and that's when I have to just take it one day at a time. I read about living in the now, Elkhart Toll and Anthony DeMello etc and I think that maybe my ADD is a sort of challenge that encourages me to search this awareness of my uncontrollable action, I sort of watch myself from aside……..

Thanks for posting guys. As I talk to people, it is for sure more prevalent in ADD people. Arky, you have come a long way...keep going! you are from a town not too far from me....

thank you flintrock.i will keep going forward from this point.think it is a shame more recovering addicts don't try to help others.it is a big help for self when done.

Hi flintrock,
I am diagnosed ADHD, I've had it all my life but did not start on medication until I was in my late twenties. I'm also an addict. I believe there have been some studies done, at least my doctor was aware that they have definitely drawn a correlation between substance abuse and undiagnosed ADHD, otherwise known as "self medicating."

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the two are connected. I would drink/use for one reason only - to quiet and calm my chaotic, unfocused mind. Other people have lots of complicated reasons. For me, I would drink just so I could sit down and read a book or watch a movie with my husband. Pain pills and alcohol were literally the only way I ever could find of slowing down to my mind to the point that I could focus on something or have a conversation with someone. Unless you've experienced TRUE adhd, it is very difficult to explain how miserable it can be to deal with ( I say "true" because I think it is seriously overdiagnosed). I couldn't even go to a grocery story for bread and milk without getting confused, wandering around for an hour and emerging with $75 worth of stuff that I did not need. As a kid I stole from stores, I ran away, I drank, I used, I hated everyone - I literally just wanted to get out of my own skin.

Ritalin was a lifesaver for me. Taking ritalin allowed me to think and act like a relatively normal person for the first time in my entire life, it was amazing. I could actually develop hobbies like gardening, I could cook meals from start to finish, I could watch my nephew play soccer. I have had to stop taking it now because I'm pregnant with my first child, and it has been very difficult to cope again without it. However, it's totally worth it for the sake of my child's health of course. But I understand your concern now as a parent - are you a parent of a child with add/adhd, addiction or both? I'm of course worried, and my doctor has agreed, that my child may wind up with many of my same brain problems (I also suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder as a child).

I don't really know what to say about the whole medicating children thing. I hope that I don't have to put my child on Ritalin. I think it should be a very last resort, because it is a very powerful drug and it has a "roller coaster" effect that is really not good, I'm afraid you definitely are "drugged" when on it. On the other hand, I wouldn't want my child to go through the years of unnecessary torment that I did just to prove some point. So since I haven't even had the baby yet, I won't worry about it for now.

Best wishes to you and your child.
sylvia

I don't think they use ritalin much anymore. there are so many other good drugs out there. they have concluded that ritalin does have long term effects on kids. So, there are other options now. My son is 21, was/is ADD...hasn;t taken any meds sicne elementary school. He is a xanax addict. he takes them in high doeses for the high. And then he drinks and smokes weed on top of that. So, I have no idea what kind of brain he has left. He has quit them twice and was doing quite well. But then relapsed. I haven't seen or talked to him in a month. When he's using he stays away...like most addicts.......his life is on a downward spiral and I am not sure what will come next. Glad to see you got yourself together.......that's a good sign. Take care of your little one....and eat healthy!! doesn't mean your child will be born with same ADD...or Complusive disorder. Think positive. And thanks for replying!!

Great input on these boards, doesn't make you feel so alone. My son has an appointment with an addiction counsellor on Friday, I will tell him to bring this up. My son is 22 and was diagnosed when he was younger. Was never on any medication for this problem.

Q: To those who posted, will medication for ADHD help curb the cravings for drugs?

I have read about ADHD in children and then I would see one line that said these children are more prone to addictions when they got older but that was it. So there has to be studies and hopefully this addiction counsellor will have information.

Thanks everyone.

His addiction to Xanex does make sense if he is ADHD. Even though, paradoxically, a prescribed stimulant would work better to "calm" and focus his mind than a sedative -- I can see where he would get some relief from depressants like alcohol or xanex.

Because of my history of substance abuse, my doctor and I have looked very carefully at non-stimulant options for ADHD. Unfortunately, the only one is Strattera, which simply does not work for most people. However, it is definitely worth a try, as it does seem to work for some. There is also a long-acting form of Ritalin that is supposed to curb the "roller coaster" effect, but I haven't tried it. Beyond that - the main drugs used to combat ADHD are stimulants - usually ritalin, adderall and dexadrine.

To cram - definitely tell your son to bring it up with his counselor. Yes, treating undiagnosed ADHD could go a LONG WAY toward helping him stay away from drugs. It doesn't do the whole trick, he will still crave a "high" sometimes, but if he is anything like me it will help tremendously. All he probably really wants is to stop feeling so agitated and confused all the time, and in the absence of proper medication, drugs may be what he uses to self-medicate. It's hard to explain how it works, but basically - a stimulant like ritalin will allow his brain to focus one thing at a time so that he can actually become interested in it and enjoy it, or at least complete a task that he needs to finish, leading to a sense of accomplishment and "job well done". He could derive pleasure out of things like reading a book, watching a movie or having a conversation with a friend - things that can be extremely frustrating with ADHD, which doesn't allow you to enjoy anything and leaves you in a constant state of bored agitation - illicit drugs sometimes seem to be the only relief from that.

Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions!
sylvia