Alcohol & ADHD: The Overlooked Link in My Sober Journey

In this episode of the Sober Butterfly, host Nadine shares her personal journey with her recent ADHD diagnosis, coinciding with ADHD awareness month and Sober October. She discusses the relief and shock of being diagnosed as an adult and explores how undiagnosed ADHD affected her life, especially her relationship with alcohol. Nadine explains how ADHD symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity led her to self-medicate with alcohol, contributing to an ongoing struggle with alcohol use disorder. She highlights the larger issue of undiagnosed ADHD in adulthood, the link between ADHD and higher risks of substance abuse, and shares insights into common symptoms of ADHD. Nadine also explains the negative effects of alcohol on ADHD symptoms and discusses coping mechanisms she has developed since going sober. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding one's mental health, embracing healthier habits, and finding support within sober and ADHD communities.

00:38 ADHD Diagnosis Journey

01:47 ADHD and Alcohol

04:23 Understanding ADHD

08:43 The Link Between ADHD and Alcohol Use

24:10 The Impact of Sobriety on ADHD

41:18 Building Healthier Habits

42:04 Closing Thoughts and Resources

(Re)Sources

• https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683828/
• https://www.samhsa.gov/
• What Alcohol Does to Your Brain | Huberman Lab Podcast

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Transcript

the-sober-butterfly_11_10-10-2024_192622: 0:03

Hello, beautiful people and welcome to the Sober Butterfly. I am Nadine and in this week's episode, I'm going to be sharing something deeply personal to me with October being attention deficit hyperactivity disorder awareness month. This is the time to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for people with ADHD. this also coincides with October being sober October. So I feel like there's no better time to share my recent diagnosis with ADHD. Let's start with a bit of background. So for most of my life, I felt like something was. off, but I could never quite put my finger on it. I was constantly distracted, easily overwhelmed, always bouncing from one thing to the next without ever finishing what I started. It wasn't until recently that I found out there was a reason for all of that. And that is with my diagnosis of ADHD, of course. So getting diagnosed as An adult was both a relief and a shock. Relief came in the form of finally realizing why my brain worked the way it did. And then shock because I never actually thought getting ADHD applied to me. Like I think being a millennial girly, I assumed that my Lack of focus and easily getting distracted was more so a symptom of the times in which we live. There's just so much out there begging for our attention. I would even joke sometimes like, yeah, I have ADHD, but I, I didn't think I actually had ADHD. And so looking back now, it makes sense. It all makes sense, especially when it comes to my relationship with alcohol.

the-sober-butterfly_12_10-10-2024_193220: 1:47

Before getting sober, I used alcohol as a coping mechanism. Now I've talked at length about the various forms in which I used alcohol as a coping mechanism to numb, to forget, to lose my inhibitions or whatever. But now I realize a lot of the ways in which I was using alcohol to cope with life are actually more aligned to, or partly aligned to ADHD symptoms. The constant mental chatter and not being able to dial down that switch my inability to focus, the emotional ups and downs and I used alcohol as a way to try to calm down or calm the storm and it would work. I'm going to be honest with you. That's because alcohol, we know this is a depressant, so it's supposed to have like a numbing agent. It's supposed to help you slow down. And in social situations, it helped me actually feel more normal, more like I could fit in without feeling overwhelmed or restless. I've shared a little bit on this podcast too. Like I'm actually quite shy. I think everyone thinks I'm super outgoing. I've had to learn to be more extroverted, but my default mode is more reserved and shy and quiet, actually. So drinking was a way for me to unlock those skills to be more social. The more I drank, the worse my ADHD got. And it would feel like a relief for a little while. I'm not going to lie. There would be times when I'm like, exhale, like exhale. I got home after a long day, I can drink my wine and lose myself, the quiet would roll over me. Then my ADHD symptoms would actually come back tenfold and I would wake up the next day feeling anxiety, feeling forgetful, feeling impulsive, feeling emotionally unpredictable. And that's because I was struggling with ADHD, not just drinking and alcohol use, but also with ADHD. Now, at the time I did not understand the link between ADHD and alcohol use, but it's a connection that's more common than people realize. Studies show that people with ADHD are more likely to develop substance use disorders, with alcohol being one of the most common substances people turn to

the-sober-butterfly_13_10-10-2024_193705: 4:09

Before I break down the link between ADHD and alcohol use disorder, or just alcohol in general, I want to touch on. What ADHD is. This is a term that we've all heard before. It's been normalized in society. And I think a lot of people say that they have ADHD when in reality they don't. Myself included will actually do. But like back then I would be like, yeah, I have ADHD because I forget to do something. Right. Um, but it's more complex and nuanced than that. Once I officially received my diagnosis of having ADHD, I wanted to make sure I was understanding really what that meant. And so briefly, I want to chat about. What adhd is and maybe this will help you if you're wondering if you have any Symptoms or if you yourself have adhd, Just so you're aware adhd is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting your attention and Activity It's estimated that between 11 percent of children and 4 percent of adults have ADHD, and many of the symptoms are common to young children in particular, such as high activity levels, limited attention span, and the inability to sit still for long periods of time. This is describing me as a child in a nutshell, and the part that I really want to emphasize here is that ADHD can disrupt a person's way of life. It can cause low self esteem feeling like you're not good enough, which I often used to think, why is it that things are so much easier for other people? You know, how is it that some people can sit still for long periods of time and study? For two hours in the library after school and I can't, and even as a young professional being at work, I can see how people can dial in and do a task that would take them, say, 15 minutes and take me an hour.

the-sober-butterfly_14_10-10-2024_194203: 6:00

There are three sort of tenets or symptoms characterized with ADHD, and I'm briefly going to touch on those. So one is inattention, and inattentiveness makes it difficult for those with ADHD to focus on school, work, and other essential life obligations. They may make mistakes at school or work, or forget necessary appointments, and Maybe unable to follow through on tasks that require sustained mental effort. And all of those things I have connected to related to done myself. I think also the inattention can present itself in the form of task initiation and follow through. Another key tenant of ADHD is hyperactivity, this can look like a person fidgeting, tapping their hands or feet or squirming in their seat. Like I do all of the above.

the-sober-butterfly_15_10-10-2024_194406: 6:48

And then lastly, a key tenant is impulsivity, which I can relate to so much. People with ADHD may find it challenging to remain patient. They can often make hasty decisions without really thinking through the results. Or my favorite, my personal favorite, is interrupting people. I am the queen of interrupting people. And when I was Doing the intake survey, they have you complete a survey. that's like phase one of at least my diagnosis with ADHD and I'm going through the questionnaire and I'm like, check, check, check. Yes, yes, yes. All the boxes. And this one, I was just like, cringing because I've been told off before for doing that. I will interrupt someone's conversation. In mid conversation, interrupt other people. I will, you know, finish, Other people's thoughts, like I'm the queen of like, Oh, I know what you're about to say. So I'm going to say it for you. And I'm actually really good at predicting what people are going to say, but still it's annoying. I know it's annoying and I can feel myself doing it and I hate myself for doing it, but it's the impulsivity. I can't help myself. I'm like, let me word vomit all over this conversation.

the-sober-butterfly_16_10-10-2024_194604: 7:54

So ADHD was once believed to only be a childhood disorder. That's why there are higher rates of diagnoses in childhood. And when I was doing my interview with my psychiatrist before being officially diagnosed with ADHD, she was asking a lot of questions about childhood. She wanted to know the type of student I was in school. She wanted to know about my social interactions and friend groups and activity levels. And so I shared all of that with her. Although it was once believed to be a childhood disorder, research has expanded into new areas, such as the link between ADHD and adulthood. And then more specific to this topic, alcohol use in adulthood and ADHD.

the-sober-butterfly_17_10-10-2024_194732: 8:38

Let's get into the link between ADHD and alcohol use, and I want to spend some time talking about the presence of ADHD symptoms. Even without a diagnosis of ADHD and the risk for problems related to alcohol consumption, because your girl was just diagnosed last month. I'm 33 years old, I was drinking this whole time. While having symptoms related to, so whether you have an official diagnosis or not, this might be helpful for you or someone that, you know, and determining if you have a higher risk or chance of developing alcohol use disorder from having because there is a. Link there,

the-sober-butterfly_19_10-10-2024_195155: 9:18

Extensive research has determined there is a connection between alcohol use and ADHD, and some of these findings include earlier alcohol use. studies have shown that those who have ADHD, once again, whether it's diagnosed or not, are more likely to drink at a young age and partake in heavy, frequent alcohol consumption. Me first trying alcohol at age 13 at a college party with my cousin is an example of this

the-sober-butterfly_20_10-10-2024_195430: 9:46

Findings also include an increased risk of binge drinking and You know, what's interesting in doing research for this, I'm like, okay, what determines binge drinking, like how many drinks is binge drinking and I'm going to read this, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking, Is defined as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration to 0. 08 percent or about 0. 08 grams of alcohol per deciliter or more this typically happens because I've never actually blown on like one of those devices. But this typically happens if a woman has four or more drinks in her system. And a man has five or more drinks within a two hour window.

the-sober-butterfly_21_10-10-2024_195652: 10:35

When I read that Binge drinking is defined as four drinks or more for a woman within a two hour window. I laughed. I shouldn't have laughed, but I'm like four drinks in two hours. Are you kidding me? That's one drink every half hour. That's nothing. That is, of course, something, but in my alcoholic brain, in my times of drinking, I definitely was doing way more I could do four drinks and a glass of wine and a couple shots in two hours and keep going and seeing where the night takes me. But I don't want to go on a tangent too much here. I just wanted to share, okay, what has been drinking so that we have a normed common language according to this organization, it is for drinks for a woman and five for a man in two hours. And so what's interesting about that is experts have actually discovered that people with are at a higher risk of binge drinking in early adulthood. One study in particular found that 42. 1 percent of those. With ADHD reported binge drinking every time they drank alcohol. I'm going to say that one more time because I think that's really powerful. 42 percent of people living with ADHD report binge drinking alcohol every time they drink alcohol. That's huge. That's so prolific to know because that's showing that almost half of people with ADHD cannot drink normally. And, you know, I'm going to just say normally for the sake of this argument, because you guys know, I don't know what normal drinking looks like or if it can really exist. But, Yeah, I think that's insane to think about how many people are suffering with ADHD and alcohol use disorder. And studies show that having ADHD in childhood increases the risk of developing alcohol use disorder in adulthood. And while alcohol may appear as a short term solution to some of the restlessness and anxiety often associated with ADHD. Heavy consumption of alcohol will intensify symptoms of ADHD and even render some ADHD medications ineffective. I want to talk a little bit now about consuming alcohol with ADHD because I did this for the majority of my drinking career, not knowing I had ADHD, but the symptoms very much being present. And I want to talk to anyone at home who may. think that they have ADHD and maybe drinking alcohol, even if they're not abusing said alcohol, the simple fact that they suspect or have actually received a diagnosis of ADHD it's important to know what alcohol is doing to exasperate some of the symptoms that you may be facing as a person living with ADHD. So alcohol is a depressant for those with ADHD. It can actually have the opposite effect. When a person drinks alcohol, what ends up happening is it affects your frontal lobe and your frontal lobe is responsible for clear thinking and decision making. So it is very important now, individuals with ADHD already have symptoms typically, um, or usually with impulsive decision making. And so this can lead to even further consequences. When people consume alcohol, these symptoms can increase. And so what alcohol is doing in this context is it's intensifying the symptoms of inattentiveness and restlessness.

the-sober-butterfly_22_10-10-2024_200315: 14:07

And what's so crazy about this is a year or so ago, I heard an episode of the Huberman lab and I'll link this episode in the show notes, because if you haven't heard this, this was actually like two years ago. Um, It is such a prolific episode that will explain a lot about what alcohol does to your body, brain and health. There's 1 specific part where human men talks about looking for signs that you may be more susceptible to alcohol use disorder or alcoholism. And. What was interesting in how he described it. So he used this metaphor of a switch. And so he said, if you think about it, alcohol classification is a depressant. And so if anything, it's supposed to quiet your mind, it's supposed to slow you down, And while there were times when I drank that, yes, I would have those moments where I could go into that, like, exhale moment of like, Oh, I'm relaxing. I'm going to try and relax because relaxation has been a struggle for me my whole life. But Mostly alcohol would not turn me off. So going back to the switch, like alcohol wouldn't tone me down. If anything, it would light me up, like the switch would flip up and now I'm turned up and I am, you know, doing the most. Losing control and, you know, being crazy and wild and free and losing my inhibitions and blah, blah, blah. But ultimately he described that as you. Potentially being predisposed to the genetic factor of alcoholism, because alcohol by definition is not, or classification is not, a stimulant. I shouldn't be bouncing off the walls, standing on tables, going insane. I should be ready to go to bed, because also people use alcohol to sleep and I was never really one of those people. And now I understand why so just emphasizing this idea that, you know, if you are someone that has, or thinks you have ADHD and you are drinking, or when you used to drink, you would also be kind of like turned on or unlock this feral being inside of you, that could be in relation to, Intensifying your symptoms related to ADHD. And That's going to lead to difficulty managing your emotions, which is something that I also experienced. I've had anxious tendencies a lot of my life, and I also used alcohol as a way to mitigate some of those feelings of anxiety. The issue would be that, yes, I could, like, use alcohol as a coping mechanism and forget about my problems in that moment. But the next day. The anxiety sometimes, or mostly, I would argue, would be worse than the actual hangover. And at the peak of my drinking career, when I was able to, you know, figure out all the ways in which I could not. I have a hangover the next day, I was never able to find a cheat code for the anxiety. I would always have that feeling of regret or like I should be doing this and why did I do that? And just those things were exasperated. And that is because by default, I think I am a person that overthinks with my ADHD. And the anxiety often comes from overthinking about things that have happened or might happened or will never probably happen. But I'm just ruminating with all of these thoughts. And when I did get sober, it did help with my anxiety. I will be the first to say like, yes, I did notice myself feeling less anxious, but the anxiety never really went away. And I also now see that that is in connection to my ADHD. Another key, um, symptom is reward seeking, which once again, going back to that questionnaire is filling out in preparation for my meeting with my psychiatrist There are lots of questions related to reward seeking characteristics. And so just so we're clear reward seeking is the behavior or the motivation to pursue stimuli or pursue activities that are perceived as pleasurable, rewarding and satisfying. And what does that mean? It's just basically reinforcing behaviors that provide pleasure. So because I had such a hard time, not so much with task initiation, like I've always been a self starter, and I think that's just because I have so much energy. So I'm like, Oh, let me do this. Let me start this. and then I get distracted and now I'm starting something else, but I've never had issues with task initiation. So if you are a person that struggles to get started, started with things, that is still a symptom of ADHD, but just not my experience. The follow through has always been the difficult part for me. So not the starting, but the follow through. Is like, how can I give my focus for a sustained period of time? And that's always been a struggle for me. And 1 of the ways, 1 of the cheats I used to try to do to motivate myself was through pleasure driven motivation, which is like forecasting or projecting my reward at the end of a task. So that was a way that I tried to like trick myself into doing something. So that could be related to physical pleasures, like food or alcohol. Alcohol was usually the one I turned to, which is like, Oh, if I, You know, finish cleaning my apartment because I get distracted, like, 1 minute I'm, sweeping the floor next minute. Oh, what's that over there? And oh, I found this old receipt. So now I'm going to read it. As I'm reading this receipt from Zara, oh, that reminds me, where is that top? And like, now I'm in my closet looking for this top, and then I find the top, and you know what? Like, how am I cleaning without music? Let me put some music on. And now it's a runway fashion show in my mirror. Like, that is basically how I clean. I would like operate so a way in which I would try and keep myself focused on the task at hand Was to reward myself with alcohol So, okay If you clean the kitchen girl if you sweep the floor then you're gonna have a glass of wine And then after you take out the garbage and wash out the bathtub Then you get another glass of wine. So I would basically just find ways that I could reward myself for completing tasks because task completion has always been difficult for me.

the-sober-butterfly_23_10-10-2024_201410: 20:21

So that's just an example of reward seeking. Dopamine, of course, is at play as one of the brain's reward pathways and then other examples can be related to social validation, seeking approval, likes, compliments on social or real life can. Also aid in a dopamine boost and then engaging in risky behaviors, like thrill seeking activities or, you know, binge drinking because you want to get the sense of excitement or accomplishment is all connected to reward seeking. And the reason why individuals with ADHD are more prone to reward seeking behavior, especially the impulsive and risky ones are related to those rewards. And this is because of the dopamine dysregulation. people with ADHD tend to have lower baseline levels of motivation and increased impulsivity. So, as a result, they might engage in behaviors like alcohol use and overeating and risk taking to obtain that immediate, pleasure or stimulation

21:28

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the-sober-butterfly_24_10-10-2024_201655: 23:14

Okay, we've talked about anxiousness, we've talked about impulsivity, reward seeking, and these are all reasons that can cause a person with ADHD to turn to alcohol and then develop a dependency in some cases. another thing I want to just add on here is just challenges related with addiction. Managing or regulating your emotions so you have people with ADHD self medicating with alcohol, and this is to ease some of the distress that comes with the condition of having ADHD.

the-sober-butterfly_25_10-10-2024_202026: 23:46

Living with ADHD can be really stressful. it just feels like you're in a constant state of chaos at times. And then there's also the additional stress that's accompanied by feeling different or feeling like you're failing, whether that be in school or at work or just in life

the-sober-butterfly_26_10-10-2024_202530: 24:05

Now that we've talked about the link between ADHD and alcohol, I want to move into the next segment, which is really talking about how my diagnosis changed pretty much everything for me. And once again, this is a new diagnosis, but in the short amount of time that I've been diagnosed with ADHD and worked on some strategies to manage my symptoms of ADHD, I feel like I'm becoming. A better version of self. The best thing I did to help my ADHD was to remove alcohol. But beyond that, getting this diagnosis changed the way I view my past struggles with alcohol. It's really helped me to understand that my drinking wasn't just about social pressures or wanting to have a good time, or even just coping with life. It was a way in which I was actually trying to self protect and manage something that I didn't even know about. And so that's given me a great sense of gratitude. I know it sounds crazy, but it just gives me so much more empathy for where I was all those years spent in active addiction, because I'm like, It was a means of survival. Getting curious about who I was then and why I was using alcohol then has been a lot more impactful than being critical or judgmental or cringing about some of the things I used to do back then, because, you know, I can't change the past. Who I am is who I am. I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't change anything, even in those dark hours of drinking and doing things that I otherwise would never do today. I feel like I've hit a new level and understanding who I am thanks to my sobriety.

the-sober-butterfly_27_10-10-2024_203059: 25:53

Being sober is the best thing I could have done for my ADHD symptoms before I even realized I had ADHD symptoms. And I want to talk about some of the profound positive impact that sobriety has had for me related to my cognitive functioning and related to emotional regulation and overall mental health. And this is just from me removing alcohol, so if you are someone that is drinking once again, or if you know someone who's drinking and has ADHD, this could be your sign to kick the bottle once and for all, if not just for the 42 percent of people who have ADHD and binge drink, every time they drink, if not just for understanding more about the tenants of and how alcohol exasperates all of these symptoms, like inattention and hyperactivity and impulsivity if not just for the fact that you're sick of feeling bad and then using a bad substance to Feel okay, and then feel bad again if not for all of those reasons Well, let me tell you what happened when I quit drinking now that I understand that I was experiencing symptoms of ADHD And how my life changed so You Starting with cognitive function, because I always felt, like I said, a little bit all over the place, chaotic, overthinking things and having the inattention, the poor memory, the difficulty focusing, taking the alcohol out of the equation, I was able to concentrate better, I was able to focus more, I guess the best way I could describe it is I just feel clearer. I've always been a forgetful person and blacking out certainly didn't help. I think that's the scariest part of my drinking is when I would blackout because I had a lot of blackouts, if I'm being honest, and I just hate that I have chunks of time missing from my head. So there's that, but like, even when friends will tell me stories, forget stories, actually. I'm talking about people. Let's just talk about people. So the other day my girlfriend calls me and she's like, Hey, you're never going to guess who I ran into. And I'm like, Oh, who? And she goes, Johnny, not his real name, but Johnny. I'm like waiting for her to, you know, follow that with a surname. I'm like, Johnny, who? And she's like, you know, Johnny Edward. And I'm like, Johnny Edward, who? I'm like, is this knock knock? Guess who? Like, what is going on? And she's like, from school from FAMU. So I went to FAMU for undergrad. So she's like from FAM. And I'm like, who is like, am I supposed to know who that is? And she's like, Yeah, he used to be blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, like, she had all of these stories, these anecdotes, these examples, in which I should know who this person is, and I can bet, like, if I'm guessing, I would say I was probably drinking most of these times, but so was she, and she remembers, and she's like, I'm going to send you a picture. I cannot believe you don't remember this guy. So she sends me a picture. I'm staring at his face and I'm like, I got nothing like, not even like, oh, I kind of think he looks familiar. Like, this is a stranger. I do not know this man. Okay. Like Kiki Palmer said, I do not know this man. And so, um, Then she's like, okay, that's crazy needy and like she's thinking that I'm playing a joke on her and I'm like I am NOT joking. I don't know who this person is and so a few days roll by and and she sends me a picture of me and Johnny Edwards or Edward whatever we called him like I could not believe it and you would think this is the worst part. You would think that when I saw the photo, I'd be like, oh, Johnny, Johnny Edward. No,. I'm like, I recognize the setting. I live there. I recognize. You referring to my friend who was also in the photo. I was like, I recognize you, but I don't know this man. So I'm just going off here. But yeah, it's crazy that I have all of these holes. In my memory, my working memory, my subconscious, my, I don't even know, like, I just feel like I have amnesia half of the time when people bring up things that used to happen, especially when I was drinking. So I say a lot to say that my memory has improved.

the-sober-butterfly_28_10-10-2024_203806: 30:13

Increased clarity is something that a lot of sober people talk about because it's true. You just feel like you're seeing the world differently through sober eyes and it's not so bad. Actually, it's quite beautiful in a very twisted, tormented way, life can be beautiful, especially when you don't need to numb your way through it. So I definitely felt like I had more of a clear outlook on life felt like a fog was lifted and it helped me. Develop more agency around planning and I'm almost like an over planner now, but yeah, just overall decision making. From more of a clear perspective, That's one aspect by removing alcohol and this is not just for folks who have ADHD or suspect they might. It's just in general how Life gets better from a cognitive standpoint, when you remove alcohol, but not just from a cognitive standpoint, but also from an emotional stability standpoint, because people with ADHD often do struggle with emotional regulation. And we talked about impulsivity. That's a way in which you're having a hard time regulating emotions. Mood swings can be a part of that heightened sensitivity to stress, like all of these things, you know, increase in anxiety. Like we mentioned before, does initially numb some of those emotions, but then ultimately it exasperates them at the same time because it's disrupting the overall brain chemistry. Getting sober can lead to more stable moods, so you're no longer codependent on a substance that is influencing your mood or your emotions and the long term, because I think it does take some time to develop the ability to deal with your emotions. Raw and manage, you know, predict them. It will eventually, if you give it time, lead to more stable moods. And then, of course, less impulsivity. Sobriety does help curb the impulsivity that's worsened by alcohol use, and then the symptoms of ADHD, and it just leads to more thoughtful decisions, I don't need to go into detail here, if you're not intoxicated, if you're not inebriated, and you're already probably, like, somewhat of an impulsive person, if you have ADHD, then you're not going to be making as crazy decisions. Like I don't need alcohol to be crazy. I love to say that because it's true for me. Like I am just programmed this way. Like why would I need a substance to make me crazier? I got enough of it. Removing alcohol can also lead to healthier coping mechanisms and that's because you're no longer leaning on alcohol as a way to cope with stress or boredom or emotional dysregulation. And so when I first got sober, I learned a lot of healthier coping mechanisms because I had to, develop my very own sober toolbox, so to speak. And figuratively speaking, yes, I did have to lean on things like mindfulness and relaxation techniques and practices like meditation and yoga. I even went to Tai chi and deep breathing and all of the things like I literally took a class to learn how to breathe. and it did help with regulating some of my emotions and reducing impulsivity, but then literally speaking, I developed a sober toolbox with tangible things I could put in there. And that was connected to journals and looking at different mantra cards and, what else did I have in there? I had a stress ball. I had all the things because I needed. a lot of support and tools to get me through early sobriety. And then lastly, my, probably my biggest coping mechanism outside of having a therapist is physical activity. Exercise has been hands down one of the best ways for me to deal with my ADHD. And that's because I have so much energy. I'm bursting with energy. As I record this, I'm like, if you've seen me on YouTube, I'm moving my hands. I can't sit still. Having some kind of physical activity or outlet helps me boost my dopamine levels. So I feel better. I am that annoying person. That's like, I have to work out almost every day, if not every single day, because I literally get depressed. And I need high dopamine levels to feel emotionally stable. And also the dopamine can help with improving focus. So it's a win win there's so many benefits to giving up alcohol, especially if you're suffering from ADHD. And I'm not going to go through. Every single, single benefit because I believe they're limitless, but like sleep is another thing that can help because if you have ADHD, you may struggle with sleep disturbances and alcohol usually disrupts your sleep cycle. So you'll have better sleep quality, you'll feel less fatigued as a result of sleeping better. Better sleep means better focus and less irritability. So it all connects. I'll end here with reduced risk of co-occurring issues. And what I mean by that is A DHD often co-occur with other issues like anxiety. I touched on how. I can be anxious, depression, I've suffered with depression in the past, and then substance use disorders. Alcohol intensifies some of those problems, and so removing the alcohol helps with the reduce or the reduce of risk.

the-sober-butterfly_29_10-10-2024_204642: 35:35

So those are basically some of the ways in which getting sober helped me manage my ADHD symptoms, even though I didn't know I had ADHD. so if any of those resonated with you, highly consider if you are still drinking, removing or reducing significantly the amount of alcohol that you consume so that you can better manage any ADHD symptoms or just any of the aforementioned things if you're feeling like you have anxiety, or if you feel as though you are struggling with depression or other mental health conditions, then alcohol is only going to make things worse

the-sober-butterfly_30_10-10-2024_204747: 36:11

If you've been listening to this episode and you're wondering whether ADHD might be playing a role in your own struggles with alcohol, I want to let you guys know that you are not alone. And so many people are dealing with undiagnosed ADHD and using alcohol to cope without realizing the connection. I myself did that for years. So here's what I would suggest if this resonates with you. Number one, I recommend getting evaluated. If you suspect that you might have ADHD, reach out to your health care provider. Getting diagnosed can open the door to so many tools and resources that can help you manage both your ADHD and your sobriety or your drinking. I wish I had gotten diagnosed sooner. I waited and waited and delayed and delayed because I have ADHD and like, this is not life threatening, but I guess I just got to a point and this is a good segue actually, because I don't think I really shared. What led me to get diagnosed officially or finally. It was the beginning of September and I was going back to work and I was just struggling. And I talked a little bit about this or alluded to this on one of the episodes earlier in September on the podcast, but I didn't really go into details because everything was pending and new. And I just didn't know, Fully what was going on with me, but I was struggling I was struggling to manage and I was sick and tired of being sick And tired and that is something I felt when I was drinking. I was like, I'm sick of doing this I don't want to do it anymore. What is wrong with me? And I Felt similar to that early September. The difference is that It felt, I would almost argue, worse because when I was drinking, I could point the finger at the behavior or at the action or the substance, right? I'm sick of doing this thing. This toxic substance is doing this to me. It's something external. I felt like this go was more personal and worse, I shouldn't say worse. It just felt different and but still really impactful because it's like, here I am struggling with life. I'm just struggling with life and it's not my sobriety. It's not a substance. It's me. I'm sick of me. I'm sick of. being programmed this way and wired this way and why does everything have to be so hard with me and why can't I be more organized and why can't I do this or that and like I'm also a perfectionist so these things feel very contradictory to themselves because it's like I want to be the best and be my perfect self. But it's a struggle and I would still strive to be the best and be a perfectionist in some regards. And that's something I'm working through but it would take me so much longer. Everything felt like it took me 10 times as long as it would take someone else. But because I'm so determined to be the best version of self, I'm going to still do it. And so I was just sick of tired of being sick and tired. And so that's what led me to seek out the help of the health care provider. Since getting that diagnosis a month ago, I feel different. I feel finally, like I can manage myself. It's really hard to explain. Like before I had all of these ideas, but, and I have so many ideas, but I couldn't see them to life. And it's not been an overnight process. And I know I have a lot more to learn and grow into, but. At this stage, I can already feel a difference is the point I'm trying to make. If you're struggling with ADHD and or alcohol and or sobriety, or if you're wondering if you have ADHD, the 2nd thing I would say is work with a therapist who understands the overlap between ADHD and addiction that makes a huge difference. The therapist I have today is the same therapist who helped me get sober 3 years ago, she is also someone who encouraged me to seek out the evaluation for So my therapist practices a form of therapy called CBT, which is cognitive behavioral therapy. And it is. Really effective in helping people with ADHD develop healthier coping mechanisms. Even though I'm not drinking, I can still work on my coping mechanisms. I don't always turn to the healthiest alternatives. And so my therapist consistently. Has been working on me with that. And that is something that I am very grateful to have. So the most common prescriptions for ADHD are stimulants

the-sober-butterfly_31_10-10-2024_210012: 40:53

I was nervous when the psychiatrist was talking about Adderall as a form of medication to help with ADHD. So just make sure that you find a doctor who understands the link between ADHD and alcohol use disorder or drinking or addiction in general. Okay. So here's where we wind down the episode It has been an interesting journey navigating sobriety while also learning how to manage my ADHD If there's one thing I've learned in this month, it's that the more I understand my brain the better I can take care of myself Alcohol may have seemed like a quick fix in the past, but it was only masking the real issues. Since my diagnosis, I've been focused on building healthier habits. I'm learning to embrace the way my brain works, and I'm finding support in both the sober and ADHD communities. I just want to remind us that sobriety and recovery, they are an ongoing process and it's really important that you have the right tools in place because that will make all of the difference. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of the Sober Butterfly podcast. If you're dealing with both ADHD and alcohol use, remember you are not alone. Reach out for help and know that recovery is possible. For more resources on ADHD and alcohol use, you can visit the alcohol and other drugs resource website found in the show notes below. And do me a favor, guys, please share this episode with anyone who might benefit and take care of yourself before we wrap up this episode. I want to take a moment to say, thank you for being a part of the Sober Butterfly community. If you've been enjoying the podcast, I'd love to hear from you, leaving a review really helps others find the show. And it gives me some valuable feedback on what resonates with you. So if today's episode or any past episode has spoken to you, please take a minute to leave a quick review on your favorite podcast platform. It would mean the world to me and it helps spread the message to those who might need it. Thank you so much for your support. Take care and I'll see you next time on the Sober Butterfly podcast