ADHD and Alcohol Addiction: Understanding the Link and How to Regain Control

ADHD and alcohol addiction can turn “just one to unwind” into waking up drained and disappointed.

Living with ADHD can be exhausting. Your mind can feel busy. Emotions can spike fast. Rest can be hard to find.

For some people, alcohol becomes the quickest way to calm things down. At first, it can feel like relief. Over time, it can start to feel like a requirement.

If that sounds familiar, this isn’t about weakness. It’s about brain chemistry, stress, and coping patterns that can become automatic.

What is ADHD?

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition. It affects attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation.

It’s not laziness. It’s not a lack of motivation. Many adults with ADHD work incredibly hard just to keep up.

In adults, ADHD can look like:

• racing thoughts

• difficulty starting or finishing tasks

• forgetfulness and disorganisation

• restlessness (mental or physical)

• feeling overwhelmed by “simple” things

• impulsive decisions, especially under stress

• strong emotions that rise quickly and feel hard to settle

Two areas matter a lot when we talk about alcohol: impulsivity and emotional regulation. When the brain struggles to pause or soothe itself, quick fixes become tempting.

What is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction (also called alcohol use disorder) is when drinking becomes hard to control, even when it causes problems.

It’s not defined by how much you drink compared to other people. It’s defined by impact and control.

Common signs include:

• needing more alcohol to get the same effect

• drinking to cope with stress, anxiety, sleep, or emotions

• trying to cut back and struggling to follow through

• hiding alcohol or downplaying how much you drink

• feeling guilt, shame, or dread after drinking

• continuing to drink despite harm to health, relationships, work, or mental wellbeing

Casual drinking is usually flexible. You can take it or leave it.

Dependence often feels like alcohol has become a coping tool you reach for automatically.

The link between ADHD and alcohol addiction

People with ADHD have a higher risk of alcohol problems. Not because they’re “bad at self-control”. There are a few real reasons.

Dopamine and short-term relief

Dopamine is involved in motivation, reward, and focus. Many people with ADHD have lower or less consistent dopamine activity.

Alcohol can temporarily boost dopamine. That can create short-term effects like:

• feeling calmer

• feeling more confident

• feeling less restless

• feeling less emotionally reactive

• feeling more able to “switch off”

  
  

Your brain learns quickly: this helps. Even if it only helps briefly.

Impulsivity and difficulty pausing

Planning limits is one thing. Following them is harder when ADHD impulsivity kicks in.

ADHD can make it harder to pause before acting, especially when you’re tired, stressed, overstimulated, or upset.

So you might plan to have one drink. Then you have more than you intended. Then you wake up annoyed with yourself. That pattern can repeat for years.

Emotional intensity and stress sensitivity

Many adults with ADHD experience emotions more intensely. Stress can feel bigger. Frustration can hit harder. Shame can spiral fast.

Alcohol can numb or soften those feelings in the moment. That’s why it’s so easy for drinking to shift from “social” to “coping”.

Sleep problems

ADHD and sleep problems often go together. Alcohol can seem like it helps you fall asleep at first.

But alcohol usually reduces sleep quality. It can increase night waking and early waking. Poor sleep then worsens ADHD symptoms the next day, which can increase the urge to drink again.

Why people with ADHD may turn to alcohol

There are a few common reasons, and they’re all understandable.

• Overstimulation: After a demanding day, your brain wants quiet. Alcohol can feel like the fastest off-switch.

• Anxiety relief: Some people drink to reduce social anxiety or worry.

• Emotional relief: Alcohol can dull anger, sadness, rejection sensitivity, or overwhelm.

• Masking: If you’ve spent years trying to “act normal”, alcohol can make socialising feel easier.

• Routine: Drinking can become a predictable end-of-day habit, especially when evenings feel unstructured.

None of these reasons mean you’re doomed. They just explain why the habit can stick.

Practical strategies to reduce alcohol use with ADHD

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about creating conditions where you’re less likely to drink on autopilot.

Reduce access when you’re most vulnerable

If alcohol is in the house, the decision is harder. Try to :

• don’t stock your “usual” drink at home

• buy smaller quantities

• avoid bulk purchases

• change the routine that leads to buying alcohol (route home, “quick stop”, etc.)

  
  

Plan your evenings (even loosely)

Many people drink because evenings feel unstructured, stressful, or lonely.

A basic plan as below can help you:

• eat dinner earlier

• set a wind-down time

• choose one calming activity you’ll actually do

• prep tomorrow’s basics (keys, clothes, one priority)

Swap the function, not just the drink

Before you reach for a drink, pause and ask what you actually need. Calm, sleep, confidence, or a reset.

Ask: What is alcohol doing for me right now?

Common answers: calm, confidence, sleep, boredom relief, emotional numbing.

Then build alternatives that target the same need:

• movement (walk, gym, stretching)

• sensory reset (shower, weighted blanket, breathing)

• low-effort comfort (a show, audiobook, puzzle)

• connection (text a trusted person, short call)

• dopamine without fallout (music, hobby, hands-on task)

Track your triggers for one week

No judgement. Just data. Try to write down:

• when you drank

• what you felt right before

• what happened earlier that day (stress, conflict, tiredness, boredom)

  
  

Patterns show up quickly. Once you can predict the urge, you can plan around it.

You’re not Broken & You Don’t Have to do This Alone

If you saw yourself in this article, you’re not imagining things.

A lot of people with ADHD use alcohol to cope with a mind that doesn’t slow down easily. That’s not a weakness. It’s a sign you’ve been carrying too much, for too long, without the right support.

Reset My Future is a private, online alcohol recovery programme built for real life. No lectures. No judgement. Practical support that matches how your brain works.

You don’t need to commit to a big, dramatic life change today. Sometimes the first step is a confidential conversation that helps you feel clearer and less alone.

When you’re ready, we’re here.

References

Addictive Behaviors. (2011). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Risk for Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis.

American Journal of Psychiatry. (2007). The Self-Medication Hypothesis of Substance Use Disorders: A Reconsideration.

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. (2015). Integrated Treatment of Substance Use and Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Addiction. (2018). Behavioral Therapies for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

JMIR Mental Health. (2022). Effectiveness of Telehealth and Online Therapy for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review.

About the Author

Graeme Alford, founder of Reset My Future, helps people reset their thinking and take back control—without needing to hit rock bottom.

Graeme Alford is the founder of Reset My Future and has been sober for over 40 years. Once a high-functioning alcoholic whose addiction cost him everything—including his career and freedom—Graeme rebuilt his life from the ground up. Today, he leads a one-on-one recovery program that helps people stop drinking, reset their thinking, and start living a life they’re proud of.He holds a Diploma in Alcohol, Other Drugs & Mental Health and has worked with hundreds of clients who want a real alternative to traditional rehab. His approach blends lived experience with evidence-based strategies—and a deep belief that no one is too far gone to change.