ADHD and Alcohol Use Disorder: Understanding the Link (Replay)

ADHD and Alcohol Use Disorder: Understanding the Link (Replay)

From Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober by Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC

April 24, 2026 · 16 min

About this episode

This episode explores the connection between ADHD and alcohol use disorder, highlighting how individuals with ADHD may use alcohol to self-medicate their symptoms.

There are a lot of people in the sober community getting adult ADHD diagnoses, so what’s going on here? There is a strong link between struggling with ADHD and developing a problem with alcohol because just like with anxiety, trauma, or depression, alcohol can be used to self-medicate the symptoms of ADHD. In this episode you’ll learn why alcohol and ADHD are linked, what is going on in the brain’s of people with ADHD, and how having ADHD makes it harder to stop drinking once you start. Work with me: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Content only membership https://community.soberpowered.com/checkout/lessons Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Weekly email: You’ll hear from me every week-ish https://www.soberpowered.com/email Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast…

People in this episode

Host: Gillian Tietz

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • Alcohol Use Disorder
  • self-medication
  • mental health
  • sober community

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • alcohol
  • self-medication
  • mental health
  • sober
  • diagnosis
  • neuroscience

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