There are many well-known effects of alcohol in our society. From intoxication to binge drinking, people have a lot of opinions about the properties and effects of alcohol. One thing that comes up frequently with alcohol is ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Alcohol has been known to cause ADHD-like symptoms, most notably: impulsivity, poor judgment, and aggressive behavior among others. Alcohol does have a link with ADHD; it’s just not clear how significant or large the impact on an individual’s life may be.” One of the biggest issues in the world today is addiction and alcoholism is no exception.
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Disorder is one of the first signs of ADHD. The most common symptoms are the inability to stay focused on tasks, an excessive amount of movement and fidgeting, and constant interruptions in conversations or tasks (ADHD, n.d). ADHD has three main types: Hyperactivity, Inattentiveness, or a combination of both (ADHD, n.d).
What is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a brain disease where the person becomes physically dependent on alcohol to function normally in life. Thirteen million people in America have this condition (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2013). It can be fatal if left untreated so it’s very important that those with alcoholism get help.
Role of Alcohol in ADHD
Alcohol can cause symptoms associated with ADHD and reduce the effectiveness of medication for ADHD. For example, when does alcohol make adhd worse is consumed, it leads to accelerated talking and excessive physical movement. With ADHD, these traits can be very disruptive in social situations such as school or work. Along with the negative effects of drinking alcohol, research has also shown a link with the decreased effectiveness of treatment for ADHD.
What does alcohol do to people with Attention Deficit Disorder?
It alters the individual’s perception of time. When someone drinks alcohol, it slows down their brain activity. People with ADHD don’t have this problem but as soon as they drink, their brain loses their ability to perceive time. Their reaction time drastically increases and they start to talk more rapidly than normal.
Every human being has different tolerance levels. Since someone with ADHD has the inability to slow down their brain activity, they will get drunk faster than those without ADHD. Specifically, those with Hyperactivity can become violent or hostile when intoxicated (ADHD, n.d).
Research: Degraded Learning and Alcohol Exposure in ADHD Children
First off, let us look at what is meant by impaired learning. This is when an individual loses concentration or becomes easily distracted while they are trying to learn something new. This can be done with very simple tasks, such as when someone is trying to read a book in class and has to stop every now and then because of outside distractions (O’Leary, 2013). In this case, the individual has not lost their ability to learn. However, they are impeding themselves during the task which affects the learning outcome when students finally get done reading because it takes them longer than expected.
Bottom line:
Alcoholism as a disease can be fatal if left untreated. Alcohol has a link with ADHD in the way that for some people with ADHD, alcohol can lead to unpredictable behavior. If someone has ADHD and is already drinking, their condition may worsen when drinking because of their low tolerance levels. Alcohol can also cause certain levels of inattention and reduce the effectiveness of treatment for ADHD. In the end, alcohol does have a link to ADHD; however, this relationship is based on each individual’s tolerance and diagnosis of both conditions.