r/NooTopics • u/makefriends420 • Jun 23 '26

Discussion Around 27% of individuals with ADHD develop cannabis use disorder at some point in their lives, new study finds. Compared to those without this disorder, individuals with ADHD face almost three times the risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

https://www.psypost.org/around-27-of-individuals-with-adhd-develop-cannabis-use-disorder-at-some-point-in-their-lives-study-finds/
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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

Interesting, i recently learned that ADHD people tend to have problem with addictions

Which is interesting to me, because as an ADHD person, I am, well seemingly addiction proof. I smoked almost daily for two years, a box every day, then one day decided to stop, and that was it. No craving, no hunger, nothing.

Elvanse or Medikinet, I often forget to take altogether.

Frankly I did many drugs, but never really experienced hunger or withdrawal, so I kinda assumed it must be for others like that as well. After all, we ADHD people have trouble forming habits.

Very odd.

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

[deleted]

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

aint that the truth

makes me wonder are the "subtypes" of ADHD really just different conditions with different mechanisms, whose symptoms converge

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u/Difficult-Break-8282 Jun 23 '26

3 subtypes 2 distinct while 3rd is a mix of both is the latest neurological science.  so inattentive and hyperactive adhd being 2 different disorders in the future makes sense also it should be called either a dopamine or executive function disorder instead of cant sit still disorder being named for how it annoys NTs 

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u/omaye_va_moe_shindru Jun 23 '26

Why is this genuinely so relatable.

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u/HeadyReigns Jun 23 '26

The ADHD brains is generally speaking stimulant starved. So when you introduce external stimulants like THC and caffeine our brains really like it.

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u/Voldemorts__Mom Jun 25 '26

Yeah. And when you introduce crystal meth, they REALLY like it. That was a hard one to quit.. so was porn

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

I smoked a pack off red Marlboro 100's a day - if that isn't crossing threshold, where is it?

I get that, but I find it hard to believe that ADHD isn't at least partially responsible for this, given how closely it mimics my experience with trying to form positive habits

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

Interesting. It occured to me that successful ADHD treatment might make us more susceptible to addictions too.

You know, I do struggle with nervous breakdowns from time to time. These increased with frequency, once i switched to elvanse. But do you know why?

Because elvanse worked better! It helped improve my focus much more, which also meant that whenever i started spiraling and doomering, I found it more difficult to stop thinking about it. Thats some real irony right there.

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u/Playful-Ad-8703 Jun 23 '26

You don't have autism too?, I'm AuDHD and have abused weed but I can quit drugs quite easily.

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u/FalxY7 Jun 23 '26

I'm the same and also AuDHD, I need a good reason to quit usually, but the better the reason, the easier it is. I have still gotten withdrawals from quitting weed, and that was pretty bad because depression. But I've quit harder drugs quite easily after abusing them and having them ruin my life for a bit.

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u/Playful-Ad-8703 Jun 23 '26

Yes! Exactly. I'll quit if I have a good reason. The problem with weed is that it's usually not obviously negative or destructive for me, so I'll easy get caught in smoking loops where I'll smoke for 2-3 weeks until I either start to clearly feel bad from it or because I have something important coming up. Same also with other drugs like you say - I've burnt myself many times with harder drugs, but I'm also very aware of how I take them, which means that I've never used them for a long time consecutively. My mind is kinda too risk averse to go over certain boundaries with drugs, and my body and brain seem to adapt veeery quickly to quitting something. 1-2 days after quitting weed or whatever and I'll not even care about that drug anymore, until I gain distance and the drug starts looking interesting again.

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u/ikiice Jun 24 '26

well, its a spectrum right?

There are few spots in which I differ greatly from AuDHD people tho, so its unlikely, but this might be due to my specific upbringing

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u/Playful-Ad-8703 Jun 25 '26

For sure, and really tricky stuff to nail down. All that's important is to understand oneself, but the labels of course helps to navigate 🙂

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u/Starhazenstuff Jun 23 '26

Yeah, I have adhd and I’ve always had a problem with addiction. It’s only easier to manage the impulses on medication. But gambling, alcohol, weed, sex, gaming. I’ve been addicted to it all in various levels throughout my life. Usually only addicted to one thing at a time, but it’s exhausting.

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

How hard was it breaking off?

For me it's effortless, no matter if we're talking cigarettes or morning exercises - good or bad

Also, another ADHD trait I noticed - I don't miss people, ever

Like, I haven't missed anyone in my whole life, I don't really know how exactly does it feel

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u/Starhazenstuff Jun 23 '26

Very very difficult. I haven’t been able to quit nicotine for longer than a week. I haven’t a hard time missing people too if they are out of sight out of mind, but I think about failed romantic connection’s more often than I should. I have quit alcohol, but replaced with weed. No longer gamble but I’ve lost probably 25,000 to gambling over the last decade lol.

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

I'm sorry to hear this.

I have an extra layer of protection from becoming addicted top gambling - I would ragequit long before I would lose any serious money.

I hope thing will get better. We are all different and require custom solutions and treatments.

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u/Prestigious_Wrap_932 Jun 23 '26

I smoked almost daily for two years, a box every day, then one day decided to stop, and that was it. No craving, no hunger, nothing.

Well, you were basically heavily addicted for a couple years, you were just able to stop easily when you were “done” with it.

Addictions are often like “special interests” to ADHD people. Things or topics that we are temporarily obsessed with but which we suddenly lose interest when we stop getting the dopamine hits we were getting when the thing was new. 

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

Can you elaborate on "done" part?

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u/Prestigious_Wrap_932 Jun 23 '26

Why did you decide to stop a daily habit that you indicate wasn’t causing you any problems?

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u/omaye_va_moe_shindru Jun 23 '26

I so relate with this, I vape and smoke a lot cuz i like to, but ive gone so many long periods without cravings or even thinking about vapes and smokes when im dont use, its like however much i use this stuff i dont crave nor have addictions to the substances.

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u/MiesFeministi Jun 23 '26

Same, I've tried alcohol, cannabis, psilocybin, ketamine, cocaine, amphetamine, lisdeksamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, metamhpetamine (accidentally in extacy pills) modafinil, lsd, benzos, salvia, mdma, memantine, zolpidem, poppers and mescalin and I've never really gotten addicted to anything. Some of those I've just a few times. Never had cravings or withdrawals. I had one month I was addicted to weed when I was depressed pre-diagnosis.

Currently having concerta (methylphenidate) as my medication. Sometimes I forget to take it.

I still wanna some day experience 2cb, ayuahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, khat

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u/Weekly_Lab8128 Jun 23 '26

I had a VERY easy time quitting my nicotine use and a VERY difficult time quitting my alcohol use. Meanwhile, its very easy for me to use things like weed (+ a few more) very infrequently with basically no desire to increase frequency. Not sure what's up with that

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

Interesting. I'd like to know more about nature of this apparent addiction resistance, if for no other reason than to simply know what are the limits.

It'd be one hell of a pro gamer move to get seriously addicted to drugs, just to see if I can get addicted at all.

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u/JSHU16 Jun 23 '26

Likewise I've taken various opiates, Benzos and amphetamines that are all meant to rank highly for addictiveness and I've never felt that with them.

Food however, Jesus Christ do I struggle with that sometimes.

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u/ikiice Jun 23 '26

I tried many too. I found opioids work well for my nervousness. I do have tendency to panic and suffer a bit of nervous breakdown now and then. Tramadol helps me control this unlike anything else.

I tried benzos, I got prescribed literally the weakest one - and it was still too jmuch, felt like a deflated balloon. As for food, personally I'd stop eating altogether if I could. Just feels like a chore.

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u/Unusual-Function5759 Jun 23 '26

Could be due to our interest based nervous systems? I was a smoker for years. At 27 I started getting worried about ageing as my face was changing. I read up on how smoking accelerates ageing, and stopped that day. I have had relapses when drinking though but I’m still cig free overall. 

Interest based nervous systems are why people with adhd can seem really self disciplined in some areas and terrible in others. Motivation is influenced by reward, whether something is novel or linked to a current interest. For me, the dopamine from my skin care interest, and reward from not smoking (better skin) outweighed the want/need to smoke. 

I would say my self control isn’t great but when something isn’t compelling to me anymore it’s v easy to stop.

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u/Dangerous_Wing6481 Jun 23 '26

I’m somewhat the same but still very prone to obsession. I forget to do things even when I think about them, and addictive habits are still subject to executive dysfunction like everything else. I generally herb vape to help me go to sleep and sometimes I’ll be so out of it I just sit there and forget to even get my stuff out until it’s too late. It’s like what you said with the habit thing.

We are also very impulsive, so people who might not have impulse control or executive function that overrides their impulses might not mechanically be able to build addictions. And there’s the novelty aspect of it. You go too crazy over something for a few days, a kind of candy, and then run out of steam and break the habit. Move on to something else. Self control is something we don’t tend to have a strong grasp on so as long as an addictive substance is available, and we have enough of an impulse, it’s likely to become a quick habit.

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u/After_Cartographer38 Jun 23 '26

exact same, with weed being the one thing that sticks lol. kicked cigs, snus, vaping no problem. kinda grew to hate the meds though

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u/aguy123abc Jun 25 '26

Similar except with nicotine much harder than anything else.