Women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may spend years trying to understand difficulties with attention, impulsivity and emotional regulation before receiving a diagnosis. For some, these experiences can overlap with problems involving alcohol or drugs, making it particularly important to recognise when ADHD and addiction occur together.
Research has identified an association between ADHD and substance use disorders, while experts at Priory highlight the importance of recognising women's experiences and providing appropriate support in this area.
In this article, we explore what the evidence tells us about ADHD and addiction in women, how a diagnosis helped Priory therapist Tess Ridgeway understand her own recovery, and why treatment needs to reflect each person's circumstances.
Why is ADHD often overlooked in women?
ADHD has historically been associated with hyperactive behaviour, particularly in boys, but ADHD can present differently in women. Difficulties with attention, organisation and emotional regulation may be less visible, particularly when someone has developed ways to conceal or compensate for them (known as masking).
Anxiety, depression and other mental health difficulties can also complicate recognition, meaning some women reach adulthood without understanding that ADHD may be part of the picture.
Figures from NHS England's Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey challenge the assumption that ADHD predominantly affects men. Self-reported ADHD rates are similar among women (5.5%) and men (5.8%), while reported professional diagnosis rates stand at 1.7% for both.
However, 14.9% of women screened positive for ADHD, compared with 12.4% of men. Although screening isn't equivalent to a clinical diagnosis, these findings demonstrate why ADHD shouldn't be overlooked in women.
Access to assessment can make things more difficult. In August 2026, NHS Digital reported that 959,637 children and adults were waiting for an ADHD assessment in England. For women who have spent years trying to understand their difficulties, receiving a diagnosis can bring important context and understanding while pointing them towards the right support.
What is the relationship between ADHD and addiction?
Research has identified a relationship between ADHD and substance use disorders, with some studies suggesting that women with ADHD face a greater risk of experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs.
A Canadian study by Fuller-Thomson et al. (2016), which compared 107 women aged 20 to 39 with self-reported ADHD against 3,801 women without the condition, found that substance abuse was twice as prevalent among women with ADHD. The study also identified higher rates of anxiety, depression and other health difficulties, highlighting the importance of considering addiction alongside someone's wider mental health.
Further research by Vingilis et al. (2015) found that women who screened positive for ADHD were more likely to report cocaine use, psychological distress and the use of anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants and pain medication. An earlier study by Biederman et al. (2004) also identified a high prevalence of substance use disorders among adults with ADHD, particularly involving cannabis and cocaine. Although these findings show an association, they don't establish that ADHD directly causes addiction, and many people with ADHD never develop substance use problems.
Why might someone with ADHD turn to alcohol or drugs?
People turn to alcohol and drugs for many different reasons, but for some people with ADHD, substance use may begin as an attempt to manage difficulties with emotional regulation, impulsivity or persistent restlessness.
This is sometimes described as self-medication, where someone uses a substance to cope with symptoms or experiences they may not fully understand. Over time, this can have serious consequences for physical and mental health, including the risk of dependence and addiction.
Gina Rees, a Flourish Addiction Therapist with Priory, explains that some clients with ADHD have described using cocaine because they perceive its effects differently from what they expected. Rather than feeling more stimulated, they report temporarily experiencing greater calm or control over their thoughts. These are individual accounts, rather than evidence of a therapeutic benefit, and cocaine carries significant risks regardless of how its effects are perceived.
Gina believes understanding what someone is seeking from substance use is important when addressing addiction. If a person has come to rely on alcohol or drugs to cope with difficult experiences, recognising those underlying needs can help professionals provide more appropriate support. This is particularly relevant when ADHD has gone unrecognised, although substance misuse can have multiple contributing factors and shouldn't automatically be attributed to the condition.
How an ADHD diagnosis changed Tess Ridgeway's understanding of addiction
For Tess Ridgeway, a therapist at Priory Hospital Altrincham, receiving an ADHD diagnosis helped her make sense of experiences she had struggled to understand since childhood. Having already spent years dealing with addiction and working towards recovery, the diagnosis offered a different perspective on some of the difficulties she had faced.
Recognising the patterns before diagnosis
Tess describes herself as an incredibly sensitive child who experienced intense emotions, anxiety and a constantly busy mind. Without an understanding of ADHD, she struggled to explain why everyday experiences could seem so overwhelming. As she grew older, these difficulties became intertwined with problems involving food, relationships and impulsivity, alongside a growing tendency to look for something outside herself to change how she was feeling. Eventually, alcohol became part of that pattern.
For a long time, Tess believed these were separate problems. Looking back, she began to recognise how difficulties with emotional regulation and her search for stimulation had influenced different aspects of her life, although she is careful to emphasise that ADHD doesn't explain everything she experienced.
Understanding addiction through an ADHD diagnosis
By the time Tess received her diagnosis, her journey of recovery had already began. Rather than providing a complete explanation for her addiction, understanding ADHD helped her reconsider experiences involving impulsivity, emotional intensity and becoming completely absorbed in particular feelings, people or ideas.
The diagnosis also changed how Tess approached those difficulties. Instead of focusing on what she believed was wrong with her, she began considering what she needed to manage her ADHD more effectively. As she explains:
"I began to look differently at the impulsivity, the intensity, the emotional dysregulation, the need for stimulation and the way I could become completely consumed by a feeling, a person or an idea."
For Tess, this understanding created opportunities to develop strategies that worked better for her, while recognising the importance of the recovery work she had already completed.
Why women with ADHD may face additional barriers to addiction recovery
Women experiencing addiction can face particular pressures surrounding their roles as parents, partners, professionals and carers. These expectations may make it harder to acknowledge a problem or seek help, especially when someone appears to be managing their everyday responsibilities.
Tess believes shame can be a significant barrier, with women sometimes hiding their difficulties because they fear how others will judge them. For women whose ADHD has also gone unrecognised, there may be an additional layer of misunderstanding about the challenges they're experiencing.
Gina believes society needs to move away from simplistic explanations of women's addictions and recognise the influence of trauma, relationships and personal circumstances.
She also highlights potential gaps in addiction treatment, particularly where programmes rely on standardised routines without considering how ADHD can affect attention, motivation, organisation and information processing. Although structure plays an important role in recovery, someone who struggles with these areas may need a different approach to engaging with treatment.
Effective addiction support requires an understanding of the individual, including their mental health, neurodivergence and experiences outside treatment. Gina emphasises that considering these factors can help professionals identify barriers to engagement and adapt support accordingly, rather than interpreting difficulties with a particular programme as a lack of commitment to recovery.
Practical ways to approach addiction recovery when you have ADHD
Managing addiction recovery alongside ADHD can present challenges, particularly when it comes to maintaining routines, organising appointments and managing difficult emotions.
Drawing on her personal experience and work as a therapist, Tess shares some practical ways to make recovery more manageable while recognising the importance of professional support.
Understand patterns and triggers
Tess encourages people to pay attention to what happens before they experience an urge to drink or use drugs. Feelings such as boredom, loneliness, rejection, exhaustion or being overwhelmed may play a part, and recognising these patterns can help someone better understand their behaviour.
She suggests looking beyond the immediate urge and asking what the behaviour may be helping them cope with. Understanding these underlying needs can provide a starting point for conversations with a therapist and identifying healthier ways to respond.
Make routines and support more manageable
Structure can be valuable during recovery, but Tess believes it needs to be realistic and achievable. A complicated plan involving numerous commitments may become overwhelming, particularly for someone who experiences difficulties with organisation, memory or motivation.
Simple adjustments, such as putting appointments straight into a phone calendar, setting reminders, using visual prompts and breaking tasks into smaller steps, may help people engage with their recovery. Tess also encourages people to find positive sources of stimulation, connection and enjoyment that can become part of everyday life.
Seek support without waiting for an ADHD diagnosis
With long waits for ADHD assessments, Tess emphasises that people experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs shouldn't delay seeking help while waiting for a diagnosis. Addiction treatment can begin independently of an ADHD assessment, with professionals considering any suspected or diagnosed ADHD alongside someone's mental health and individual circumstances.
Tess recalls that her own turning point came when two women from adult social services visited her following multiple hospital admissions. Their kindness and encouragement helped her take steps towards getting support, demonstrating how important a compassionate, non-judgemental response can be.
Priory's Flourish residential addiction treatment programme provides specialist support for people experiencing addiction. You can contact Priory to discuss your circumstances and explore the treatment options available, whether you have an ADHD diagnosis or are still waiting for an assessment.
If you're physically dependent on alcohol or certain drugs, seek medical advice before stopping, as withdrawal can sometimes be dangerous and require medical supervision.
Frequently asked questions
Is ADHD linked to a higher risk of addiction in women?
Research suggests that women with ADHD may be at greater risk of experiencing substance use problems. A Canadian study by Fuller-Thomson et al. (2016) found that substance abuse was twice as prevalent among women with self-reported ADHD compared with women without the condition. However, ADHD doesn't automatically lead to addiction, and the relationship can be influenced by other factors, including mental health and personal circumstances.
Why might someone with ADHD use alcohol or drugs to cope?
Some people with ADHD may use alcohol or drugs in an attempt to manage difficulties such as emotional dysregulation, restlessness or overwhelming thoughts. Gina Rees, a Flourish Addiction Therapist with Priory, explains that some clients have described using substances because they perceive temporary changes in how they think or behave. However, self-medicating with alcohol or illicit drugs carries significant risks, including dependence and addiction.
Can an ADHD diagnosis help someone understand their addiction?
An ADHD diagnosis can provide additional context for experiences that may have contributed to someone's difficulties with addiction. For Tess Ridgeway, a therapist at Priory Hospital Altrincham, receiving a diagnosis helped her better understand longstanding challenges involving impulsivity, emotional regulation and the need for stimulation. Although it didn't explain everything she had experienced, it gave her a different perspective on her past and helped her identify ways to manage her ADHD alongside her ongoing recovery.
Why might people with ADHD need a different approach to addiction recovery?
Key traits of ADHD include difficulties with attention, organisation, motivation and processing information which can affect how they engage with addiction treatment. Recovery programmes that rely on rigid routines or lengthy instructions may therefore need adapting to individual needs. Approaches such as manageable goals, reminders, clear communication and personalised support can help make treatment more accessible while maintaining appropriate professional care.
