ADD and Alcohol Abuse
Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: somewhere safe
Posts: 103
I have read that most alcoholics are hypoglycemic which affects blood sugar levels and leads to erratic behavior. If you believe Dr. Atkins, many pyschiatric patients would benefit from a low-carb lifestyle.
I have sort of kept track of my AH's behavior when he has eaten a lot of bread, pasta, sweets, etc. and I think there may be a correlation between his diet and his behavior.
I have sort of kept track of my AH's behavior when he has eaten a lot of bread, pasta, sweets, etc. and I think there may be a correlation between his diet and his behavior.
Dancing To My Own Beat
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: I don't know what kind of state I'm in
Posts: 1,326
I am not a scientist, but I would lay down my life that chemical imbalance plays a large role in alcoholism and chemical dependancy. Problem is that science hasn't found an exact diagnosis or treatment for chemical imbalances. It's a guessing game and some of the "cures" make the patient feel worse than the disease. They are getting closer, and maybe in our lifetime there will be true diagnosis and treatment for this. We can only hope. Magic
Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: out there...
Posts: 2,653
Hi Green eyes.
I cannot say for sure if there is any scientific evidence that proves it beyond a doubt.
All I can do is share my experience with my personal correlation.
About 2nd grade in the small school I was in I had "disciplinary' problems. I was diagnosed with "hyperactivity" when I was 7. The psychologist I saw suggested I be started on Ritalin. My father dissaproved so no treatment. By the time I was in 4th grade they had pulled me out of regular classes. Some of the teachers felt I was bored so they were giving me 8th grade work ( without the benefit of the introductory curriculum i would have had in 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade had I been allowed to stay in those classrooms). I changed school systems and began to "fit in" a little better as there were probably more resources and definately more kids with behavioural problems there.
Flash forward to my college years and I was allready drinking heavily and experimenting regularly with a variety of drugs. I had difficulty concentrating, completing tasks on time, and socializing. I bombed a required class for my major ( electronics ) and transferred to a community college after my 2md semester in a State University. After 3 years I accumulated enough points to get my AAS but in the last 1/4 they denied 3 transferred credits after a review. I said "F it" its only a piece of paper and began to try and lead a normal life ( for somone well on the path of addiction).
The next 10 years I bounced from job to job, drinking and injesting drugs on a daily basis. I held one job for 4 years due to my skills and the owner of the company having a very tolerant attitude about using.
My using and scrapes with the law became more and frequent and i wound up considering I might have a drug problem in 1986. After trying to get recovery for nearly 3 years and continually picking back up, I wound up walking away from the rooms and within a year I was facing time in prison. I was convinced now I was an addict, and became willing to work a program and surrender. I wound up only doing a 6 month sentence. Upon my release I immediately returned to meetings, got a sponsor, and began doing step work. I managed to stay clean and begn addressing many of the issues I had. After about 6 years, I found myself frustrated with my progress. I had difficulty concentrating, trouble completing tasks and meeting deadlines, and problems socializing. A friend of mine kept telling me I had ADD. Eventually I began to read everything I could find on ADD, and attempt to identify the maifestations in an attempt to control them. I got an official diagnosis and consulted a psychiatrist to see if medication would help. I advised the doctor about my drug and alcohol hitory, and she suggested that I may have been atempting to manage my own brain chemistry.
I tried it for a 6 month period and with help from my friends made several observations of contrastural behaviour. I got to see how I cold interact without the ADD running the show. Since my goal in recovery is total abstinance, I was uncomfortable with long term treatment using meds. With the experience of identifying the onset of certain behavoiurs I was able to choose and modify my responses particularly in social situations. As the psychologist never addressed any of my concerns about counceling for time management or priority setting, coupled with her urgency to give an addict a prescription for narcotics, I favored movong ahead as best I could identifying, managing, and modifying my "ADD behaviours".
In keeping with the principles of 12 step recoery I worled as hard as I could on accepting myself as I was, complete with ADD, time management and task completion issues.
I recently was misdiagnosed with depression and after giving an adequate amount of time for the prescribed medication to work, and not seeing any significant changes in my mood or behaviour, went back to the doctor and after clarifying with him my complaints he rediagnosed me ADD and prescribed a new medication only recently available. The difference has been night and day.
Attention Deficit Disorder (the deficit part if the name is a misnomer. .. ADD's have the ability to multi focus and hyperfocus at times. .. the defict becomes a surplus) affects neuro transmitters which regulate the electrochemical process responsible for attention span. The rate of release or production of these transmitters is inconsistent. (Analogous to an auto with a plugged fuel filter) The cycle of surplus and deficit can cause all ranges of secondary manifestations including, seeming forgetfullness, apparent irrational reactions to stimulus, apathy and overzealousness, panic/anxiety attacks, and the list goes on. In children there can be an observable nervousness or excitability. In my own opinion I believe that the physical manifestations can be camoflaged by adolescence but the nervous energy remains. I have always seemed to have two states.. busy and unconscious. I've experienced instantaneous transitions from total absorption and interest to overwhelming and subsequent shutdown.
I believe there is a link between the symptoms of ADD and addiction. Many of the behaviours are similiar. What appears to be selfishness may only be distracted self absorption. Stubborness can apear to be unreasonable committment.
I do not believe that one is necessarily the cause of the other, nor do I believe that they go hand in hand. I would venture to guess though that there is a huge number
of addicts and alcoholics that have undiagnosed or misdiagnosed ADD.
There seems to be social stigma attached to the acceptance that adults have ADD.
Hope this has been helpful. PM me if you want.
I cannot say for sure if there is any scientific evidence that proves it beyond a doubt.
All I can do is share my experience with my personal correlation.
About 2nd grade in the small school I was in I had "disciplinary' problems. I was diagnosed with "hyperactivity" when I was 7. The psychologist I saw suggested I be started on Ritalin. My father dissaproved so no treatment. By the time I was in 4th grade they had pulled me out of regular classes. Some of the teachers felt I was bored so they were giving me 8th grade work ( without the benefit of the introductory curriculum i would have had in 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade had I been allowed to stay in those classrooms). I changed school systems and began to "fit in" a little better as there were probably more resources and definately more kids with behavioural problems there.
Flash forward to my college years and I was allready drinking heavily and experimenting regularly with a variety of drugs. I had difficulty concentrating, completing tasks on time, and socializing. I bombed a required class for my major ( electronics ) and transferred to a community college after my 2md semester in a State University. After 3 years I accumulated enough points to get my AAS but in the last 1/4 they denied 3 transferred credits after a review. I said "F it" its only a piece of paper and began to try and lead a normal life ( for somone well on the path of addiction).
The next 10 years I bounced from job to job, drinking and injesting drugs on a daily basis. I held one job for 4 years due to my skills and the owner of the company having a very tolerant attitude about using.
My using and scrapes with the law became more and frequent and i wound up considering I might have a drug problem in 1986. After trying to get recovery for nearly 3 years and continually picking back up, I wound up walking away from the rooms and within a year I was facing time in prison. I was convinced now I was an addict, and became willing to work a program and surrender. I wound up only doing a 6 month sentence. Upon my release I immediately returned to meetings, got a sponsor, and began doing step work. I managed to stay clean and begn addressing many of the issues I had. After about 6 years, I found myself frustrated with my progress. I had difficulty concentrating, trouble completing tasks and meeting deadlines, and problems socializing. A friend of mine kept telling me I had ADD. Eventually I began to read everything I could find on ADD, and attempt to identify the maifestations in an attempt to control them. I got an official diagnosis and consulted a psychiatrist to see if medication would help. I advised the doctor about my drug and alcohol hitory, and she suggested that I may have been atempting to manage my own brain chemistry.
I tried it for a 6 month period and with help from my friends made several observations of contrastural behaviour. I got to see how I cold interact without the ADD running the show. Since my goal in recovery is total abstinance, I was uncomfortable with long term treatment using meds. With the experience of identifying the onset of certain behavoiurs I was able to choose and modify my responses particularly in social situations. As the psychologist never addressed any of my concerns about counceling for time management or priority setting, coupled with her urgency to give an addict a prescription for narcotics, I favored movong ahead as best I could identifying, managing, and modifying my "ADD behaviours".
In keeping with the principles of 12 step recoery I worled as hard as I could on accepting myself as I was, complete with ADD, time management and task completion issues.
I recently was misdiagnosed with depression and after giving an adequate amount of time for the prescribed medication to work, and not seeing any significant changes in my mood or behaviour, went back to the doctor and after clarifying with him my complaints he rediagnosed me ADD and prescribed a new medication only recently available. The difference has been night and day.
Attention Deficit Disorder (the deficit part if the name is a misnomer. .. ADD's have the ability to multi focus and hyperfocus at times. .. the defict becomes a surplus) affects neuro transmitters which regulate the electrochemical process responsible for attention span. The rate of release or production of these transmitters is inconsistent. (Analogous to an auto with a plugged fuel filter) The cycle of surplus and deficit can cause all ranges of secondary manifestations including, seeming forgetfullness, apparent irrational reactions to stimulus, apathy and overzealousness, panic/anxiety attacks, and the list goes on. In children there can be an observable nervousness or excitability. In my own opinion I believe that the physical manifestations can be camoflaged by adolescence but the nervous energy remains. I have always seemed to have two states.. busy and unconscious. I've experienced instantaneous transitions from total absorption and interest to overwhelming and subsequent shutdown.
I believe there is a link between the symptoms of ADD and addiction. Many of the behaviours are similiar. What appears to be selfishness may only be distracted self absorption. Stubborness can apear to be unreasonable committment.
I do not believe that one is necessarily the cause of the other, nor do I believe that they go hand in hand. I would venture to guess though that there is a huge number
of addicts and alcoholics that have undiagnosed or misdiagnosed ADD.
There seems to be social stigma attached to the acceptance that adults have ADD.
Hope this has been helpful. PM me if you want.
Don't get undies in a bunch
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Shore MA
Posts: 7,120
Originally Posted by Gooch
Hope this has been helpful.
Sure has.
Affirmations of why things were as they were and why I seem to have an understanding of some things without the med training.
Between 9-12 years old I went through many changes in school.
My oldest son… between 9-12 I seemed to have had a sixth sense of sorts.
Remember sitting him down a time or 3 and explain to him…
You have a special brain. It works much faster then most other people.
Would tell him that his hands would move before his thoughts came to light. A reminder that with such a fast brain, he needs to always remember…wait for his thoughts to catch up with his hands. Never understood where that wisdom/understanding truly came from.
Seems I lived it in those same years. Seems he is following in my footsteps as far as the drinking goes as well…pout
He too shall learn is my hope and then become a sober Alcoholic.
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