ADHD and Addiction

Abstract

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has gained immense importance both among the clinicians and researchers because of its early onset, variable clinical presentations, and prominent heritability. Along with the established symptom clusters of attention deficit and hyperactivity, a load of comorbidities have been found hugely prevalent for this population, increasing the morbidity and distress level and turning the management more complex. The early childhood and adolescent onset of this externalizing behavior-based disorder also makes the individual more prone to other externalizing behavioral problems, like addiction to variable psychoactive substances. Adolescent, being a natural age towards risk taking and novelty seeking, addiction proneness itself is a major individual and public health challenge to which ADHD works as potential fuel. In recent times, the upsurge of various behavioral addictions has also been seen prominently in the ADHD population increasing the morbidity and complexity. Treatment options need to be researched in detail.