Teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face several unique challenges that can make navigating academics, friend circles, and home life challenging. There's even a link between ADHD and substance use in teens. This reality doesn't have to be scary for parents. However, you also can't tune out the risks.

There's no map for parenting ADHD teens. In addition to being concerned that their children may be at greater risk for addiction, parents of ADHD teens worry that they may not be able to tell the difference between core symptoms or typical ADHD behaviors and signs of substance use.

However, it's far from a forgotten conclusion that untreated childhood ADHD may lead to substance use or addiction. With the right information, parents and teens can stay ahead of risk factors.

Why is ADHD connected with an increased risk for substance use? Both ADHD and substance abuse are said to be disorders of disinhibition [1]. This increases an ADHD teen's underlying vulnerability to impulsive and destructive behaviors.

Let's look at the numbers. With impulsive decisions and a maladaptive reward system making individuals with ADHD more vulnerable to alcohol and drug use, it may not be surprising that people with ADHD are 43 percent more likely to develop alcohol use disorder (AUD) [2]. It's estimated that 25 percent of adolescents with substance use problems fit the criteria for having ADHD [3].

There are many misconceptions about ADHD and substance use that prevent teens and parents from being properly prepared. The biggest misconception is that substance use is only a concern for "bad" kids. Many teens with ADHD are drawn to using alcohol and drugs as a form of self-medicating. Drug-seeking behaviors are often used to soothe the discomfort or emotional pain that teens with ADHD may experience from feeling like an outsider.

The other misconception held by parents is that they would be able to "tell" if their child was using substances. Research shows that a significant proportion of parents are unaware of their children's alcohol (30 percent) and substance use (50 percent) problems [4].

One of the earliest warning signs of teen drug use, in general, is a change in behavior or mannerisms [5]. Other signs may include:

ADHD's connection to substance use is closely tied to the impulsivity, poor frustration tolerance, and emotional regulation challenges that are characteristic of ADHD. Drug use disorders are often accompanied by deficits in the capacity to efficiently process reward-related information and to monitor, suppress, or override reward-controlled behavior when goals conflict with aversive or immediate outcomes [6].

The dopamine hit that comes from substance use can become a singular obsession. Unfortunately, this can mean that teens with ADHD can be at a disadvantage compared to peers who experiment with alcohol and other substances. For parents of teens with ADHD,........

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