ADHD and Alcohol Do Not Mix For College Students

Alcohol often can seem like a tempting way to self medicate for ADHD, but in fact, it may do more harm than good, at least for college students.  College students with ADHD have their own share of academic struggles, but a new study done by Langberg, et al. suggests that alcohol plays a major role in who adjusts well to college life and who doesn't.  What's even more interesting is that alcohol played such an important role that it outperformed baseline ADHD symptoms and baseline measures of executive function as a predictor of successful adjustment by the end of the year.

How does alcohol do it, when it can often seem to calm the ADHD mind?  The researchers found the connection was that alcohol, as many depressants, seems to decrease motivation.

So, what's a college student to do?
Don't drink.  Real friends won't think less of you if you abstain, especially if it's for your future.  You can always blame your doctor ("doctor's orders!"), say it messes with your medication, or just say you prefer orange juice.

Pursue other means for learning to calm your mind, if that's an issue for you.

-Exercise is healthful and increases blood flow to the brain.  In elementary schools, exercise programs are being used to help promote concentration and better learning.

-Mindfulness is a less strenuous method that may work if you already are having difficulty getting motivated.

-If you're constantly anxious or can't get your mind to slow down on your own, seek medical help.   A therapist may be able to provide you with techniques and accountability to help you out in a healthier way than alcohol, or a doctor may suggest medication.

If you find you are not able to stay away from alcohol, get help.  If it hasn't affected your academic career, it is likely to do so in the future.  Your student health center may be a good place to start, but if you're not comfortable with that, you can look for a local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous to point you in the right direction.

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