Substance Use Disorders & ADHD - Part I: Why Are They Linked? 

i have ADHD and I loved the first 20 seconds of this video.

Thank you Dr. Barkley, I've recently found your videos but thank you for continued, sincere, heartfelt effort to help people like me try to understand why our minds work the way they do, and give us the tools and resources and words to articulate to those around us, and our loved ones, how our disorder impacts how brains process and overall function.

Professor Barkley, thank you so much for your work. I have been diagnosed last December and learned about your work after reading Taking Charge of Adult ADHD. Since then, your channel has been a precious gem for me - I enjoy the "class/presentation" format so much more than the usual RU-vid video essay aesthetics. You keep putting so much quality information out there, and in a consistent, easy-to-grasp manner, and I have nothing but praise and gratitude for that. I feel that upcoming days will make your work more relevant than ever. My country is on the verge of approving laws for obligatory accommodations for ADHD, and all around me I still see people treating it as "quirkiness" or something less severe. Presentations such as yours help to prove otherwise, and I feel backed up for engaging in discussions every time the severity of ADHD is questioned. As I mentioned in a previous comment: have you ever thought to adapt/put a podcast version of your lectures? I think they will hold pretty well in audio format - plus, your voice seems suitable for that. Best regards from Brazil

Thank you for all your work Dr. Barkley, I never would have gotten medication if it was not for your expertise

The slide on Factors Linked To SUDs Risk is blowing my mind.

Hi Dr. Barkley, has lower hedonic tone or anhedonia been linked to theraputic stimulant use? Thanks so much for your work, you have been instrumental in my own journey with my mental health. Having access to your great understanding through youtube is a massive public service, hats off to you.

I can't thank you enough Dr. Barkley for the invaluable resource you've provided coming to RU-vid w/ this channel, I've tried to save as many conference vids I've seen of you. I have a question and /or request if possible, I'd love to see a series of videos on the spectrum of neuroanatomy of the Neuron w/ associated genetic markers. Basically what's happening @ the neuron synapse w/ specific gene markers enabled or disabled.

I truly believe being diagnosed with adhd and taking medication for it saved my life. I see a better and brighter future now. I'm not as impulsive when it comes to buying and doing things. I don't drink and smoke in excess like I did as well.

This is absolutely fantastic. Perfectly concise, and every point contained a valuable insight.

Dr. B! Thank you for this invaluable video. I would imagine that anyone employed in law enforcement, the prison system, education, social work, the addiction recovery industry, as well as every parent of an ADHD child would benefit from watching it. The link between ADHD and substance abuse/ dependence casts a long, ugly shadow over our community. The numbers you quote are sobering. Is that Moose laying down a vocal track, around the 10:00 mark? I am grateful to have no issue with substance abuse/ dependence, myself, but not because I didn't experiment. I tried a few on your list and none of them appealed enough for me to continue. On the other hand, when a bag of gummy bears is dangled before me, I am unable to resist. Clearly, my forethought, willpower, self control are no stronger than those of many other ADHD people who get addicted to cigarettes but I never craved those particular substances the way that I crave gummy candy. I wonder what makes some of us become "addicted" to sugar, others to internet gaming and others to alcohol, etc. I suspect I can just thank dumb luck that I have a severe sweet tooth instead a debilitating weed habit. Please pay no heed to the comment below, which suggests that the video is too long for ADHD people to follow. Some of us can easily watch and absorb the whole thing, while others of us can simply watch it in shorter chunks or play it at higher speed. Thank you for never "dumbing down" or minimising information for us. I am interested that ADHD and high use of caffeine MIGHT be correlated. I have read that some ADHD people feel sleepy after drinking a cup of strong coffee! I can imagine that those who find caffeine consumption calming, might tend to overuse the stuff, especially if they are not medicated.

Incredible explanation!

I wonder if 'addictive personalities' that run in families could be due to undiagnosed ADHD. Im the first in my family to be diagnosed, aged 36, and was always told 'addictive personalities' run in my family.

Thank you Dr. Barkley for this informative video! You are the citation and I appreciate your expertise tremendously. However, for reference purposes, can you provide some citation? 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Thank you kindly for your work! IT HELPS tremendously. I'm right now hiperfixating on your vidoes 🙂 Do you know of any research regarding vague nerve stimulation that helps people with ADHD? Have you heard about nurosym device that allows you to stimulate vague nerver in home. I read it is validated and certified medical device. I'm just wondering if it's any worth. You are PRO in this field!

A common experience for former smokers is, that the urge to smoke can come back if you see someone else smoke and ADHD medication somehow seems to suppress that urge, at least for some people. To me it feels like I couldn't even enjoy cigarettes or alcohol, when I'm on MPH, the same doesn't go for caffein.

Bump thanks doc!

Thanks for explaining my life ! Lol. I was charismatic and more hyperactivity as a kid. Trauma changed me when i was 14 . I had to save my dads life with cpr . And then switched to predominantly Inatentive into my adukthood. I picked up smoking at 16. It developed into weed at 19 . I went through a breakup at 20 and met all my deviant friends at the time and we would go to parties oit in the bush and do all kinds of drugs. Mostky mdma and acid . Speed mushrooms nitros. Did that till inwas 26 . The whole time trying out work and then thinking stifybwould be better. Whilst living on benefits fortninately coz me and mum and are so poor. (Oh yeah i moved in oit a few times and still livenwith kum now. Only child single mum ) The last attempt at living oitnof home broke me . And i settled into my daiky drinking and smoking of weed moxed with tobacco. And tuen for my 30th birthday i was diagnosed adhd . And given this hige task of quitting everything in order to get medication or have it not wreck my heart because nonnsrimulants have effects on yoir hesrt no matter how you look at it. So im told . Despite everything. Im not aloid to cope the way i do to be able to be otescribed another bloody drug that helps me cope. Bu that time i would of alteady cured myself and become sober (pretty hard or impossible) or just find some street aphetsmines seeing as i have proof now that that works for me. Right jow infeel the sustem is a bit righed against us . Coz the system knows just jownmuch we would do to get our dopamine . We will work for it. We will comitncromes for it. Both verry proffitable things to a goverment . Thats what i think. Theres no evidence to suggest either way that stimulant meds shouldnt be ruled out just because a person smokes marijuana. And if they are gonna ruke it oit there should be programs or other things available for adhders for free to be able to transition off weed and onto stimulants. Bevause are you gonna get a prson with adhd who has these vices to stop those things for 90 days andnif u mess up once you start again ? Nope.

Dr. Barkley, if a person with ADHD used or abused street amphetamine do you think a psychiatrist should be concerned about prescribing them a amphetamine if they have had trouble with the law linked to use?

Is this a recent video ? Cause I Wikipedia Dr. Russell name and said he was dead. I have ADHD with the comorbidity of anxiety, depression and sleeping problems. Is there a video or book that could explain how this comorbidities affects my ADHD?

“suds” is an interesting coincidence it feels like far too innocent and fun of an acronym for such an awful thing

Crapppppppp!!