ADHD | The Importance of Your Diagnosis in Adulthood

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is typically associated with childhood and adolescence, but if left untreated, symptoms “can persist throughout adulthood,” tripling the risk of addiction, particularly to marijuana, cocaine and gambling.gamble) and tobacco.

How does this explain Jose Martinez-RagaMember of the Executive Committee of the Spanish Society of Dual Pathology (SEPD), many studies have been published that show that people with ADHD have a delay in their adult development of up to two years and that early treatment with medication makes it possible for the brain to mature in a way that is consistent with that of a person without this disorder.

“Therefore, diagnosis as early as possible and initiation of treatment are necessary to facilitate symptom attenuation or remission before or in early adulthood,” he adds.

However, he reiterated that the proportion of people diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood is “extremely low.” The disorder is estimated to affect 2.5% to 4.5% of the general population, but only 1% to 2% of adults are diagnosed, meaning More than half of adults have never received it.

“This is especially problematic given that Up to 80% of people with ADHD have another mental disorder.the so-called dual pathology. Early diagnosis and treatment will reduce the risk of developing other diseases or make them less serious,” says Martinez-Raga.

Among these mental disorders, addiction stands out for its prevalence because, as the SEPD representative points out, certain features of ADHD, such as impulsivity, stimulation seeking, poor self-regulation, problems with attention and motivation, increase the risk of these people developing addictive behavior.

Vicious circle

“The lack of diagnosis can lead to earlier onset and a more serious course on substance use and addictions“and pathological gambling, with higher relapse rates and more severe relapses,” says an SEPD spokesperson, who explains that addictions, in turn, in a vicious cycle, “exacerbate ADHD characteristics due to shared brain foundations.”

In particular, according to various studies, ADHD triples the risk of developing addiction, both behavioral and substance use disorders, and the same studies show that about 20% of patients treated for addictive disorder also have this disorder. According to SEPD, attention deficit disorder increases the risk of cannabis use by eight times.

“Detection, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment as early as possible and according to the circumstances of each patient are essential to improve the prognosis of the patient with ADHD, reduce the risk of complications and ensure remission of symptoms or, at least, that the functional impact of the symptoms is less,” concludes José Martínez-Raga.