ADHD Addiction Protocol for Health Care Members

This brief protocol helps health care providers reduce addiction risk in patients with ADHD by offering clear talking points, early-intervention guidance, and supportive follow-up practices. It explains, in simple language, why people with ADHD face higher vulnerability to substance use: low dopamine levels increase the drive for stimulation, and both legal and illegal stimulants temporarily raise dopamine. This makes substances like meth feel appealing to some individuals with untreated ADHD.

The resource emphasizes one key message: proper ADHD treatment, including medication when appropriate, actually lowers long-term addiction risk in both children and adults. Providers are encouraged to share this openly and without judgment.

It includes recommended scripts for explaining the neuroscience, normalizing follow-up conversations about risk, and offering patients supportive tools such as therapy, ADHD coaching, peer groups, and reputable online resources.

Designed for pediatricians, family doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and any clinician diagnosing ADHD, this protocol can be used immediately at the time of diagnosis to improve outcomes and reduce self-medication behaviors.