ADHD and addiction have much in common, both in their characteristics and in their neurobiology. They are both disorders of self-regulation. They both involve abnormal dopamine activity—in fact, the medications used to treat ADHD are stimulants like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) or amphetamines (Dexedrine, Adderall), whose method of action is to increase dopamine activity in important brain circuits.8The personality traits of people with ADHD and with addiction are often identical: poor self-regulation, deficient impulse control, poor differentiation, and a constant need to find
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