ADHD and Caffeine

Rumor has it that caffeine can help people with ADHD, but is a rumor or does it have some truth to it? Well, it's not quite that simple. There are many factors that play into it.

[myfirstseven]

I was also late diagnosed and am still in that part of the timeline when I hear someone say “ADHD is wonderful” and genuinely wonder what planet they’re on.

[Pandatwirly]

There are two types of this disorder: hyperactive and inattentive. I have the inattentive type and I feel “normal”when I have some caffeine. 💗

[righteousone]

I have ADHD, and I had a bunch of friends with it.
What most doctors don't talk about is the fact that caffeine works as a sedative to most of us.
It's doesn't make us concentrate better, it makes us relax.
I can drink 2 tablespoons of coffee in a cup, and then do it again, and be completely calm, with almost no heart increase.
ADHD is tricky. Where sedatives can work as stimulants instead. Like alcohol has upper properties for me, not that I drink often.
I know coffee well, and it's the only thing that can relax the mind out of any more or less natural substance.

[toniwilliams]

I have severe ADHD and can not drink caffeine at all as it makes me feel so ill, shaky and crazy and sends me into panic attacks.

[BigIndianBindi-jycz]

my worst ADHD symptom that causes me the most problems is not being able to "Receive" what is being said to me. It's as if someone is speaking another language, even though I can hear that it's English. And also, not being able to form a sentence in my mind and speak it. Basically, any sort of connecting with another person. It makes it completely awkward and embarrassing for me, so I avoid being in social situations, which leads to loneliness, and the loneliness leads to depression, and the depression further destroys my brain.

[clairewilliams]

I haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD to be honest I thought it was just for hyperactive kids, but I’ve been reading up on it and at 44 the more I read the more it explains my life, and why it takes me hours to go from the thought that now would be a good time to put the washing on, to actually doing it, while my brain screams at me that it’s easy and yet I just can’t seem to make my body move. It also explains why I can’t even get started in the day without caffeine and why I can still down a red bull right before bed and still curl up and fall asleep.

[_typhoid_mary_]

Coffee helps me without a doubt. But my brother with ADHD gets anxiety and heart palpitations. It really does depend on the individual.

[SeanCTTR]

It’s so odd how recommendations about how to deal with your ADHD, often revolve around using coordination, organization, recognition things that we struggle with. It’s kind of like curing depression with just being happy.

[pedronunes]

I have adhd and I only recently started drinking coffee. I am suuuper sensitive to it, so I just drink half a cup throughout the day and it works better than any meds I took

[CodingMindsMadrid]

I have ADHD and every time I drink coffee I want to lay down and sleep. It calm me down and make me focus.

[StardustMonkey]

I recently discovered something… discipline does not really exist… resolve does and it’s actually an emotion… that those of us with ADHD need badly to keep us on task… so I have been sleeping more and every morning after taking my kids to school I get some caffeine and focus alone in my car telling myself that resolve is a feeling I can pull out from deep inside… what has happened every time I do this is images of my life goals and the people I care about start popping into my head… then at that hot moment when the caffeine is now in my bloodstream I connect my dreams with all the things I have put off and tell myself “finishing my accounting is directly related to my dreams all of the little things I never finish are apart of this dream” so what seems to happen is thanks to the caffeine and the emotion I can now get 3 very strong hours of work done so long as I don’t look at my phone… this has changed my life

[mljezierski]

I was diagnosed when I was a kid with ADHD and put on medication. At the time, there was only one choice of medicine and after I started exhibiting some negative side effects, my parents had me taken off of it. The doctor said to make sure I get plenty of caffeine to keep my ADHD under control. To this day, I still use caffeine to help keep me calm and focused. Caffeine actually makes me feel sleepy and relaxed. Sometimes I'll go an entire day and a half without caffeine and I'm bouncing off the walls and talk 90 miles per hour. The first thing my husband asks me is when was the last time I had caffeine. After I have some, I'm calm again.

[TheBaltherion]

Thanks for the video! I am coming to terms with my ADHD condition and how it affects me. My friend mentioned how he read that caffeine affects people with ADHD and I stumbled upon this video at random. I have always felt like sedatives and stimulants were reversed in their effect on me. After too much coffee i will literally have to lay down to sleep and when i drink large amounts of alcohol i stay up all night. It is cool to see so many people going through the same thing. I always thought I was weird.

[Sarah_H]

I get the caffeine crash instead of the neurotypical "can't wake up without caffeine" effect. The only thing that seems to negate any tiredness is finding something to hyperfixate on

[kathleentucker]

I don't read much about seniors (especially women) with ADHD. Well here I am...
Over the years I've been called aunt Kaffeine by my nieces and nephews. I would have a Rock Star beverage almost every day. Either that or 2 cups of strong coffee. It makes me feel better mood wise, and I focus better. I love my "best part of waking up"!

[stevetuckey]

Diagnosed young. For several reasons I stopped taking meds at 18, mostly because they were causing huge social anxiety. I struggled with my ADHD in my 20s without meds but learned to live with it. Now I medicate with coffee, one first thing in the morning and one for the afternoon slump. Really helps when meds aren't an option.

[boblossie]

A very short 5 minute video - BUT - you explained so many things simply, yet thoroughly. THANK YOU ! ! !

[RecklessInspirer]

I’m here because I’ve noticed a pattern of many people who I know are diagnosed with ADHD, having caffeine addictions. Great video!

[GuyFromJupiter]

It's weird seeing how so many of us react so differently to caffeine. I've actually never had enough that it made me feel jittery or that it was simply too much. I have had over 600mg during a 9-10 hour drive before, and that was after I already had around 300mg in the morning. I do try to limit my regular intake to 3-4 cups of coffee a day. I don't want to be entirely dependent on it.

[PhillyDownside]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid but only read a few months ago that caffeine and other stimulant substances can do the opposite to me. That makes so much sense, because i could drink some cafe at night and go to bed immediately after that, without issues. I often tried not to drink any caffeine later than afternoon if i have am important day tomorrow to get sleepy earlier, but obviously that didnt worked. Now i really want to test if caffeine can improve my sleep-in problems before important days.