By Bill Hanks

My name is Bill Hanks and I’m, well…complicated. Clinically, I’m a recovering addict/alcoholic—with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) to boot—who, after 22 years of consuming a plethora of mind-bending toxins, is very much grateful to be alive.

It is the relationship between ADD & addiction that I wish to expand upon. I happen to believe that a significant correlation exists, all stemming from what I call the “awakening” effect that chemicals have on the ADD brain. With that said, let me start by saying that in my day, we didn’t know ADD. Instead, I was simply dismissed as “incorrigible” and a leather belt took the place of Ritalin.

The commonality between ADD & addiction has to do with neurotransmitters in the brain. In the case of ADD/ADHD, there exists a chemical imbalance affecting the pre-frontal cortex and thus disrupting focus, attention, and impulse control. This would account for the fact that my thoughts often became words and actions before I was consciously aware of what I was thinking. In other words, I often found out what I was thinking from what I had just said. I spent a lot of time in detention.

In the case of addiction, it is the introduction of drugs that disrupts the natural regulation of these neurotransmitters. In other words, when I began taking drugs as a 16 year-old kid, I went from making C’s and D’s in school to making A’s and B’s. Drugs empowered my neurotransmitters in such a way that an “awakening” effect took place. Upon discovery of this awakening, I turned to self-medicating, which quickly evolved into abusing—eventually leading to a physical & mental dependence—ultimately resulting in a frail hold on reality.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I entered rehab 22 years later that I was diagnosed ADD. All I knew as a kid was “drugs made me smarter,” thereby validating their use.

Our understanding of ADD/ADHD has come a long way since the late 60’s and early 70’s. Diagnosing has become routine, and the use of medication along with behavioral modifications has proved to be an effective treatment. Like any disorder, the key is catching an early diagnosis. If you suspect your child of having any learning issues (restlessness, inattentive, impulsive, unfocused, etc.), please seek the advice of your family physician. Help is just a phone call away.

– Bill Hanks is the author of a self-help memoir titled “Serenity: It’s a God Deal” ~ (finding your way to sobriety, sanity, and serenity). For more information about the author and book, to read excerpts, reviews, and op-eds, go to www.billhanks-serenity.com.