Alcohol, Dopamine & ADHD

Why do so many adults with ADHD struggle with alcohol, even when they know it's not helping them? In this episode, Lynne Edris talks with Colleen Freeland about the powerful connection between ADHD, dopamine, nervous system regulation, and alcohol use. They explore: • Why ADHD brains often seek relief through alcohol and other coping behaviors • The difference between drinking for pleasure and drinking for relief • How dopamine and urgency drive unhealthy patterns • Why shame keeps us stuck • How to build healthier responses to stress and overwhelm • The mindset shift that makes lasting change possible Whether alcohol is your challenge—or whether your coping mechanism looks more like procrastination, scrolling, shopping, or overworking—this conversation will help you better understand your brain and create change with more compassion and less self-judgment. Colleen Freeland is an Intuitive Drinking Coach and host of the globally top-ranked It's Not About the Alcohol podcast. Colleen founded Emotional Sobriety Coaching© for high achieving professional women who want to reduce alcohol consumption by 80 percent. She combines holistic and evidence-based strategies in Neurophysiology, Cognitive Reframing, and Spirituality to reprogram the mind and body - so you actually prefer drinking in moderation. Colleen secretly struggled with Alcohol Use Disorder for over 20 years before discovering that the solution to overdrinking is to get happy, not sober. She is an Addiction and Recovery-Certified Master Life Coach with an MSc in Health Coaching, a BS in Biology and Chemistry Education, and is certified as a Women's Functional and Integrative Health Professional. Learn more about Colleen at https://www.emotionalsobrietycoaching.com/ Podcast Co-Host Lynne Edris s a Productivity & ADHD Coach who helps distracted professionals from all over the world learn to accomplish what they intend and take control of their days with ease so that they can perform at the level of their abilities and have more time, more energy and more bandwidth for what matters most to them. Lynne is a woman, wife, and mom with ADHD herself, so she understands the struggles and challenges of living with ADHD. She has gone from living in the constant state of chaos, overwhelm, and under-performance that adults with ADHD know far too well, to living a life of more success and fulfillment than she once dreamed possible. Her passion is to help others fulfill their own potential and start "firing on all cylinders" in all areas of your life. You can learn more about Lynne at www.CoachingADDvantages.com, and visit www.ProductivityBreakthroughQuiz.com to take her complimentary self-assessment! RESOURCES & LINKS Take Lynne's Productivity Breakthrough Quiz: https://www.productivitybreakthroughquiz.com Learn more about Lynne Edris: https://www.coachingadvantages.com Learn more about Colleen Freeland at https://www.emotionalsobrietycoaching.com/ Join the ADHD Support Talk Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdsupporttalk We'd love to hear from you! ADHD Support Talk Radio is an award winning Podcast for Adults with ADD / ADHD. Co-hosts Tara McGillicuddy and Lynne Edris are joined by Adult ADHD experts and they cover important topics related to Adult ADD / ADHD. Podcast guests include Dr. Edward Hallowell, Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, Dr. Ari Tuckman, Laurie Dupar, Terry Matlen and many more. Tara McGillicuddy is the Producer, Owner and Co-host of the ADHD Support Talk Radio Podcast. You may contact Tara with general questions or feedback about the podcast, Lynne Edris is the Co-host of the ADHD Support Talk Radio Podcast. You may contact Lynne with feedback about her episodes or if you are interested in having her interview you as a guest. https://adhdsupporttalk.com/about-podcast/ We may be an affiliate for products we mention or recommend. If you purchase those items through our links, we may earn a commission.