"Self-Medicating with Argument"—Meaning and Connection to ADHD

11/06/22 • 11 min

For many obvious reasons, ADHD-challenged relationships tend to teem with arguments and conflicts. Especially when neither partner knows ADHD is in the mix!
Apart from that, why do some people with ADHD self-medicate with argument? What does that phrase even mean? I wrote about this in my first book, in 2008. Since then, we hear about it more online—but seldom in a useful context.
Simply, self-medicating with argument refers to the stimulation some folks get by provoking a conflict—consciously or not. It can spell disaster for your life and relationships.
Why does this happen? Case by case, we can only speculate. For one thing, getting angry and arguing can release adrenaline—and thus calming focus.
But we don’t have to know why it happens to know that it happens. Even when you do recognize the phenomenon, it’s no way to live. Rather, understanding paves the path to solutions.
In this podcast sharing one of my most popular blog posts, I delve into the complexities: Why Some Adults with ADHD with ADHD Self-Medicate with Argument

READY TO GO DEEPER — AND ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS?

💬 I love helping you better understand the complexity of ADHD as it applies to you, not a stereotype!

My online training program walks you through everything step-by-step:

Solving Your Adult ADHD Puzzle
For adults with ADHD and their partners. Includes expert video lessons and optional peer Q&A Zooms.

Learn more: https://ginapera.adhdsuccesstraining.com/

Podcast listener discount: Use code POD15 at checkout for 15% off any course.

Thanks for listening!
—Gina Pera

🔗 About My Work: https://adhdrollercoaster.org/about-gina-pera/

Send us a text

READY TO GO DEEPER — AND ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS?

💬 I love helping you better understand the complexity of ADHD as it applies to you, not a stereotype!

My online training program walks you through everything step-by-step:

Solving Your Adult ADHD Puzzle
For adults with ADHD and their partners. Includes expert video lessons and optional peer Q&A Zooms.

Learn more: https://ginapera.adhdsuccesstraining.com/

Podcast listener discount: Use code POD15 at checkout for 15% off any course.

Thanks for listening!
—Gina Pera

🔗 About My Work: https://adhdrollercoaster.org/about-gina-pera/

Previous Episode

Why A Support Group for the Partners of Adults with ADHD?

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This podcast draws from a blog post at ADHD Roller Coaster. You can read the full post (and comments) here:
Why A Support Group for the Partners of Adults with ADHD?
excerpt:
A support group for the partners of adults with ADHD? That struck many people as a strange concept in 2003, when I advanced it in the essay below.

A decade later, the need still remains puzzling to some—angering to others. That includes some mental-health professionals—even those with high-level adult ADHD expertise. That must change.
Whatever happens to the adults with ADHD also affects loved ones—spouses, parents, siblings, and so forth. They need validation and education on elevating their lives, too.
By the way, ADHD Partner Group is still going strong, internationally. After 20 years, I've moved it to a modestly price group with a lot more features, including access to Zoom meetings with your peers.

READY TO GO DEEPER — AND ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS?

💬 I love helping you better understand the complexity of ADHD as it applies to you, not a stereotype!

My online training program walks you through everything step-by-step:

Solving Your Adult ADHD Puzzle
For adults with ADHD and their partners. Includes expert video lessons and optional peer Q&A Zooms.

Learn more: https://ginapera.adhdsuccesstraining.com/

Podcast listener discount: Use code POD15 at checkout for 15% off any course.

Thanks for listening!
—Gina Pera

🔗 About My Work: https://adhdrollercoaster.org/about-gina-pera/

Next Episode

ADHD, Empathy, & Dopamine: A Book Excerpt, Study, and Definition

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What can a published study — and an excerpt from my first book — explain about ADHD, empathy, and the neurotransmitter dopamine? That’s what this post is all about.

I started noticing a remarkable phenomenon 20 years ago. That is, stimulant medication, which targets dopamine, enhances empathy (or at least the ability to act on empathy) for many adults with ADHD. How is this possible?
You can read this popular blogpost (and the comments!) here: ADHD, Empathy, & Dopamine: A Book Excerpt, Study, and Definition

READY TO GO DEEPER — AND ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS?

💬 I love helping you better understand the complexity of ADHD as it applies to you, not a stereotype!

My online training program walks you through everything step-by-step:

Solving Your Adult ADHD Puzzle
For adults with ADHD and their partners. Includes expert video lessons and optional peer Q&A Zooms.

Learn more: https://ginapera.adhdsuccesstraining.com/

Podcast listener discount: Use code POD15 at checkout for 15% off any course.

Thanks for listening!
—Gina Pera

🔗 About My Work: https://adhdrollercoaster.org/about-gina-pera/