10 Ways ADHD Can Shorten Your Lifespan
Learn why and what you can do about it.
It’s common for parents to hesitate when considering medication to manage ADHD. The idea of starting medication can feel intimidating, and concerns about potential long-term effects — such as impacts on growth, brain development, or personality changes — often come to mind. Stigma of ADHD can prevent people from seeking help or receiving proper accommodations. Some parents believe that with enough effort, their child can overcome these challenges through willpower alone. After all, isn’t ADHD just a behavioral issue that can be fixed by changing behaviors?
Unfortunately, the ADHD brain doesn’t work that way — trying harder doesn’t fix the underlying issues. Some people are good at masking their symptoms, but that doesn’t mean they are thriving in life. Masking takes its toll on mental and physical health.
Neuroscientists continue to uncover fascinating insights about how the brain functions, and while behavioral strategies and tools can help individuals with ADHD manage their symptoms, medication is often necessary for many to lead a more manageable and fulfilling life.
If you need to learn more about managing medication side effects, see my past post:
As mentioned in the post linked above, important to consider the risks of not medicating. People with ADHD face a higher risk of having a shorter lifespan due to a combination of factors that affect their physical, mental, and social health.
Read that again.
People with ADHD face a higher risk of having a shorter lifespan.
I firmly believe in the importance of understanding both the potential side effects of medication and the risks of avoiding it. I often hear parents express regret for delaying treatment, noting how complications grew during the time their child was unmedicated. It’s often hard to find the right medicine and the right dose, but once you do, it’s wonderful.
Let’s explore some of the risks associated with not using medication, including how these risks can ultimately impact lifespan.
1. Increased Risk of Accidental Injuries
Impulsivity, inattention, and risk-taking behaviors increase the likelihood of accidents, including car crashes, falls, and other injuries. These risks go down with management of ADHD symptoms.
2. Higher Rates of Substance Use Disorders
Individuals with ADHD are more likely to misuse substances such as alcohol and drugs, leading to long-term health complications like liver disease, cardiovascular issues, and cancer. Contrary to what you may have heard, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) risks go down when ADHD is well managed. Stimulant medications can be misused, but when used appropriately under the guidance of a licensed prescriber, risks are lower for misusing substances.
If you want to learn more, Jeremy Didier, my good friend and nationally recognized speaker on topics related to women and ADHD as well as SUD, shares what you need to know about SUD in this ADHDKC CHADD Chapter Meeting Recording.
3. Mental Health Challenges
Co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are more common in people with ADHD, increasing the risk of self-harm and suicide. When a person is impulsive as part of their core ADHD symptoms, a brief moment of sadness or disappointment can lead to tragic consequences!
Learn more about suicidality and ADHD from another ADHDKC event recording,
4. Chronic Stress and Emotional Dysregulation
Persistent difficulties with emotional regulation and stress management can lead to increased cortisol levels, which are associated with cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
For more on the chronic effects of stress on your body, watch this talk I gave to a local school parent group:
Parents Under Pressure
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5. Poor Health Habits
ADHD can impair executive functioning, making it harder to maintain healthy routines, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adherence to medical care. This can result in obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. These conditions not only shorten a lifespan, but they make life more difficult and can impact the quality of life in many negative ways.
6. Sleep Disorders
Sleep issues, such as insomnia or delayed sleep phase syndrome, are common in ADHD and contribute to poor physical health, impaired cognitive functioning, and increased accident risk.
You might have heard that driving when tired can be worse than driving intoxicated — it’s true! From the National Safety Council: Losing even two hours of sleep from a normal 8-hour sleep schedule can have similar effects to having three beers. Driving on 4 to 5 hours of sleep makes you four times more likely to crash, the same crash risk as driving with a .08 blood alcohol level.
Risk is not limited to driving, it can increase risk with other activities that require a quick reaction time, focus, and attention to detail, such sports and activities. Mistakes happen when we’re tired!
7. Cardiovascular Disease
ADHD is associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension and heart disease risks, possibly due to stress, poor lifestyle habits, forgetting to take prescription medications for medical conditions, or medication side effects.
8. Social and Economic Disadvantages
Difficulty maintaining employment, managing finances, and building supportive relationships can lead to chronic stress, limited access to healthcare, and reduced social support. Again, for an explanation of how chronic stress can affect overall health, see the Parents Under Pressure talk I linked above.
9. Higher Rates of Smoking
People with ADHD are more likely to start smoking or vaping at a younger age and have difficulty quitting, leading to long-term health risks.
10. Medication Mismanagement
To remember to take medication, key executive functioning skills are needed, include planning, organization, time management, and self-monitoring. The problems with executive functioning that many with ADHD struggle with can lead to inconsistently taking prescribed treatments for their health conditions. This can lead to complications or reduced effectiveness in managing their underlying conditions, such as ADHD itself, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. Improper medical management can lead to further complications and worsening health.
The above doesn’t even take into account the years-long shortage of stimulant medications that make it hard to fill prescriptions regularly, FDA regulations of when and how Schedule II medications (including stimulants for ADHD) can be filled, insurance coverage issues leading to favored medications being out of reach due to cost, and more. Our system in the US is broken, which is hard on everyone, but especially people who struggle with executive functioning. It’s really hard to stay on top of filling prescriptions when the system works against everyone, and that intensifies when you struggle with planning, organization, time management and self-monitoring!
Untreated ADHD or delayed diagnosis can exacerbate the above risks and limit a lifespan. Early and effective intervention can mitigate many of these issues and help prolong a healthy life. Addressing these risks requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that includes medical treatment, behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes, and social support systems.
Remember, you’ve got this!
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about ADHD with your kids! Registration for Teach Me ADHD is OPEN now through January 17th but will close early if spots fill!
