Neurodivergence and addiction: understanding what drives us to seek relief

I am an auriculotherapist specialising in addictions. In my work, I have helped many people quit tobacco, alcohol, sugar and other consumptions. Each journey is different, with its own difficulties and its own progress. This is the experience I want to share with you, connecting it with what research teaches us about neurodivergence.

When a consumption takes up too much space, we often hear: "You just have to want it." Yet wanting to stop and managing to stop are not the same thing. You can be genuinely determined, then feel the urge return as soon as tiredness, tension or a difficult emotion arrives. That does not make you a weak woman.

Why some neurodivergent women may be more vulnerable

Studies show an increased risk of substance-related difficulties in certain profiles, particularly ADHD. This does not concern every neurodivergent woman, and it is never a foregone conclusion.

In ADHD, several pathways are being studied. What provides an immediate reward can attract more than a more distant benefit. Impulsivity can make the pause between the urge and the action harder. Difficulties regulating certain emotions can also encourage the search for quick relief.

A consumption can then become an answer we repeat: to calm tension, find stimulation, or get through a difficult moment. Immediate relief can take up a lot of space, even when the consequences become painful.

For autism, a large Swedish study also observed more substance-related problems, particularly when ADHD was associated. The mechanisms remain less well understood. We therefore cannot give the same explanation for every neurodivergence.

Understanding, without locking yourself into a label

My job is to support people who want to free themselves from consumptions that have become hard to control. My experience does not mean that every journey will be the same, but it gives me a reason to tell you that change is possible.

Tobacco, alcohol and sugar are not equivalent. They do not have the same effects or the same risks, and a difficulty with sugar is not enough to diagnose an addiction. What matters is taking what you are going through seriously, without judging yourself.

My support does not replace medical follow-up when it is needed. With dependence on alcohol or certain medications, stopping suddenly can be dangerous: ask for medical advice before stopping on your own.

A first step to understand yourself better

When an urge arrives, take a moment to complete this sentence: "I feel like ..., and just before, I was feeling ..."

Tiredness, tension, boredom, sadness, a need for stimulation? You are not trying to blame yourself for this urge. You are trying to understand what comes before it. It will not necessarily disappear, but these observations can help you explain your difficulties and find suitable support.

To write them down, you can discover My interactive journal among the Esprit Singulier tools: https://espritsingulier.com/en/outils

This journal is not a treatment. It is a support to put words on your experience.

You do not have to carry this difficulty alone. You deserve to be supported, not judged.

If you would like to talk with me about your situation, you can book a first video call:
https://calendly.com/hadifialima/echange-decouverte-neurodivergence-addictions