ADHD and: Self-medicating
ADHD and: Self-medicating  
Podcast: MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel
Published On: Tue Jun 03 2025
Description: Some women with ADHD turn to self-medicating to cope with their symptoms. At first, it may seem to help. But over time, it can make ADHD harder to manage.In this episode, Dr. Monica Johnson explains self-medicating and breaks down why some women with ADHD turn to it. Find out how self-medicating can be harmful and what healthier ways to cope might look like.Related resourcesTips from an ADHD Coach: Coping skills with consequencesExperts weigh in: Marijuana and ADHDMissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women ChannelTimestamps(00:59) What does self-medicating look like?(02:34) Ways self-medicating can be harmful (07:53) Healthier ways to cope with ADHDFor a transcript and more resources, visit the MissUnderstood channel page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at podcast@understood.org. ADHD Unstuck is a free, self-guided activity from Understood.org and Northwestern University designed to help women with ADHD boost their mood and take small, practical steps to get unstuck. In about 10 minutes, learn why mood spirals happen and get a personalized action plan of quick wins and science-backed strategies that work with your brain. Give it a try at Understood.org/GetUnstuck.Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.