What is an ADHD Business Coach?

An ADHD Business Coach specializes in helping professionals with ADHD overcome challenges like time management, focus, and procrastination. They provide tailored strategies to help individuals turn their ADHD into a strength, enabling them to thrive in their business and personal lives.

Can ADHD affect business success?

Yes, ADHD can present challenges in areas like organization and prioritization, but it doesn’t limit success. Many individuals with ADHD excel in business thanks to their creativity, problem-solving skills, and innovative thinking.

How can ADHD coaching help me in my career?

ADHD coaching provides personalized tools and strategies to improve focus, reduce overwhelm, and manage time effectively. It helps professionals with ADHD achieve clarity, set realistic goals, and implement actionable steps to boost productivity and success in their careers.

Is ADHD coaching worth it?

Absolutely! ADHD coaching empowers individuals to better understand their unique challenges and strengths. By working with an experienced ADHD Business Coach, you can develop practical systems that improve focus, organization, and overall productivity, unlocking your full potential.

ADHD and Alcohol: Why This Combo Hits Harder

Ever had a night where you only had a couple drinks — but your brain spiralled for days after?

You’re not imagining it.

ADHD and alcohol don’t mix like they do for everyone else.
And no, this isn’t a moral panic or “don’t drink” lecture.
It’s just the truth: when you’ve got ADHD, booze hits harder, lingers longer, and messes with more than your liver.

Let’s break down why ADHD and alcohol are such a rough combo.

Why Alcohol Feels Like a Shortcut for ADHD Brains

Table of Contents

Here’s what most people don’t realise: ADHD isn’t just about attention.
It’s about regulation — of emotions, energy, focus, even social interactions.

And alcohol?

It fakes regulation.
For a bit.

Let me guess:

You drink to calm social anxiety
You feel “level” for the first time all week
You finally relax without overthinking every word you say

That’s not weakness.
That’s neurodivergent coping in real life.

Especially for ADHD entrepreneurs and creatives constantly operating at 110%.

We’re dopamine-hungry.
We’re overstimulated but under-fuelled.
And alcohol becomes a fast, cheap dopamine hit.

It numbs the noise.
It drops the mask.
And in the moment? It works.

But the cost hits hard.
And that’s where ADHD and alcohol turn into a dangerous feedback loop.

The ADHD Drinking Loop: Numb, Regret, Repeat

ADHD and alcohol create a loop — mental and emotional.

Here’s the usual pattern:

Burnout builds. You’ve been masking, grinding, or firefighting all week.
You drink. Just to relax, reset, or “take the edge off.”
You feel better. Conversations feel easier. Your body finally exhales.
The crash hits. Cue shame spiral, brain fog, regret.
You overthink. “Why did I do that?” “Why can’t I be normal?”
You mask harder next time.

And the cycle resets.

Because what we’re dealing with here isn’t about alcohol — it’s about emotional regulation. And ADHD and alcohol feed that struggle instead of solving it.

ADHD brains already battle:

Impulse control
Low dopamine
Emotional dysregulation
Rejection sensitivity
Executive dysfunction after the fact

Alcohol supercharges all of that — then switches off the brakes.

Social Pressure Makes It Worse (Especially for ADHD Women)

Let’s talk about masking behaviours and alcohol.
Because masking is exhausting, especially for women with ADHD.

You’re not drinking to party.
You’re drinking to perform.

To survive conversations, small talk, loud environments.
To avoid being “too much” or “not enough.”
To keep up with neurotypical people who aren’t scanning the room for rejection cues every 10 seconds.

You become the “fun one” — until the crash.
Or the one who drinks to avoid being “awkward” — until it gets too loud, too much, too fast.

That’s how ADHD and alcohol become a toxic tag team.

And no one sees it, because you’re high-functioning.
Until you’re not.

The Next-Day Fallout Hits Harder

Here’s where ADHDers really feel it.

You don’t just wake up with a headache.
You wake up with regret, shame, confusion, and zero capacity to execute the day ahead.

Let’s break it down:

Your dopamine tanks — and it was already low
Your emotions spike — thanks to poor regulation and alcohol’s aftereffects
You can’t get traction — focus, clarity, and drive are out the window
You beat yourself up — and lose hours in the spiral

For ADHD-led businesses, this is lethal.
That hangover costs more than a Sunday — it can cost your momentum, your output, even your confidence to keep showing up.

That’s the price of unmanaged ADHD and alcohol loops.

What This Looked Like for Me

I wasn’t binge drinking. I wasn’t reckless.
But I was relying on alcohol to “level out” more than I wanted to admit.

It gave me space from the noise.

But I was paying for that space with:

Productivity crashes
Emotional self-loathing
Missed opportunities
Extra masking to cover it up

And I built PhilanthroPeak Coaching because I knew I wasn’t alone in this.

We help ADHD entrepreneurs build real structure that supports their energy — not cope with crash cycles that drain it.

If you’re done with alcohol being your regulation system…
👉 Explore The ADHD Business Compass™ — the programme built for your brain.

What You Can Do Instead (No Shame, No Shoulds)

You don’t have to quit drinking overnight.

But if ADHD and alcohol have become a default pattern, it’s time to explore better options.

Let’s break it down — no fluff, no guilt trips.

✦ 1. Spot the pattern before you repeat it

Self-awareness is your first tool.

Ask:

When am I most likely to reach for alcohol?
What am I trying to avoid, suppress, or manage?
What do I actually need instead?

Name it. Own it. Then design around it.

✦ 2. Create dopamine buffers

ADHD brains chase stimulation.
And alcohol delivers — fast.

But you can create better buffers:

Short walks + movement bursts
Tickable tasks and micro-wins
Low-pressure creative play
Solo time with music or sketching

These feed your dopamine without feeding the spiral.

They reduce the hold that ADHD and alcohol can have on your habits.

✦ 3. Reclaim social settings

Don’t let your nervous system get hijacked.

Build a pre-social strategy:

Drive yourself so you can leave
Set a drink limit or order a non-alcoholic option early
Choose smaller settings or outdoor environments
Give yourself a dopamine reward after for skipping the drink

You don’t need to be “on” all the time.
You need to be safe in your energy.

✦ 4. Preload boundaries (so they don’t fall apart later)

If impulse control is a known struggle (hello, ADHD), don’t wing it.

Pre-write your boundaries:

“I’m good with just one tonight.”
“Pacing myself — big day tomorrow.”
“Skipping drinks today, still here for the fun.”

When your future self forgets, these scripts protect your present priorities.

✦ 5. Find ADHD-friendly, sober-curious spaces

The right people make a huge difference.

Here are a few places to check out:

Club Soda (UK)
r/ADHD and r/stopdrinking
ADHD-led coaching groups
Sober Girl Society

If ADHD and alcohol are a frequent combo in your life, get around people who won’t make you justify your boundaries.

FAQs: ADHD and Alcohol

Q: Why does alcohol affect ADHD differently?
Because ADHD brains already struggle with regulation, emotion, and dopamine. Alcohol messes with those same systems, intensifying the crash.

Q: Can ADHD adults use alcohol to self-medicate?
Absolutely. Many do — especially if undiagnosed. It numbs overstimulation, anxiety, and emotional intensity.

Q: Do I have to stop drinking completely?
No. This isn’t about rules — it’s about choice. If alcohol’s stealing clarity and time, you have the right to protect both.

Q: Why do I spiral after drinking — even if I didn’t drink much?
Because alcohol disrupts focus, regulation, and emotional stability — all things that ADHD brains already struggle with.

Q: Can I still drink and run my business well?
Yes — if you’re intentional, supported, and not using alcohol as your only self-regulation tool. That’s where systems matter.

Final Word: You’re Not Broken — Your System Is Just Misaligned

Here’s the truth:

ADHD and alcohol is a brutal combo. Not because you’re doing something wrong — but because no one taught you a better way to self-regulate.

You’re not lazy. You’re not weak.
You’re a highly capable person with a sensitive nervous system trying to run a business, a brand, a household — on wiring that the world doesn’t understand.

But we do.

That’s what we built The ADHD Business Compass™ for — to give ADHD entrepreneurs the structure and strategy to scale, without self-destruction.

Inside, we help you:

Build ADHD-friendly systems that flex
Create consistent output, even on rough days
Stop relying on coping — and start leading from clarity
Anchor your revenue, time, and energy around your brain, not generic hustle templates

If you’re done drinking just to survive your systems…

👉 Join The ADHD Business Compass™

This isn’t about quitting.
It’s about choosing what actually works.

Because you deserve structure that supports you — not one you need to recover from.

May 13, 2025
May 13, 2025

About the Author

Errin Anderson

Errin Anderson is a leading ADHD Business Coach and the founder of PhilanthroPeak Coaching. With firsthand experience of the challenges and strengths of ADHD—having been diagnosed in his 30s—Errin combines his personal journey with professional expertise to empower neurodiverse entrepreneurs. His coaching focuses on transforming obstacles into opportunities, offering practical tools and strategies tailored to the unique needs of ADHD business owners.
Errin’s passion lies in helping entrepreneurs embrace their creativity, focus their energy, and thrive both personally and professionally. His mission is to prove that ADHD isn’t a limitation—it’s a unique advantage waiting to be unlocked.