AOAAM Board Member Jan Widerman, DO, FAOAAM is featured in The DO

Understanding the connection between ADHD and substance use disorder

Pediatrician Jan Widerman, DO, FAOAAM discusses ADHD and SUD in children and adults and shares guidance on treatment and medication.

Throughout his 43 years as a pediatrician and 17 years as an addiction specialist, Jan Widerman, DO, has come across many patients who might have avoided developing a substance use disorder (SUD) had they been diagnosed and treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as children. As a mostly genetic disorder, ADHD is typically diagnosed before the patient is 12 years old and affects around 5-12% of the population.

“Seventy to 80% of these patients do not outgrow the diagnosis,” said Dr. Widerman. “If untreated, it can lead to higher rates of SUD, as well as accidents and problems in work, relationships and life.”

Dr. Widerman recently spoke at OMED 2024 about the correlation between ADHD and SUD. He shared information to help DOs feel better-equipped to diagnose ADHD in adults, understand how ADHD affects patients’ lives, differentiate ADHD from other comorbidities and determine proper dosing of medications to treat ADHD.

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