Dr Alex George: The part of getting an ADHD diagnosis no one talks about

When I was diagnosed with ADHD in October 2022, I carried on drinking. I pushed the diagnosis aside and tried to keep going as I always had. It took a few months before I began to understand what it meant for my daily life. We talk a lot about getting a diagnosis. We talk less about what happens when you leave the appointment and have to work out how to live with that information. You can feel relieved to have an explanation and still feel lost about what to do next. For me, there was grief alongside that understanding. I looked back at things I had blamed myself for and wondered how different life might have been with earlier support. I had spent years feeling different without knowing why. Discovering that there was a reason brought questions about my past as well as my future. Alcohol was one of the things I began to look at differently. It had eased my social anxiety as a teenager and helped me unwind after A&E shifts. Later, it helped me numb the grief of losing my brother, Llŷr. I wasn’t drinking every day, but when I did drink, I struggled to stop. Alcohol took up more of my life than I wanted. There are reasons to take the relationship between ADHD and alcohol seriously. NICE guidance recognises an increased risk of substance misuse and self-medication in people with ADHD. Impulsivity can already make it difficult to pause before acting; alcohol can further impair judgement and impulse control. That doesn’t mean everyone with ADHD will develop a drinking problem. But it does mean a conversation around alcohol and other substances deserves space after diagnosis.I stopped drinking a few months after my ADHD diagnosis, on 4 December 2022, after a moment of clarity during a haircut. Seeing my reflection in the mirror – the grey skin and sunken eyes – made me realise that I had to take my health seriously. Almost four years later, I’m glad I gave up drinking. But at the time, I hadn’t yet understood everything I would need to learn about living without alcohol. One thing became clear: stopping drinking didn’t make the grief or social anxiety disappear. Therapy helped, as did walking and exercise, but I also had to learn to sit with feelings I’d previously tried to numb. I needed to find ways to spend my free time that I enjoyed without alcohol. Having made this big decision, there were lots of smaller, everyday decisions still ahead. Gradually, I found that mornings could be something to look forward to. Taking my dog Rolo out for a walk, doing some exercise or enjoying a nice breakfast became things I could properly enjoy, rather than trying to get through a hangover. I like getting outside and feeling that I have the whole day ahead of me. There’s more time for things I enjoy, and more energy to make plans, see friends or try something new. They might sound like small things, but together they made a big difference to how I felt about my weekends. That experience helped inspire Dead Clear, the alcohol-free beer I recently co-founded, with the idea that drinking less could mean getting more out of life. My later autism diagnosis helped me understand another part of the picture. I had been working hard to appear comfortable in social situations, making conversation and trying to respond as people expected. Alcohol had softened that discomfort. As I described it on my podcast, I was almost “masking the masking”. Stopping drinking made that effort more apparent. At a recent wedding, I loved catching up with friends I hadn’t seen for years. But I also found it exhausting. I left at about 11pm, when I knew I had reached my limit. My friends were supportive. Learning to recognise that point, and giving myself time to recover, helps me enjoy those occasions. I still want the friendships and the fun. This shift in my social life has meant having conversations with people close to me. I can explain when noise or a long day is becoming too much, and listen to what they need from me too. Understanding myself has to make room for understanding other people. Those conversations can begin with one thing you would find helpful. My advice, if you have recently been diagnosed with something like ADHD or autism, would be to give yourself time to process it. You don’t have to solve every difficulty at once. Ask your specialist what ongoing support is available and agree a plan for the things affecting your daily life. Medication helps some people; psychological support and practical adjustments can also form part of treatment. If you’re concerned about how alcohol is affecting you, or about drinking while taking medication, speak to your GP. Also: make the changes specific. Written instructions might help at work, or a quieter space to concentrate. Perhaps a social plan needs a clear finishing time. For me, familiar routines and recovery time matter. I have also had to find distractions to put into the hours that alcohol used to occupy. Exercise classes and running groups gave me activities and opportunities to connect, although learning to start those conversations took practice. The last four years haven’t always been easy. There have been tough moments and a lot to work through, but I can honestly say I’m happy. I’ve met my amazing fiancée, Ellie, and we got engaged this summer. Now, a good weekend might be breakfast with friends, a long walk with Rolo and Ellie around Battersea Park, and a movie night. Those everyday things mean a lot to me, especially now that I have more energy to enjoy them. I am still learning what works for me. Understanding my brain has made it easier to ask for what I need, and to make choices that leave room for the life I want to live. This week I have been… Building… for the fun of it. Picking up a box of Lego again has reminded me how much I loved it as a child. As adults, we seem to want a good reason for everything. Will this help my career? Will it make me fitter? Can I somehow turn it into another job? Even our hobbies can become things we feel we should be making progress at. I’m trying to let go of that a bit. Sometimes you just want to sit down and make something, without needing to be particularly good at it. I enjoyed Lego when I was younger. I enjoy it now. That feels like enough of a reason. Launching… Dead Clear, the alcohol-free beer I’ve co-founded. We wanted to make a great-tasting beer that lets you get more out of life, whether you drink never, sometimes – or just fancy an alcohol-free round. I want people to feel included, whatever they’re choosing. It feels like a full-circle moment. Alcohol caused me a lot of harm, and now I’m helping to create something positive out of thedrinking experience. I stopped drinking nearly four years ago, and I still love the ritual of having a beer with friends. For me, it’s about enjoying the evening and having plenty to look forward to the next day too. More nights out, more mornings, more time for the things you love. Dead Clear arrived in Waitrose this week, so I headed to the Battersea branch to see it on the shelves. It was a big moment, and I’m excited for people to try it. Noticing… the autumn leaves. There’s something about the colours at this time of year that makes me want to slow down and look around. Getting outside with Rolo gives me a reason to do that, even when there’s plenty competing for my attention. It’s also a reminder to keep coming back to the basics with my mental health: getting some fresh air, eating properly, making time for people and getting enough rest. I talk about these things a lot, but I still need the prompt myself. On busy weeks, it’s tempting to treat these necessities as optional extras. I’m trying to give them a proper place in my day. Dr Alex George is the co-founder of Dead Clear Drinks, a non-alcoholic beer brand, available at Waitrose, £1.99