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ADHD addiction therapy UK

ADHD and Cannabis Use

Specialist online CBT for adults with ADHD who want to understand cannabis use, dependency, emotional regulation, sleep, boredom, anxiety or avoidance without shame.

ADHD and cannabis

Cannabis can become a way of coping when ADHD feels hard to manage.

Some adults with ADHD use cannabis to quiet racing thoughts, reduce restlessness, manage boredom, ease anxiety, switch off emotional overwhelm, or try to sleep. This does not mean you are weak or careless. It often means cannabis has become part of a coping pattern that offers short-term relief.

ADHD and cannabis use can become more difficult when the same strategy starts to affect motivation, memory, mood, confidence, relationships, work, study or daily functioning. It can also sit within wider ADHD and addiction therapy patterns, especially when ADHD burnout increases avoidance and the need to switch off.

ADHD cannabis dependency

The pattern can shift from relief into avoidance, dependency and shame.

Cannabis may feel like it helps in the moment, but it can also become part of a cycle where difficult tasks, emotions, decisions or responsibilities are pushed further away. The aim in therapy is not to shame the behaviour, but to understand what it is doing for you and what it is costing.

Racing thoughts, boredom, anxiety or emotional overwhelm Cannabis offers relief, sleepiness, numbness or escape Avoidance, low motivation or difficulty functioning increases Shame or self-criticism makes change feel harder CBT maps the cycle and builds alternative coping strategies

CBT for cannabis use

CBT can help identify triggers, manage urges and reduce avoidance.

CBT can help you understand the links between ADHD traits, reward-seeking, emotional regulation, substance use, routines, sleep, boredom, anxiety, avoidance and shame. Together, we look at what happens before cannabis use, what it does in the short term, and what happens afterwards.

Therapy may focus on trigger mapping, urge-management skills, alternative ways to regulate emotion, planning for high-risk times, reducing avoidance, building structure, improving sleep habits, and supporting realistic change at a pace that fits your life.

A calm sea view representing emotional regulation and alternative coping strategies

Online CBT for ADHD and addiction

Support with Cally Farrer, BABCP-accredited CBT therapist.

Cally Farrer is a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist with 15 years experience in various clinical roles, including mental health and substance misuse services. Online CBT therapy is available across the UK for adults looking for compassionate, specialist support with ADHD and cannabis, ADHD and weed, cannabis dependency, emotional regulation and ADHD addiction therapy.

Free 15-minute consultation

A first conversation can help you decide what support might fit.

You are welcome to get in touch without pressure, judgement or needing to have the perfect words.