ADHD and Crime – The Shocking Connection No One’s Talking About

Last updated on: December 23rd, 2019 ~

The connection between ADHD and crime is staggering. Some studies have shown that roughly 40% of adult men in prison have ADHD. So, why is hardly anyone talking about the notion that people who don’t treat their ADHD symptoms may be more likely to commit crimes?

Well, that’s what this article covers in full detail. This article exposes the following topics:

• Why some people with ADHD commit crimes

• What research says about ADHD and crime

• How education and treatment helps people with ADHD become productive members of society

• The importance of channeling ADHD symptoms into productive outlets

Let’s begin…

Why some people with ADHD commit crimes

Most people with ADHD experience symptoms that can be channeled in a constructive or destructive way.

ADHD symptoms can include impulsiveness, aggression, inattentiveness, poor emotional control, and anger – among various other issues.

So as you can probably imagine, without proper education and treatment, many people with ADHD just don’t have a clear understanding of how their brain actually works.

In fact, it’s thought that most people with ADHD don’t even know they have the condition!

And, when you add in external factors like an ill-fitting public school system and the increasingly prevalent problem of growing up in a broken household, it should be pretty easy to understand why some people with ADHD commit crimes…

Plenty of people with ADHD go through life without knowing much about themselves, ADHD, society, and life in general.

Some of those same people with ADHD ultimately go on to commit crimes.

People with ADHD might not even interpret the law the same way that ordinary people do. This is difficult for ordinary people to understand. But, many people with ADHD are simply natural-born rule breakers.

For example, I was arrested on two separate occasions while a freshman in college. I went to jail for crimes related to underage drinking on both occasions. I was 18 years old and pledging a fraternity at the time. I made some 18-year-old decisions…and paid the price for having a problem with booze and authority.

The truth is that breaking the law may feel more like a dopamine dump to someone with ADHD, rather than a criminal act. This could be because people with ADHD show neurological dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of your brain that’s responsible for controlling impulses and making decisions.

Thankfully, most people with ADHD do not commit crimes. And, most people with ADHD manage to exercise good judgment and decision-making for the majority of their lives.

ADHD is not an excuse for committing crimes. But, ADHD could very well be one of the underlying factors behind millions of crimes that are committed around the world every year.

Because, when people with ADHD don’t understand their condition, or learn how to manage it, that’s when criminal activity can occasionally take place as a way of coping with ADHD.

What research says about ADHD and crime

The research surrounding ADHD and crime is incomplete, but alarming. Here are some important points to consider:

> One study shows that children with ADHD symptoms undergo a substantially increased risk of engaging in criminal activities

> Up to two-thirds of young offenders in the criminal justice system screen positively for childhood ADHD (this was researched across multiple countries)

> One study indicates that crimes occurred less often in ADHD patients who were treated with ADHD medication

> People with ADHD who show impulsive behavior run a greater risk of coming into contact with the justice system

> Danish scientists found that having ADHD is associated with significantly increased mortality rates, mainly due to unnatural causes (like accidents)

It seems like the criminal justice system is absolutely filled with people who display ADHD symptoms. Worst of all, youth offenders appear to be the group with the largest percentage of ADHD behavior.

This indicates that parents need to pay extremely close attention to children who display ADHD symptoms, and find out if an ADHD diagnosis makes sense as early as possible. If you can catch ADHD early on in a child’s life, then you can become much better prepared to deal with the child’s potential impulsiveness that may lead to problems later on. Impulsiveness seems to be the ADHD symptom that puts children at the greatest risk of getting into trouble with the law. It’s the most important symptom to look for and manage.

Of course, adults with ADHD should be equally careful about controlling impulses, managing emotions, and staying attentive in order to live a happy and healthy life far away from the criminal justice system. Thankfully, most ADHD adults will not experience any problems related to breaking the law. But, it’s always a good idea to stay vigilant about managing ADHD symptoms.

How education and treatment helps people with ADHD stay on track

Education is the most important tool for helping children and adults with ADHD stay on a happy and healthy track in life.

When you don’t understand ADHD, you basically go through life feeling like an idiot.

But, once you understand that living with ADHD requires you to change your lifestyle and forget about fitting into the standards that society sets for you – that’s when the real magic happens.

For example, here are some steps that you can take to educate yourself or your child about ADHD as soon as possible:

> Spend a few hours chatting with a good psychologist who specializes in ADHD (buy a few hours of her time)

> Scour the ADHD Boss website for all of the free information that you can find about ADHD

> Join a good ADHD support group in your area

> Spend time with like-minded people who genuinely want to improve their lives (you are the average of the 5 people you most associate with)

> Keep studying how ADHD, the brain and psychology works

Educating yourself or your child about ADHD is the easy part.

Properly treating your ADHD symptoms is a more challenging process that can take weeks, months, or even years to get right.

But, it’s 100% possible to manage your ADHD symptoms and live an amazing life with ADHD, regardless of your current position in life.

Here are some steps that you can take to manage ADHD symptoms and hop on the fast-track to living a fulfilling life with the condition:

> Build a complete lifestyle that works with your ADHD symptoms rather than against them (this includes your career choice, living situation, quality of food intake, exercise, and so many other factors)

> Consider using a low dose of high-quality ADHD medication that works well for your system

> Take probiotics to get your gut health in check as soon as possible (gut bacteria has been linked to mood and emotions)

> Consider using nootropics for ADHD or natural supplements for ADHD and depression (ADHD and depression are sometimes comorbid)

> Find out how to build long-term motivation with ADHD so that you can keep making progress in life even while dealing with ADHD symptoms

Managing ADHD symptoms is ultimately a long-term process that involves a complete lifestyle shift.

I’ve had to change my entire lifestyle just to give myself a decent shot at living a fulfilling life with ADHD. But, the changes that I’ve made have been totally worth it.

Start investing in yourself, your health and your overall well-being today.

I promise you’ll thank yourself further down the road.

The importance of channeling ADHD symptoms into productive outlets

One of the most important steps that children and adults with ADHD can take involves channeling ADHD symptoms into productive outlets.

This is exactly what successful ADHD celebrities do – and what you can do too.

If I didn’t channel my ADHD symptoms into productive entrepreneurial outlets, there’s definitely a chance that I could’ve ended up in a very bad situation in life.

I could have easily been just another statistic laid out in this article.

But, channeling my ADHD symptoms into productive outlets might’ve saved my life. I guess I’ll never know for sure.

Either way, I strongly believe that you and/or your child will benefit from doing the same.

Here are some examples of ways that you can channel ADHD symptoms into productive outlets:

> Channel your impulsiveness into participating in improv classes, making YouTube videos, creating artwork, or pursuing some other means of creative expression

> Find out what makes you hyperfocus, and pursue that activity in your free time

> Use your anger and aggression in the gym to carve out the body of your dreams

> Channel your appetite for risk into building businesses, investing in the stock market, selling real estate or pursuing any other commercial activity

> Look for opportunities to help other people with their ADHD symptoms whenever possible (in turn, this will eventually help you as well – it’s funny how the universe works)

At the end of the day, I think it’s much more important to channel your ADHD symptoms and use them to your advantage, rather than try to suppress your ADHD symptoms in some sort of unnatural way.

Use this message to benefit yourself, your kids, your friends and family members.

Spread the message far and wide that ADHD can be managed and even used to your advantage.

You and the people closest to you will soon discover that life is so much better this way.