Switching off
Using cannabis to quiet racing thoughts, stop rumination, reduce restlessness or create a sense of distance from the day.
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.
What this can look like
Cannabis use often has a job to do before it becomes a problem.
Understanding the purpose it serves makes change more realistic and less shame-based.
Avoiding pressure
Putting off tasks, messages, decisions or responsibilities because everything feels too much to face.
Sleep and routine
Relying on cannabis to get to sleep, then finding motivation, mornings or emotional regulation harder afterwards.
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.
The trigger
Racing thoughts, boredom, anxiety or sleep difficulty.
The relief
Cannabis offers numbing, slowing down or escape.
The cost
Avoidance, low motivation, shame or dependency builds.
Where CBT helps
Maps triggers and builds alternative regulation 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.
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.
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
Why can ADHD and cannabis use become linked?
Some adults with ADHD use cannabis to manage racing thoughts, restlessness, boredom, anxiety, emotional overwhelm or sleep difficulties. Therapy can help you understand the function cannabis is serving without shame.
Can CBT help with cannabis use?
CBT can help identify triggers, manage urges, reduce avoidance and build alternative coping strategies. If dependency, withdrawal or risk is significant, additional medical or specialist support may also be appropriate.
Do I need to stop using cannabis before therapy?
No. You can start by exploring what is happening, what you want to change, and what support would be safest and most realistic. The first step does not need to be perfect abstinence.
Do you offer online ADHD addiction therapy in the UK?
Yes. Cally offers online CBT therapy across the UK for adults with ADHD, addiction, emotional regulation difficulties and related coping patterns.
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.