How to Stop ADHD Doomscrolling: Therapist-Backed Strategies for Boston Brains
Ever find yourself stuck in a scroll loop at 1AM, telling yourself “just one more video,” only to realize it’s been 90 minutes—and you’re more anxious than when you started?
You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.
Doomscrolling is a digital coping mechanism — and for ADHD brains, it’s uniquely powerful and uniquely hard to stop.
At Keystone Counseling Boston, we help students, professionals, and creatives understand how neurobiology, trauma, and attention intersect — and how therapy can help you build a healthier relationship with technology.
Why ADHD Makes Doomscrolling So Addictive
Doomscrolling is the compulsive urge to consume online content, especially upsetting or overstimulating information. And ADHD brains are especially vulnerable.
Here’s why:
1. Dopamine Seeking
ADHD brains crave stimulation — not out of choice, but due to dopaminergic dysregulation. Short, high-reward content (TikTok, Reels, Twitter) gives fast hits.
2. Time Blindness
Many ADHDers struggle with tracking time in real moments. This leads to “just 5 more minutes” becoming an hour or more.
3. Default Mode Network (DMN) Overactivation
The DMN is active when your mind wanders. In ADHD, the DMN tends to be overactive, especially when anxious or unfocused — fueling mental chatter and compulsive checking.
The Cost of Doomscrolling Isn’t Just Time
Unchecked, digital overstimulation can result in:
- Poor sleep and fatigue
- Low motivation and delayed tasks
- Increased anxiety or dread
- Feeling disconnected, overstimulated, or numb
And over time? It can damage self-esteem and worsen ADHD symptoms.
Therapist-Backed Strategies to Stop the Scroll Spiral
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Digital Impulses
CBT teaches you to:
- Catch “I deserve a break” → turn it into a structured pause
- Reframe “I can’t stop” → into “I can pause for 2 minutes”
Create trigger plans for moments of digital vulnerability
2. Mindfulness & Nervous System Regulation
Many doomscrollers are actually trying to self-soothe. Therapy teaches you:
- To recognize when you’re overstimulated
- Use body-based tools (breathing, grounding, movement)
Shift attention from fear-driven content to safe, present action
3. ADHD-Informed Executive Function Tools
Therapists can help you:
- Build non-judgmental screen routines
- Set dopamine-positive alternatives (music, walks, fidgeting)
Use “body doubling” or timers for intentional tech time
4. Emotional Root Work (When Scrolling = Avoidance)
Doomscrolling often masks:
- Loneliness
- Shame from unfinished tasks
- Anxiety about the future
- Trauma-based hypervigilance
Therapy helps uncover and address what’s under the urge — so you’re not fighting a symptom, but understanding it.
Local Support That Gets Your Brain
Whether you’re a BU student doomscrolling between papers or a remote worker zoning out before bed, you don’t have to fight this alone.
At Keystone Counseling Boston, we offer:
- ADHD-informed therapy
- CBT and mindfulness training
- Evening & remote sessions
- Insurance-friendly plans (MassHealth, BCBS, PPOs)
Ready to Reset Your Mind — Not Just Your Feed?
Schedule your free 15-minute consult
Let’s create a scroll strategy rooted in neuroscience, not shame.
