A blanket rule beats moderation
For an all-or-nothing ADHD temperament, a total no-alcohol (or no-X) rule is easier than moderation: 'I don't drink, I can't' removes the exhausting per-occasion decision of whether to indulge, and a ready-made line ends the negotiation before willpower drains.
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For an ADHD brain that struggles to moderate — where one drink and ‘the brakes are off’ — trying to decide afresh at every social moment drains willpower and creates stress. A blanket zero rule is easier than moderation because it eliminates the choice entirely: the decision is pre-made, so there’s nothing to negotiate in the moment. Pair it with a ready-made line to deploy (‘I don’t drink, I’m an alcoholic, I can’t’) so you don’t have to re-justify each time. The same logic extends to any substance or behaviour you can’t moderate: a firm rule plus a stock response is less effortful, and more reliable, than relying on in-the-moment restraint. This connects to a deeper pattern — for ADHD, designing around impulse with structural rules beats expecting willpower-based discipline.
