If you have spent any time ADHD corners social networks Lately, you’ve been called “low.” dopamine“Dopamine seekers” and “dopamine detoxes” in ADHD. Although they seem all around scientific and useful, there is one big problem: they are simply unscientific and untrue.
What exactly is ADHD?
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the development and functioning of the brain. The clinical diagnosis is inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity occurring frequently and violently enough to interfere with thought and behavior patterns, particularly development and daily life.
ADHD affects 8 to 12 percent of children, and in at least 30 percent of them, it continues into adulthood—perhaps more. A diagnosis of ADHD does not include anything about dopamine or other brain molecules or pathways. The science doesn’t exist yet.
Research has shown that disruptions in dopamine pathways play a role in ADHD, but the idea that ADHD is caused by “low dopamine” is simply not true. In fact, dopamine activity has been found to be higher rather than lower in some areas of the brain.
The bottom line is that the differences in ADHD brains are related to dopamine functionnot just quantity or degree. As an acronym for ADHD, “low dopamine” misses the mark and can send people on wild goose chases for treatments that don’t help or have unintended negative consequences.
ADHD is not just dopamine
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel between brain cells as part of a complex communication system that controls and regulates functions in the brain. nervous system. Dopamine plays a key role in circuits related to movement and coordination, motivation and reward, learning and memoryalong with attention and attention, mood and emotions. It also regulates many other organ systems, including the cardiovascular and immune systems. The myth of “low dopamine” in the context of ADHD focuses only on the reward system component of this multisensory transmitter, leading to an oversimplification of its role in the disorder.
ADHD is also associated with disturbances in pathways involving norepinephrine, a second neurotransmitter that affects learning and memory, mood and emotion, sleep and wakefulness, and is a key chemical messenger in the “fight or flight” response. It also affects the cardiovascular system, intestines, muscles and other vital organs. Similar to the dopamine story, the relationship between ADHD and norepinephrine is one of function, not volume, and is deeply connected to other systems in the body.
Recent research is expanding our understanding of the neurotransmitter pathways involved in ADHD. Serotonin is well known for its connection worry and depressionIt has been shown to contribute to ADHD, especially emotional and behavioral dysregulation symptoms.
Additional transmitter pathways with emerging evidence of involvement in ADHD include acetylcholine (motor control and attention), histamine (neuroinflammation), glutamate (reward processing), and adenosine, which modulate dopamine signaling. The cannabinoid system can also be related to hyperactivity/impulsivity.
Where does the “low dopamine” story come from?
Search “dopamine-seeker and ADHD” on social media and you’ll get posts like “ADHD, low dopamine, and conflict-seeking behavior” and “ADHD and dopamine.” addiction,” and lots of posts about “real” and “fake” dopamine.
To be clear, low dopamine is not what causes ADHD, you can’t get “addicted” to dopamine, and there is no such thing as real and fake dopamine in the brain. Impulsive, novelty seeking, inattention, and erratic behavior is not because someone is “chasing dopamine.” They are the result of dysregulated pathways in the brain’s communication systems.
So why are these reports suddenly so common?
The controversy between dopamine levels and ADHD is partly due to an oversimplification of research that shows that screens activate dopamine pathways and may be associated with ADHD symptoms in some people. However, the story is more complicated.
We know, for example, that people with ADHD are more prone to problematic screen use—it’s not a one-way street. There is also a tendency on social media to equate dopamine activation with internet addiction – but the pleasurable activation of dopamine pathways is not the same thing as an addiction (and whether compulsive internet use should be called an “addiction” is still a matter of debate), so again this is wrong and simplistic.
Dopamine-related brain pathways affect more than just mood and reward systems. They play an important role in movement, sleep, alertness and clarity of thought.
Parkinson’s disease, for example, is a movement disorder that occurs when certain brain cells die and stop producing dopamine. Although this functionally creates “low dopamine”, this is not the real problem – the problem is the cells that are dying and the circuits are no longer able to do their job. Behavioral strategies, supplements, and detoxes don’t fix Parkinson’s any more than they fix ADHD because it’s not about “levels” of brain chemicals. It’s about roads and circuits.
A fake solution to a fake problem
The myth of low dopamine and dopamine seeking associated with ADHD has led to an ever-expanding industry of people selling various “dopamine detox” plans and tools. But you can’t “detox” dopamine—it’s not a foreign substance, and you can’t become addicted to it. Often, the suggested “detox” involves identifying activities that give you “quick dopamine hits” rather than “long-term value,” and 72-hour “dopamine fasts” with no social media or TV or movies, no sugary or junk food, and some people even recommend avoiding music with lyrics.
There is no evidence that these interventions will help your ADHD, and in fact, they may cause harm. Science tells us that taking breaks from our phones and reducing notification interruptions is a useful strategy for anyone to regain focus and attention, but the idea of removing enjoyable activities as a treatment for ADHD is dangerous. It is moral and judgmental, not scientific. It labels certain activities and foods as “bad for you” and others as “good for you.” This quickly turns into the idea that if you don’t “manage your dopamine system” by doing “good instead of bad,” you’re hurting yourself.
Are ‘dopamine detoxes’ not the answer – what can you do instead?
Although a dopamine detox or reset won’t cure ADHD—and low dopamine never caused it—there’s a lot you can do to support attention and impulse control, as well as emotional and behavioral regulation.
Sleep hygiene, nutrition, and adequate hydration begin with meeting physical demands. Stay in touch during setup boundaries— like turning off all but important notifications and sometimes turning off your phone — allows you to be more present. Finding things that challenge and require you to associate with things that bring you joy and satisfaction can develop your reward system in a comprehensive way.
These strategies are not specific to dopamine or ADHD. The “good clean life” and the “dirty, high-dopamine life” is a false premise designed to hook you and sell you junk and prevent you from accessing the things that actually help.
To find a therapist, please visit Directory of psychology therapy today.
