If you’ve spent any time on ADHD corners of social media lately, you’ve likely been barraged by posts about “low dopamine,” “dopamine-seeking,” and “dopamine detoxes” in ADHD. While these seem to be everywhere and come across as scientific and helpful, there is one big problem: They simply aren’t based in science and are not truthful.
What Is ADHD, Really?
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain develops and functions. The diagnosis is clinical—based on patterns of thinking and behavior, specifically inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, that occur with enough frequency and severity to interfere with development and day-to-day life.
ADHD affects between 8 and 12 percent of children and persists into adulthood in at least 30 percent of them—likely more. A diagnosis of ADHD doesn’t include anything about dopamine or any other brain molecules or pathways. The science isn’t there yet.
While research has found that disruptions in dopamine pathways play an important role in ADHD, the idea that ADHD is caused by “low dopamine” is simply not accurate. In fact, dopamine activity has been found to be higher, not lower, in some brain areas.
The bottom line is that the differences in ADHD brains are related to dopamine function, not just the amount or level. “Low dopamine” as a shorthand for ADHD misses the mark and can send people on wild goose chases for treatments that don’t work—or that have unintended, negative consequences.
ADHD Isn’t Just Dopamine
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that move between brain cells as part of a complex communication system that drives, manages, and regulates function in the nervous system. Dopamine plays primary roles in circuits related to movement and coordination, motivation and reward, learning and memory, attention and focus, along with mood and emotions. It also regulates many other organ systems, including cardiovascular and immune systems. In the context of ADHD, the “low dopamine” myth focuses only on the reward system component of this multi-tool of a transmitter, which creates a vast oversimplification of its role in the disorder.
ADHD is also associated with disruptions in pathways related to a second neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which impacts learning and memory, mood and emotions, sleep and wakefulness, and is the main chemical messenger in the “fight or flight” response. It also impacts the cardiovascular system, the gut, the muscles, and other vital organs. Similar to the dopamine story, the relationship between ADHD and norepinephrine is related to function, not volume, and is deeply intertwined with other systems in the body.
More recent research is expanding our understanding of the neurotransmitter pathways related to ADHD. Serotonin, better known for its association with anxiety and depression, has been shown to contribute to ADHD, particularly emotional and behavioral regulation symptoms.
Additional transmitter pathways with emerging evidence related to ADHD include acetylcholine (motor control and attention), histamine (neuroinflammation), glutamate (reward processing), and adenosine—which modulates dopamine signals. The cannabinoid system may also be related to hyperactivity/impulsivity.
Where the “Low Dopamine” Story Comes From
Search “dopamine-seeking and ADHD” on social media and you get posts such as: “ADHD, Low Dopamine, & Conflict Seeking Behavior,” and “ADHD and dopamine addiction,” and so many posts about “real” versus “fake” dopamine.
To be clear, low dopamine isn’t what drives ADHD, you can’t be “addicted” to dopamine, and there is no such thing as real versus fake dopamine in the brain. Impulsive, novelty-seeking, inattentive, and dysregulated behaviors are not because someone is “chasing dopamine.” They are the result of dysregulated pathways in the brain’s communication systems.
So why are these posts suddenly so common?
The conflation of dopamine levels and ADHD is partly related to an oversimplification of research showing that screens activate dopamine pathways and there may be a relationship to ADHD symptoms in some people. However, the story is far more complicated.
We also know, for example, that people with ADHD are more vulnerable to problematic screen use—it’s not a one-way street. There is also a tendency on social media to equate dopamine activation and internet addiction—but pleasurable activation of dopamine pathways is not the same thing as addiction (and whether compulsive internet use should be called an “addiction” is still a matter of debate), so again this is inaccurate and oversimplified.
Dopamine-related brain pathways don’t just affect mood and reward systems. They play important roles in movement, sleep, alertness, and clarity of thinking.
Parkinson’s disease, for example, is a movement disorder that is caused when certain brain cells die off and stop producing dopamine. While that creates functionally “low dopamine,” that isn’t the actual problem—the problem is the dying cells and the circuits that can’t do their job anymore. Behavioral strategies and supplements and detoxes won’t fix Parkinson’s any more than they do ADHD because it’s not about “levels” of brain chemicals. It’s about pathways and circuits.
A Fake Solution to a Fake Problem
The myth of low dopamine and dopamine-seeking related to ADHD has led to an ever-expanding industry of people peddling various “dopamine detox” plans and remedies. But you can’t “detox” from dopamine—it’s not a foreign substance and you can’t be addicted to it. Often, the “detox” being offered involves identifying activities that give you “quick dopamine hits” but not “long-term value,” and making recommendations such as 72-hour “dopamine fasts” without social media or TV or movies, no sugary or junk foods, and even some people recommending avoiding music with lyrics.
There is not a shred of evidence that these interventions will help your ADHD, and in fact, they may cause harm. While the science tells us that taking breaks from our phones and reducing interruptions from notifications are helpful strategies in resetting anyone’s attention and focus, the idea of removing pleasurable activities as a way to treat your ADHD is dangerous. It’s moralistic and judgmental, not scientific. It labels some activities and foods as “bad for you” and others as “good.” This quickly evolves into the idea that if you don’t “manage your dopamine system” by doing “good instead of bad,” you are hurting yourself.
“Dopamine Detoxes” Aren’t the Answer—So What Can You Do Instead?
While a dopamine detox or reset won’t treat your ADHD—and low dopamine was never the cause of it to begin with—there are many things you can do to support attention and impulse control, along with emotional and behavioral regulation.
Sleep hygiene and eating and hydrating enough start by meeting physical demands. Staying connected while setting boundaries—like turning off all but essential notifications and turning the phone off sometimes—can allow you to be more present. Finding things that challenge and make demands on you while connecting with things that bring pleasure and satisfaction can holistically nurture the reward system.
These strategies are not specific to dopamine or ADHD. The “good clean life” versus the “dirty, dopamine life” is a made-up framework built to hook you in and sell you things you don’t need while potentially keeping you from accessing things that will actually help.
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