The ADHD Illusion

Nikki Drummond, CCN
Oct 6
6 min read

Rethinking what’s really behind the world’s most over diagnosed disorder.

October is ADHD Awareness Month, but awareness alone isn’t enough when the story we’ve been told is incomplete. According to the NIH, ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder — something to manage, not mend. But emerging neuroscience tells a different story: for many, ADHD reflects subtle changes in biochemistry driven by environment, nutrition, and gut-brain communication. These aren’t fixed defects. They’re functional imbalances — and we now have the science and tools to restore them. You don’t have to spend your life managing symptoms with medication and talk therapy alone. There are other ways to help the brain find focus, permanently.

What ADHD Really Is — and What It Can Look Like

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), ADHD—Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder—is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by ongoing patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity that make it hard to function in at least two areas of life (i.e. home, school, or work).

But that definition barely scratches the surface. ADHD is not just about fidgeting kids who can’t sit still; it can manifest in dozens of subtle ways that often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed—especially in adults and women.

Here’s what ADHD can look like beyond the stereotype:

Trouble starting or finishing tasks
Chronic procrastination or disorganization
Racing thoughts, mental clutter, or “brain fog”
Constant stimulation-seeking—scrolling, snacking, or multitasking
Fatigue or burnout from nervous-system overdrive
Emotional reactivity or feeling easily overwhelmed
Social withdrawal, avoidance, or rejection sensitivity
Forgetfulness, poor working memory, or misplacing things
Sleep struggles—difficulty falling or staying asleep
Digestive issues, food sensitivities, or hormonal swings

Some people overperform to cope; others shut down completely. What looks like laziness or carelessness from the outside is often a brain running too fast without the brakes to slow down.

And that’s where functional neuroscience steps in—because the brain chemistry behind ADHD can be measured, mapped, and, in many cases, balanced.

1. The ADHD Brain: A Nervous System on Overdrive

Our nervous systems were built for survival in the wild — not survival of the inbox. Screens, artificial light, ultra-processed foods, chemical exposures, and relentless stress have the average brain bathing in stimulation. For sensitive nervous systems, especially developing ones, that constant input becomes toxic noise.

In functional neurology terms, ADHD is less a deficit of attention and more a deficit of regulation. The sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) keeps flooring the gas pedal while the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest) barely taps the brakes.

Children born into modern chaos often show it first: trouble falling asleep, emotional outbursts, picky eating, constipation, anxiety. Adults show it later: burnout, forgetfulness, irritability, reliance on caffeine or stimulants just to feel “normal.”

Translation: the brain isn’t broken — it’s overcooked.

2. The Chemical Tug-of-War: Too Much Excitation, Not Enough Calm

Every thought, feeling, and impulse is an electrical-chemical dance between excitatory and inhibitory messengers.

Excitatory neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, glutamate) light up alertness and motivation.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters (GABA and serotonin) quiet the noise, coordinate focus, and keep mood steady.

In ADHD, that seesaw tilts toward excitation.It’s not that dopamine is missing — it’s that GABA and serotonin are too low to balance the surge.

Inflammation, nutrient depletion, and chronic stress all sabotage the enzymes and cofactors that make these calming messengers. Low vitamin B6, zinc, or magnesium? The brakes start to squeal. The result: racing thoughts, impulsivity, irritability, and poor sleep.

Think of dopamine as the gas pedal and GABA as the brake fluid. Most ADHD brains have plenty of gas but not enough brake fluid to steer smoothly.

Clinical Insight: Why Stimulants Seem to Calm the ADHD Brain

Here’s the counterintuitive truth that baffles most parents: why does a stimulant make a hyperactive child calm? The answer lies in the gut.

When the gut microbiome is out of balance, certain bacteria release histamine—a compound that doesn’t just trigger allergies but also accelerates dopamine turnover in the brain. That means dopamine, the neurotransmitter of motivation and focus, is being broken down or recycled too quickly to stay in the synapse long enough to do its job.

When a stimulant is introduced, it pushes more dopamine into the synapse, temporarily restoring focus and calm. On the surface, it works beautifully. But beneath the surface, the imbalance persists. Over time, the brain struggles to keep up with that artificial demand, and dopamine reserves begin to deplete. The child’s natural production can’t sustain the same performance without the drug’s push.

This is why stimulant medications can help in the short term but often lead to sleep disturbances, emotional crashes, and dependency down the road. Unless the underlying driver—histamine and gut dysbiosis—is addressed, the cycle continues: overstimulation, depletion, and burnout.

A stimulant may calm the surface, but only rebalancing the gut calms the system.

3. The Gut Connection: Where Neurotransmitters Are Born

Up to 90 % of serotonin and a hefty share of GABA are made not in the brain but in the gut microbiome. Those microbes ferment fibers, metabolize amino acids, and send calming signals through the vagus nerve to the brain.

When antibiotics, processed foods, or chronic stress wipe out keystone species like Bifidobacterium longum or Lactobacillus rhamnosus, the production line collapses. Inflammatory strains take over, releasing histamine and endotoxins that keep the nervous system buzzing.

The brain hears that microbial chaos as static. Focus becomes scattered, sleep restless, and mood unstable.

4. Digestion and Nutrient Assimilation: You Can’t Make Neurotransmitters Without Ingredients

Even the best diet is useless if digestion doesn’t break down food into absorbable nutrients.

To make serotonin and GABA, the body needs: tryptophan, glutamine, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc.

Low stomach acid, chronic constipation, or pancreatic insufficiency block these inputs. Without them, neurons can’t synthesize the very molecules that create calm and focus. It’s like trying to bake bread with no flour — the recipe exists, but the pantry is empty.

5. Methylation Polymorphisms: Genetics Load the Gun, Environment Pulls the Trigger

Some people carry methylation gene variants — MTHFR, COMT, GAD1, MAOA — that alter how the body processes dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. These genes don’t cause ADHD, but under stress or nutrient deficiency, they tip the system toward excess excitation.

MTHFR variants slow folate metabolism, reducing methyl donors needed for serotonin and dopamine balance.
COMT variants slow dopamine breakdown, leaving more stimulation in circulation.
GAD1 variants reduce conversion of glutamate (excitatory) to GABA (calming).

When combined with inflammation or gut dysfunction, this biochemical bottleneck leaves the brain trapped in overdrive. The good news? Methylation can be supported through targeted nutrition — not guesswork, but precision.

6. The Tests That Change Everything

Traditional ADHD assessments rely on behavior checklists. Functional assessments look at data — the chemistry behind the behavior.

Neurotransmitter urine testing shows whether dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, or GABA are imbalanced.
Gut microbiome testing (like BiomeFX) maps which microbes are producing or blocking neurotransmitters.
Methylation panels identify whether your body’s detox and neurotransmitter pathways need specific nutrients.

These aren’t just lab numbers. They’re a map of the brain-gut highway — a way to see where the traffic jams are.

Once you can see the imbalance, you can personalize food, supplements, and lifestyle tools instead of guessing or suppressing symptoms.

7. Regulate, Don’t Just Medicate

Medications can temporarily raise dopamine, but they don’t rebuild the system that makes and balances it. Regulation, on the other hand, addresses root causes:

Repairing the gut microbiome
Supporting methylation and nutrient pathways
Calming the vagus nerve through breath, movement, and sleep hygiene
Rebuilding mitochondrial energy so the brain’s “battery” holds a charge

When the nervous system feels safe, focus flows naturally. When neurotransmitters are balanced, calm doesn’t have to be manufactured — it emerges.

ADHD isn’t a fixed disorder. It’s a dynamic imbalance that can be restored when the brain and body speak the same biochemical language again.

8. A Month to Rethink the Story

October’s ADHD Awareness Month is more than awareness — it’s an invitation to action.

If you or your child have been told “this is just how your brain works,” know this: Your chemistry can change. Your focus can be rebuilt. Your nervous system can find safety again.

Want to discover your own brain map? 👉 Learn more about neurotransmitter and gut testing through NeuroFit Nutrition. (Because your brain isn’t broken — it’s ready to be balanced.)

With love & science,

Nikki

References

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