ADHD Does not Exist

The high-epinephrine/norepinephrine group is “consistent in its inconsistency”: Sometimes these patients can concentrate well, and sometimes they can’t; sometimes they engage in impulsive, hyperactive behavior, and sometimes they don’t. The different symptom patterns have to do with physiological processes that are beyond the scope of this book.2

On the other hand, epinephrine/norepinephrine are colloquially known as “adrenaline,” the hormone that activates our nervous system and makes us feel more alert—whether in a positive way (as when we need to focus on a challenging task like a test) or a negative way (as when we feel afraid).

Serotonin can act to have a calming effect and is associated with a general feeling of well-being

low measurable levels of whole-blood serotonin; 2) high levels of whole-blood epinephrine/norepinephrine

difficulty sustaining attention and following through on instructions, easy distractibility, forgetfulness, fidgeting, running about (in inappropriate situations), leaving one’s seat, interrupting, and blurting out answers

abnormal levels of the two neurotransmitters, serotonin and epinephrine/norepinephrine.

NDI, in contrast to the other conditions I cover, does not appear in medical textbooks or reference materials, and you won’t find any information about it online at sites like WebMD or the Mayo Clinic’s. Instead, I base my definition of NDI on the more than five thousand cases of patients diagnosed with ADHD

The only way to confirm this condition is through blood tests showing low serotonin (which results in the consistent manifestation of distractibility and/or impulsivity) or high epinephrine/norepinephrine (which results in similar symptoms, but the symptoms tend to appear inconsistently).

Similarly, his age-appropriate academic performance suggested he had no issues with learning disabilities.

What finally helped me figure out Peter’s symptoms were the results of his blood test

He had significantly lower than normal levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.