Why ADHD Is Often Misdiagnosed — and What You Can Do About It
— By Brian Mears, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, PMHNP
Not Everything That Looks Like ADHD Is ADHD
Struggling to focus? Feeling disorganized, restless, or distracted? You might assume it’s ADHD. But those same symptoms are also caused by:
That’s why, at Alleviant, we never rush to label someone with ADHD. Instead, we use spectral EEG (sEEG) to look at the brain’s real-time activity and determine what’s actually going on — whether it’s ADHD or something else entirely.
Why ADHD Is So Commonly Misdiagnosed
1. Symptom Overlap
Many brain-related symptoms can look like ADHD but aren’t:
| Poor focus | Anxiety, trauma, sleep disorders |
| Restlessness | Depression, PTSD, sensory processing issues |
| Impulsivity | Emotional dysregulation, bipolar disorder |
| Disorganization | Overwhelm, burnout, executive dysfunction |
If the evaluation only includes a checklist or a 10-minute conversation, these root issues are often missed.
2. Technology Overload
Screens change the brain. Social media, gaming, and constant content scrolling condition your mind to **seek novelty, avoid effort, and resist boredom.**¹
This overstimulation leads to impulsivity, irritability, and short attention spans.
The more a brain becomes accustomed to high-intensity input, the harder it is to sustain attention during real-life tasks like reading, listening, or working.
Even adults can experience ADHD-like symptoms due to dopamine dysregulation from screen overuse.
3. Food and Focus
Modern diets are full of:
Artificial dyes (like Red 40 and Yellow 5)
Preservatives and flavor enhancers
Refined sugars and processed carbs
These additives contribute to inflammation, blood sugar swings, and neurochemical imbalances — all of which can mimic or worsen ADHD symptoms.²
At Alleviant, we’ve seen significant behavioral improvement when families remove these inflammatory foods and shift toward a more nutrient-dense, plant-forward approach.
4. Medication Response Doesn’t Prove Diagnosis
Stimulants help anyone focus better — even if they don’t have ADHD. That’s why feeling better on Adderall or Ritalin doesn’t confirm the diagnosis. It just means your brain responded to stimulation.
If your issues are actually related to trauma, anxiety, poor sleep, or overexposure to dopamine from screens or sugar, those meds may mask symptoms — but not heal the cause.
How We Do It Differently: Objective Psychiatry
At Alleviant, we use spectral EEG (sEEG) to measure how your brain is performing.
True ADHD often shows increased slow-wave activity (theta) in the frontal lobes.
sEEG helps us distinguish ADHD from trauma, depression, or other causes of executive dysfunction.
We track your brain over time to see how it responds to treatment — adjusting as needed.
It’s the first vital sign for the brain — and it takes just 4 minutes.
If It Is ADHD, We Have Better Tools
Our ADHD treatment plans may include:
Personalized NeuroSync™ to strengthen executive function
Nutritional coaching to reduce inflammation and support brain health
Therapy and skill-building for time management, emotional regulation, and organization
Medication (when needed), monitored with sEEG to track progress and avoid overmedication
We treat the whole person — not just the label.
Grace Over Labels
“You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. Your brain just needs a better environment to thrive.”
Whether you’ve been misdiagnosed, overmedicated, or never taken seriously, there’s hope. Your symptoms are signals — and we can help you listen with compassion and clarity.
If you’re questioning your ADHD diagnosis — or feel like no one’s looked at the whole picture — we’re here to help.
References
1. Christakis, D. A. (2019). The effects of fast-paced media on children’s brains. Pediatrics, 143(5), e20190234.
2. Nigg, J. T., et al. (2012). Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or hyperactivity, externalizing behaviors, and dietary components. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(10), 979–989.
3. Arns, M., et al. (2013). EEG abnormalities are associated with ADHD symptoms. Clinical Neurophysiology, 124(2), 337–345.
4. Loo, S. K., & Makeig, S. (2012). Clinical utility of EEG in ADHD. The ADHD Report, 20(1), 1–9.