Is adult ADD a real disorder or a mislabel? Dr. Nassir Ghaemi breaks down the science behind attention, genetics, and drug risks.

In this livestream Dr. Nassir Ghaemi argues that the condition should be called ADD, not ADHD, because hyperactivity lacks proven clinical relevance. He reviews how validity is established in medicine—symptom specificity, family history, illness course, and biological markers—and shows that inattention and executive dysfunction appear across anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders, that genetic studies reveal no unique ADD signature, and that prospective studies find 80‑90% of children outgrow ADD and most adult cases lack childhood onset.

He then critiques the widespread use of amphetamines, noting their nonspecific cognitive boost, neuro‑ and cardiotoxic risks, and the fact that behavioral therapy or non‑stimulant meds often match or exceed functional outcomes. Clinical anecdotes illustrate how treating underlying mood temperaments with low‑dose lithium can resolve the attentional problems attributed to ADD.

Friday 16:30 EST – tune in for the full discussion.

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