Why ADHD Hits Harder in Adulthood—and What to Do About It

Change Your Brain Every Day

Dr Daniel Amen

Braintrauma, Healthtips, Sleep, Obesity, Anxiety, Braininjury, Depression, Ptsd, Mentalhealth, Mood, Brainhealth, Health & Fitness, Energy, Disease, Addiction, Mental Health, Healthadvice, Adhd, Memory, Focus

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Think ADHD is just a childhood issue? Think again. In this revealing episode, Amen Clinics psychiatrist Dr. Steven Storage takes the mic to explore how ADHD often shows up for the first time in college, young adulthood, or even midlife. You’ll learn the surprising science behind why symptoms can emerge after mental health struggles, mild head injuries, or hormonal shifts like perimenopause. Dr. Storage also breaks down the genetic component of ADHD—and why having a parent or sibling with it doesn’t mean you’re doomed to struggle too. If you’ve ever asked, “Do I actually have ADHD?”—this episode could change everything. Plus, get real-world strategies for screen use, dopamine balance, and raising resilient kids in a hyper-digital world.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Screen time, if unchecked, can make ADHD substantially worse.
0:04.5	If you think about ADHD brains as being deficient in dopamine, it means that the ADHD
0:10.9	brain is going to try to chase dopamine where it can get it.
0:14.9	One of the most effective ways to get dopamine is to look at a screen.
0:19.1	It is literally designed to pull eyes in. And it does that through
0:23.3	rapid stimulation. It's like being at a slot machine in Las Vegas. And it's not dissimilar with
0:29.0	social media. ADHD is primarily genetic. There's a score called heritability. One would mean it's
0:35.5	100% genetic. For ADHD, it's somewhere between 0.7 and 0.9 would mean it's 100% genetic. For ADHD it's somewhere
0:38.4	between 0.7 and 0.9, meaning it's a highly genetic condition but not a
0:43.8	purely genetic condition. So there are other things that can influence
0:48.3	whether or not someone develops symptoms of ADHD. We talked about some of them already.
0:52.3	If you have...
0:55.0	Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day.
1:10.0	Are you excited to optimize your brain and help the brains of those you love?
1:15.6	Do you want to prevent or treat memory problems, anxiety or depression?
1:21.6	Do you want to be happier?
1:23.6	That's why I created Amen University to take what I've learned over the last 45 years and help you have a better brain, a better mind, and a better body.
1:36.3	You can take courses like our 30-day happiness challenge, which was shown in research to increase happiness by 32% in just 30 days,
1:49.2	or memory rescue, or overcoming anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief, or healing ADD at home
1:58.2	in 30 days and much more.
2:01.4	We also have professional courses and courses for kids, including Brain Thrive by 25,
2:08.6	which was found in independent research to decrease depression and improve self-esteem.
	...

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