What Is Dopamine (And Why Your ADHD Brain Is Obsessed With It)
Dopamine and ADHD – the ‘Molecule of More’.
Dopamine gets a lot of attention these days. Scroll social media, and you’ll hear it blamed for everything from TikTok addiction to your third espresso of the morning. But if you have ADHD, or think you might, dopamine isn’t just a buzzword. It’s central to how your brain works, or more accurately, how it doesn’t work like everyone else’s.
This blog breaks down what dopamine is, why it matters in ADHD, and what you can do about it. Straightforward, honest insight. Just brains behaving differently.
So, What Is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a chemical messenger, a neurotransmitter, that your brain uses to send signals between neurons. It helps regulate:
Motivation
Reward and pleasure
Focus and attention
Learning and memory
Movement and mood
In short, dopamine is what drives you to act. It helps your brain decide what’s worth doing, and when. It's what gives a task urgency, excitement, or appeal. No dopamine? No go.
That’s why it’s sometimes called “the molecule of more.” Not because it brings contentment, but because it fuels wanting, craving, seeking. It pushes you to chase the next thing, not sit and enjoy the last one.
From an evolutionary perspective, this made perfect sense; dopamine is what got the hunters hunting. It drove early humans to leave the safety of the cave, track prey, explore, and survive. The thrill of the chase wasn’t a glitch; it was the engine of progress. Otherwise, let’s face it, we’d all have just been sitting around in our caves, slowly starving to death. Evolution gave us dopamine as our get-up-and-go. Unfortunately, for some of us just ended up with a slightly dodgy connection to the engine. It turns out, some of that might be down to the genes we carry, like COMT or DRD4, which influence how dopamine works in the brain. But that’s a rabbit hole (and a future blog) all of its own.
Ultimately, it's a good job, though, that a few of us with Stone Age ADHD were back in the cave hyperfocusing on a rock… and accidentally inventing the wheel.
Dopamine and ADHD: A Wiring Issue, Not a Willpower Problem
Here’s where things get interesting. People with ADHD often have lower levels of dopamine or difficulty using dopamine efficiently in key parts of the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, which controls attention, planning, and decision-making.
What does that mean in real life?
You might want (or need) to get started on a task… but your brain can’t generate the fuel to do it.
“Boring” tasks (like emails or forms) can feel physically impossible to start.
You may crave stimulation, novelty, risk, screens, sugar, anything that gives you a dopamine hit.
Motivation often seems inconsistent, not because you’re unreliable, but because your dopamine supply is.
It’s not that you’re lazy. You’re underpowered. You're wired for the big, the interesting, the exciting and the urgent, and most of life just isn’t that.
The Dopamine Loop: Why ADHD Often Means Chasing the Next Thing
When dopamine is running low, your brain goes hunting for ways to top it up. That’s why ADHD is often linked to:
Scrolling endlessly (dopamine hit)
Shopping, gambling, gaming
Overeating or snacking
Starting but not finishing
New ideas, hobbies and obsessions
Even picking fights, taking risks or addictions
It’s not about recklessness. It’s about trying to feel alive, regulated, or even just able to function.
So, What Can Help?
There’s no magic bullet, but some things can help your brain get or use dopamine more effectively:
1. Medication
ADHD meds like methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) work by increasing dopamine availability in the brain. They don’t give you extra dopamine; they help you use what you have better.
2. Movement
Exercise boosts dopamine naturally, especially short bursts of intense activity. It’s also why some people with ADHD struggle to sit still; movement helps regulate their brain chemistry.
3. Novelty and Interest
If a task is new, fun, or urgent, you’re more likely to get it done. That’s not a flaw; it’s the dopamine system trying to help. Find ways to make tasks more interesting or meaningful if you can.
4. Breaks, Rewards, and Structure
Think sprints, not marathons. Use timers, external deadlines, or “body doubling” (doing things alongside someone else) to trick your brain into getting going.
5. Sleep and Diet
Dull but true, a rested, nourished brain handles dopamine far better than a burnt-out, sugar-spiked one. Don’t skip this bit.
6. Avoid Alcohol
We’ll explore this properly in a future blog, but here’s the short version: Alcohol is like kryptonite to the ADHD brain. It feels like it’s helping, calming the noise, smoothing the edges, but it’s a trick. What it’s really doing is flattening your already fragile dopamine system, messing with your sleep, and tanking your focus. You might feel “better” for a few hours, but you’ll pay for it the next day and the one after that.
Final Thought: You’re Not Broken; You’re Wired Differently
If you’re living with ADHD, understanding dopamine can be a game-changer. It takes the shame out of struggling with things that should be easy. It explains why your brain leaps at one task and avoids another like it’s toxic. It helps you stop blaming yourself for being “lazy” or “disorganised” and start building a life that works for how your brain is built.
If you think this sounds familiar?
At NeuroFX, we specialise in understanding the parts of you or your child that might have been misunderstood or misdiagnosed for years. We offer thorough, evidence-based assessments for ADHD and autism (ASD) in both adults and children, with a clear, supportive process from screening to diagnosis and treatment where needed.
Whether you’re exploring this for yourself, your child, or someone close to you, it starts with a conversation.
You can begin with our free online screening tools, or if you already feel ready, you’re welcome to book a full assessment directly.
We’re here when you’re ready.
