ADHD is a medical condition where the brain does not produce enough of the neurotransmitter Dopamine. The brain is no different from other organs in the body, such
as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or pancreas. A good analogy to help understand how ADHD medications work is similar to how insulin helps someone with diabetes. In diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Sometimes this occurs in childhood… sometimes, it happens with age. Either way, management of diabetes includes learning about the condition, making lifestyle changes, such as eating certain foods, and increasing exercise. However, one of the most critical ways to rebalance the body’s insulin is with a pill or an insulin injection.
ADHD is similar. With ADHD, the brain is not producing or utilizing enough Dopamine. You see, most of the Dopamine in our brain is made in the middle part of the brain. Without sufficient dopamine, there isn’t enough to reach the frontal lobe of the brain, so it can’t perform those “executive functions” such as paying attention to less interesting things, filtering out environmental stimuli, pausing to think before we act or say something.
So, when a person takes a stimulant medication such as Ritalin or Adderall, those medicines work directly on the brain to help those Dopamine neurotransmitters either produce more Dopamine or utilize it more effectively. What they are “stimulating” and only simulating is Dopamine! Voila! Stimulating dopamine receptors increases the amount of dopamine available in the brain. With an increased Dopamine level, the brain is now better balanced and ready to complete the tasks of the day!
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