Short Take #2: Rethinking ADHD

Welcome to Short Take #2. In this series Judy and I talk about some of our (well, mostly my) favorite topics in bite-size morsels. Today’s topic: Rethinking ADHD Is ADHD a disease, or even a disorder? Or is it a description of one end of a spectrum? Why does the distinction matter? I talk about a recent New York Times article in which long-time ADHD researchers describe how they are re-examining their assumptions. Then I tell one of my go-to stories about working with a high school kid who was diagnosed with ADHD and hadn’t been told yet—but his teachers had been told. Here’s the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/magazine/adhd-medication-treatment-research.html Why am I ranting about ADHD in a blog about couples therapy? Well, because the way ADHD hardened into a black-and-white diagnosis, as if it were analagous to diabetes, is a great example of psychosclerosis—hardening of the categories (see Short Take #1). And psychosclerosis is often what’s plaguing couples. Please subscribe and review us! Visit our podcast website, ctin7.com, for more about our podcast, access to past episodes, and links to contact us to make suggestions and sign up for a time to be a guest on our show. Visit Dr. Chalmer’s website, brucechalmer.com, for information on his practice, to find his books, and to sign up for his Substack newsletter. Visit Laria Zylber’s website, lariazylber.com, for information on her book The Blue Tent: Erotic Tales from the Bible. (Laria is Judy’s pseudonym, and as you’ll see in the videos on her website, she looks just like Judy, except she has blue hair!) To see the video of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/78kA6eTMtAs. *** RESOURCES FROM DR. BRUCE CHALMER: If your relationship is facing a passionless phase, deep resentment, or an active crisis, find clarity with these private, self-paced tools and video roadmaps. 📊 Free Relationship Assessment (Clarity Check): Feeling like roommates? Pinpoint if you are facing an intimacy deficit or stability crisis with this free 2-page guide. 👉 https://brucechalmer.com/clarity-check-request/ 💔 Rebuilding Trust After Cheating (Betrayal & Forgiveness): If your marriage suffered a sudden fracture from infidelity, emotional affairs, or broken secrets, watch the free overview video lesson here: 👉 https://brucechalmer.com/betrayal-and-forgiveness/ 🤔 Should I Stay or Leave? (Relationship Discernment): Stuck in relationship limbo, facing marriage deal-breakers, or trying to decide if it's healthy to work on it or call it quits? Explore this clinical framework: 👉 https://brucechalmer.com/discernment/ 🔥 How to Fix a Sexless Marriage (The Passion Paradox, Reigniting the Spark): If you love each other but the emotional warmth and physical desire have faded, learn how to break the "death spiral for passion" here: 👉 https://brucechalmer.com/the-passion-paradox-course/ 👉 https://brucechalmer.com/reigniting-the-spark/ Connect with relationship psychologist Dr. Bruce Chalmer online to read free guides, stream podcast episodes, or inquire about direct couples consultations at https://brucechalmer.com.