Justice for Norepinephrine
Why ADHD Is a Neurochemical Anarchy, Not Just a Dopamine Deficiency
I had no idea.
I have ADHD, and I’ve been continually interrogated by my own neurotransmitters.
Serotonin’s doing its best to keep you from spiraling.
Dopamine’s chasing a hyperfixation it found in a Reddit thread at 2am. (I have to stay off Reddit for my own good these days!)
And Norepinephrine? Well… She’s curled up in the corner crying because we missed another deadline.
Welcome to the chemically chaotic life of an ADHDer. I understand it all now, but this is all still relatively new knowledge for us. I was diagnosed with ADHD (and subsequent OCD and Dyslexia) less than two years ago. I was 51.
Can you imagine living that long convinced you’re an unfixable hot mess because nothing the doctor prescribed ever worked on you? And please don’t come at me with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle hacks. My nutrition was locked in, and I was a compulsive runner, loved HIIT, and was fit as fuck. My blood labs, blood pressure, all of it, were always not just normal, but in super healthy ranges. So why did I feel so “sick?”
Let’s clear something up: ADHD is not just a dopamine problem.
While dopamine gets all the flashy headlines (“motivation! rewards! pleasure!”), norepinephrine is the one keeping us on task, regulating alertness, and helping us do the thing even when the thing isn’t exciting. All I know is I chased dopamine constantly, and it was never enough. Meanwhile, poor Norep gets ignored, and I’m here to show her some appreciation.
When dopamine’s low, we struggle to initiate.
When norepinephrine’s dysregulated, we can’t sustain attention or follow through.
And when serotonin’s off, we’re emotionally drowning in existential dread because we feel like failures all the time.
Together, they make a spectacular neurochemical mess, and that’s why ADHD can look like depression or anxiety, especially in women and AFAB folks.
Recent research from Berridge & Devilbiss (2020) emphasizes that norepinephrine plays a crucial role in attention regulation and stress response, and its dysfunction in ADHD brains explains why we’re either hyper-alert or zoned all the way out.
That said, SSRIs often treat symptoms (anxiety, sadness, emotional dysregulation) but ignore the root cause, leading many of us to feel “better” but still unable to focus, start, finish, or function.
And that’s how ADHD goes undiagnosed for decades.
I was not just “moody” or “lazy” or “burnt out.”
I was living in a neurochemical civil war.
And the brain fog? That was just friendly fire.
So yeah. When asked what undiagnosed Sarah wanted? Balance, the “right” meds, some accommodations (because capitalism), and a chair at the fucking table.
Team work makes the mutha fuckin’ dream work, am I right, neurotransmitters?! So thanks, Norepinephrine, for helping me understand the role you play and why you’re important.
Got a misdiagnosis story? A medication moment? Or just a vibe from your inner norepinephrine being ignored yet again?
👇Drop your stories, solidarity, or tips below.