Episode
Is “ring of fire” ADHD real? | Hyperfocus
- Published
- Apr 2, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1601
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/missunderstood
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Summary
Our team has been seeing something called “ring of fire” ADHD spreading across the internet. It’s a supposed subtype of ADHD promoted by Daniel Amen, a celebrity psychiatrist with clinics in multiple states and a huge online following. But in reporting this episode, we found that “ring of fire” ADHD isn’t recognized by mainstream science. Nor are brain scans approved by the FDA as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. Our guest today, clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia, PhD, explains why he believes Dr. Amen’s approach is unethical — and how it may lead to real harm for patients seeking answers.