Think you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Not so fast! New research and theory by Cavicchioli, Stefanazzi, Tobia, and Ogliari (2023) makes a strong case that you may have a problem with your attachment system.

The attachment system is, at its core, an emotion regulation system that controls your attention, arousal, and related behaviors.

Many adults seek evaluations for ADHD because of memory problems and difficulties with attention, concentration, and emotional control. Whether they meet criteria for a psychological diagnosis might be a moot point. Emotion dysregulation is a core feature of ADHD (Bunford, Evans, & Wyms, 2015).

Most psychological diagnoses say nothing about causes or what led a person to their present state of functioning. For the most part, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) diagnoses are symptom menus. If you meet a certain number of specified symptoms, you qualify for the diagnosis. But the cause matters.

If the cause is strictly biological, then treatment would likely include medication along with psychotherapy or coaching to teach compensatory strategies. If, however, the cause involved childhood chaotic environments, trauma, or other attachment disruption, then treatment should include a trauma-focused or attachment-based intervention. If you treat the surface symptoms without addressing the cause, you may get some relief, but you are not actually fixing the problem.

Wylock and colleagues (2021)........

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