Not everything that looks like ADHD is ADHD. Dr. Joseph Andrews spends his career helping other clinicians tell the difference.

Dr. Andrews is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of Collaborating Psychiatrist, where he consults with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other mental health providers on ADHD evaluations.

He and Christine walk through what he calls the hierarchy of the inattentive syndrome: the substances, medical causes, and psychiatric causes to rule out before landing on ADHD as the explanation. You'll hear why cannabis use is one of the most underrecognized causes of attention problems, why undiagnosed sleep apnea can look exactly like ADHD, and why getting the diagnosis wrong, especially with bipolar disorder, can make treatment worse instead of better.

Worth a full listen before your next appointment, especially if a diagnosis has never quite sat right.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

02:00 More than a checklist

07:00 Hierarchy of causes

09:00 Cannabis and attention

11:00 Sleep apnea

14:00 Vitamins and minerals

20:00 Finding this specialty

26:00 Working with clinicians

29:00 Autism, bipolar, trauma

32:00 Missing bipolar disorder

34:00 Find Dr. Andrews

Listen & connect

Via Clinic (patient care, MD & PA): viaclinic.us

Collaborating Psychiatrist (for clinicians): collaboratingpsychiatrist.com

Christine: Instagram · TikTok · LinkedIn

Think Time®: Website · Instagram · YouTube · TikTok · LinkedIn

Hyperfocus & High Performance: Spotify · Apple Podcasts · YouTube · Amazon Music · Deezer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or professional care. Every brain is different, and results will vary.