Is “ring of fire” ADHD real? | Hyperfocus

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial concept of 'ring of fire' ADHD and its implications as explained by clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia.

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.

People in this episode

Guest: Roberto Olivardia

Topics covered

• ADHD
• mental health
• psychology
• diagnostic tools
• ethical concerns

Keywords

• ring of fire ADHD
• Daniel Amen
• ADHD diagnosis
• clinical psychology
• ethical concerns

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Daniel Amen, Understood.org

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