ADHD Lows: The Gray State, Dopamine Hunting, and How to Tell It From Depression
From The DadDHD Podcast by Shane Thrapp and Braden Young
June 10, 2026 · 16 min · Season 1 · Episode 17
About this episode
Shane Thrapp and Braden Young discuss ADHD lows and the distinction between dopamine dysregulation and depression.
Shane Thrapp and Braden Young discuss “ADHD lows,” the flat, gray, low-arousal state where nothing feels worth the effort, and how it often leads to “dopamine hunting” like binge-watching, hyperfixating, scrolling, or other novelty-seeking. They connect the experience to anhedonia and “indifferent boredom,” framing it as dopamine dysregulation in ADHD rather than necessarily burnout or depression, and warn that mislabeling it can lead to wrong interventions. They share ways to spot the difference from depression (whether anything can still spark interest and whether the feeling comes and goes), and offer practical responses: name the cycle, lower demands, communicate with your partner, watch for upstream contributors like sleep debt and masking, and seek professional help if it persists or worsens. They emphasize the key distinction between regulating dopamine hunting versus numbing, and remind listeners they aren’t lazy or broken. You can find Shane Thrapp at https://creatingorderfromchaos.com You can find Braden Young at https://empoweradhdsolutions.com
People in this episode
Hosts: Shane Thrapp, Braden Young
Topics covered
- ADHD lows
- dopamine hunting
- depression
- anhedonia
- boredom
- mental health
Keywords
- ADHD
- dopamine
- binge-watching
- hyperfixating
- anhedonia
- mental health
- depression
- sleep debt
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Creating Order From Chaos, Empower ADHD Solutions
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