The Dr. Leaf Show

A new 600-page UK review found there’s no blood test, scan or biological marker for ADHD. So what does an ADHD diagnosis actually tell you?

In part 2 of our ADHD series, my daughter Dominique and I unpack the new Fonagy review, why using an ADHD diagnosis to explain the struggle becomes circular reasoning, and what brain scans, gene research and medication studies show. The struggle is real, and I’ll give you two simple exercises to turn a label into a description you can work from.

Want to go deeper? I’m hosting a live Q&A on ADHD for members of Neurocycle Insiders, my new private community. Join as a founding member for the Q&A and weekly Prescriptions: https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders

On ADHD medication? Please don’t stop suddenly. Talk to your doctor first.

In this episode:- Why the UK’s Fonagy review found no biological test for ADHD- Is ADHD overdiagnosed? Why August-born kids were about 30% more likely to be diagnosed- What the ENIGMA brain scan study really showed about the “ADHD brain”- What long-term ADHD medication research says about height, heart health and psychosis risk- A 10-second sentence test that turns “because I have ADHD” into something you can change- My 7-day attention map: where your focus holds, where it slips, and why

New here? Start with ADHD Part 1, earlier in this feed.

Want to read more from Drominique? ⁠https://dominiqueleaf.substack.com/⁠

Resources:- This week’s Neurocycle Prescription: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app- Become a Neurocycle Certified Strategist: https://drleaf.com/certified-strategist- 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

Research cited:- The Fonagy review (2026): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ac7c305b016250bca013ac3/independent-review-into-prevalence-and-support-for-mental-health-conditions-ADHD-and-autism.pdf- Joanna Moncrieff’s response (2026): https://www.madinamerica.com/2026/10/fonagy-missed-opportunity/- ENIGMA brain volume study (Hoogman, 2017): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28219628/- August birthdays and ADHD diagnosis (Layton, 2018): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6322209- Stimulant study in healthy boys (Rapoport, 1978): https://doi.org/10.1126/science.341313 and follow-up (1980): https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1980.01780210091010- MTA follow-up into adulthood (Swanson, 2017): https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12684- ADHD medication and heart disease (Zhang, 2023). The 4% is a relative risk increase per year of use, not 4% of people: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4294- Amphetamines and psychosis or mania (Moran, 2024). Measured recent use in hospitalized psychiatric patients, not long-term use in the general public: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230329- Methylphenidate for children (Cochrane, 2015), source of the percentages quoted: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009885.pub2 and 2023 update: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009885.pub3

This episode is brought to you by:

Walden: Take the first step and learn at a pace that works for you. Visit WaldenU.edu.

Shopify: https://shopify.com/leaf

Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf

Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

Geviti: Get started at gogeviti.com/LEAF and use code LEAF for 20% off your membership.

Mint Mobile: So, what are you waiting for? To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/drleaf

Momentous: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code DRLEAF for up to 35% off your entire first order.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday. If this supported you, follow the show and leave a rating.

Connect with me: https://drleaf.com | Instagram & TikTok: @drcarolineleaf

An emotional hangover is the drained, foggy, flat feeling you get after a hard conversation, a long cry, or even a wonderful day. It’s real, it’s normal, and you can manage it.

In this episode, my daughter Dominique and I talk about why emotional hangovers happen, why you can wake up wiped out the morning after a fight or a wedding, and what it means when the same people or situations keep leaving you exhausted. I walk through the research on how emotional states carry over, why socializing tires everyone out, and how to work through it with the Neurocycle.

💬 My new private community is open! Become a founding member of Neurocycle Insiders and get weekly Neurocycle Prescriptions and live Q&As with me: https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders

✍️ Read more from Dominique on Substack: https://dominiqueleaf.substack.com

🔬 What you’ll learn:

How an intense moment colors the next 30 minutes of your day, and sometimes the next morning

Why socializing leaves both introverts and extroverts tired a few hours later, and why the mood boost is still worth it

What smiling through a family dinner or staying composed in a tense meeting costs you

Why you can feel sad or flat after a great day, and how to recover faster

How people pleasing and the fawn response lead to emotional exhaustion, and how to turn them into a kind boundary

My Neurocycle Prescription for when an intense experience is over but the feeling isn’t

📚 Resources mentioned:This week’s Neurocycle Prescription in the Neurocycle app: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

📖 Research cited:

Emotional brain states carry over (Tambini, Rimmele, Phelps & Davachi, Nature Neuroscience, 2016): https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4468

Sociable behavior and later fatigue (Leikas & Ilmarinen, Journal of Personality, 2016): https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12264

The cognitive cost of hiding your feelings (Richards & Gross, Stanford, 2000): https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.3.410

🎧 This episode is brought to you by:

Walden: Take the first step and learn at a pace that works for you. Visit WaldenU.edu.

Shopify: https://shopify.com/leaf

Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf

Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

Geviti: Get started at gogeviti.com/LEAF and use code LEAF for 20% off your membership.

Mint Mobile: So, what are you waiting for? To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/drleaf

Momentous: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code DRLEAF for up to 35% off your entire first order.

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Monday and Thursday. If this conversation helped you, tap follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a rating or review. It helps more people find the show. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Connect with me:Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleafTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drcarolineleafFacebook: https://facebook.com/drleafTwitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeafWebsite: https://drleaf.com

Delulu is the solulu, or so TikTok says. I love a little delulu, but research shows that picturing your dream without a plan can make you less likely to get there.

Join my new private community: Be a founding member of Neurocycle Insiders for weekly Prescriptions and live Q&As with me: ⁠https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders⁠

In this episode, my daughter Dominique and I talk about where delulu came from and how it connects to manifesting and the law of attraction. We also get into why a fantasy can feel like progress when nothing has actually happened yet. I walk you through what NYU psychologist Gabriele Oettingen found about positive fantasies, how her WOOP method fits with the Neurocycle, and how to give your delulu a plan-a-lulu.

What you’ll learn:

Why a little delulu can push you to try something you’d otherwise talk yourself out of

What the research says about positive fantasies, energy and effort

Manifesting vs. delusion: where wishful thinking ends and directed dreaming begins

How to use WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) to turn a dream into action

Signs you’re a little too delulu, from all talk and no action to shame and self-blame

My Neurocycle prescription for directed dreaming vs. wishful believing

Resources mentioned:

This week’s Neurocycle Prescription in the Neurocycle app: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen + the WOOP method: https://woopmylife.org

Dominique on Substack: https://dominiqueleaf.substack.com/

Research cited:

Positive fantasies sap energy (Kappes & Oettingen, 2011): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.02.003

Delulu enters the Cambridge Dictionary (ABC News, 2025): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-18/delulu-tradwife-skibidi-enter-the-cambridge-dictionary/105668182

This episode is brought to you by:

Walden: Take the first step and learn at a pace that works for you. Visit WaldenU.edu.

Shopify: https://shopify.com/leaf

Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf

Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

Geviti: Get started at gogeviti.com/LEAF and use code LEAF for 20% off your membership.

Mint Mobile: So, what are you waiting for? To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/drleaf

Momentous: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code DRLEAF for up to 35% off your entire first order.

1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Monday and Thursday. If this conversation helped you, follow the show and leave a rating so you don’t miss the next one. Share it with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleafTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drcarolineleafFacebook: https://facebook.com/drleafTwitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeafWebsite: https://drleaf.com

Adult ADHD in women is being diagnosed faster than ever. But is it ADHD, or have you been stretched past your limit for years?

👉 Get the ADHD handout from this episode and join me LIVE this week to ask your questions, inside Neurocycle Insiders: https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders

In this episode, my daughter Dominique asks me the question so many women are typing into their search bar right now.

We talk about why ADHD in women went unnoticed for decades and why so many women in their thirties and forties suddenly see themselves in a 30-second video. We also look at why I say a label can describe what you’re going through but can’t tell you why.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why stress, poor sleep, grief, trauma and perimenopause can look exactly like ADHD symptoms in women

What masking costs you, and what your nonconscious mind has been carrying all along

Why “I am ADHD” and “I’m experiencing an attention pattern” lead to very different places

What the research on ADHD self-diagnosis, TikTok and brain scans does and doesn’t show

Questions to ask yourself this week, before or alongside an ADHD assessment

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on adult ADHD, burnout and mental health.

Resources mentioned:

Episode 447: Addressing ADD & ADHD with Child Psychiatrist Dr. Sami Timimi: https://drleaf.com/posts/addressing-add-adhd-with-child-psychiatrist-dr-sami-timimi

Neurocycle app: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

This episode is brought to you by:

Walden: Take the first step and learn at a pace that works for you. Visit WaldenU.edu.

Shopify: https://shopify.com/leaf

Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf

Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

Geviti: Get started at gogeviti.com/LEAF and use code LEAF for 20% off your membership.

Mint Mobile: So, what are you waiting for? To get your new wireless plan for 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com/drleaf

Momentous: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code DRLEAF for up to 35% off your entire first order.

If this conversation helped you, follow the show and leave a rating so you never miss a new episode. New episodes every Wednesday.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please don’t change or stop any medication without the guidance of your prescriber.

Connect with me:Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleafTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drcarolineleafWebsite: https://drleaf.com

Join Neurocycle Insiders, my new private community! As a founding member, you’ll get weekly Prescriptions, live Q&As with me, and the ADHD handout I mentioned in this episode. Join me this week for a LIVE session where I’ll answer all your questions on adult ADHD: https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders

Revenge bedtime procrastination is why you're still scrolling at midnight, eyes burning, and telling yourself "just ten more minutes." Here's what's driving your desire to stay up late scrolling.

When the day belongs to everyone else, the hour after the house goes dark can feel like the only time that's yours. In this episode, my daughter Dominique and I talk about where the term “revenge bedtime procrastination” came from, what the research says, and why staying up late is a reasonable protest using the wrong tool. Then I walk you through a Neurocycle prescription to get your time back without taking it from your sleep.

🔬 What you'll learn:

Why you stay up late on your phone even when you're exhausted

The difference between deliberate, mindless and strategic procrastination

How to plan your joy first thing in the morning so the night stops feeling like your only chance

How thinker moments give your brain a break during a busy day

What "attention infidelity" is, and how phones in bed affect your relationship

Want to hear more from Dominique? Follow her on substack: https://dominiqueleaf.substack.com

Be one of the first to join Neurocycle Insiders, my new private community. Get a new Neurocycle Prescription every week, live Q&As with me, and support from certified Neurocycle experts. Founding members lock in their price for as long as they stay. Join by November 13: https://neurocycle-insiders.circle.so/neurocycle-insiders

💛 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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Primal Queen: https://primalqueen.com/leaf

Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf

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Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

Veracity: So before Metabolism Ignite sells out again, make the switch to GLP 1’s the natural way. Head to VeracityHealth.co and use code DRLEAF for up to 65% off your order.

📚 Research mentioned: Kroese et al., bedtime procrastination study (Frontiers in Psychology, 2014) Jessica Gross, "Attention Infidelity" (The New York Times, Sept 30, 2026) Institute for Family Studies survey of married Americans and phone use

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

🧠 This week's Neurocycle prescription is in the Neurocycle app: https://drleaf.com

New episodes every Wednesday.

#RevengeBedtimeProcrastination #DrCarolineLeaf #SleepProcrastination #Neuroscience #MentalHealth

If this conversation supported you, tap follow and subscribe so you stay connected to each new episode. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleaf

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf

Website: https://drleaf.com