I've conducted several thousand psychological evaluations, all of them requiring a statement regarding diagnoses. The last 5 years I did evaluations I mostly assessed children and teens, many of whom met the criteria for ADHD (as did some adults).

I'm not clear about what you're objecting to Adam. I share many concerns about the way ADHD is diagnosed, AND the misuse of the diagnosis as well as the almost universal confusion about biological causation. I'll take the last one first:

1. Virtually ALL studies of biological causation with regard not only to depression but even schizophrenia are deeply flawed. Regarding ADHD, the assessment of biological causation is almost impossible.

This is probably too complex and difficult to summarize in a Medium comment so I'll just say this: "Correlation does not equal causation." You will no doubt find correlations between the levels of various neurotransmitters and various symptoms of depression, schizophrenia and ADHD.

You'll ALSO find correlations between levels of brain activity in different regions of the brain and symptoms of these conditions.

However, 100+ years of mind-body research show beyond any doubt that psychological activities can precede changes in neurotransmitter levels and activities in various regions of the brain, so there is simply no way to tell in a specific individual which is primary - the brain activity or the cognitive, affective and volitional activity.

2. Perhaps you weren't taking issue with the article; I couldn't tell. But did you see that in most of the world, non-drug treatments are the first line approach to treating ADHD?

Both of these issues relate to our deep lack of understanding of the relationship between what we call 'the brain' and what we call 'the mind."

You can see exactly the same problem in the treatment of most chronic illnesses and in the attitude we have toward food and weight.