Feeling Stuck, Foggy, or Burned Out? It Might Not Be ADHD—Find Out What’s Really Going On

Have you ever wondered if you have ADHD? 

Maybe you’ve caught yourself Googling symptoms like:

✔️ trouble focusing, 

✔️ brain fog, 

✔️ memory issues, 

✔️ or that frustrating cycle of procrastination and lack of motivation. 

Or maybe your search history looks more like:

✔️ Why do I start one thing but end up doing ten others?

✔️ Why does it feel like my brain is in a constant haze?

✔️ Why do I always forget what I walked into the room for?

If any of these sound like you, you’re far from alone. 

So many high-achieving, compassionate people are wondering the same thing—and many are even getting diagnosed and prescribed medication for it. 

But what if there’s another explanation? 🤔

Because here’s the thing: the symptoms you’re experiencing might not be ADHD at all. 

Instead, they could be connected to your brainwave patterns or your nervous system. 

Yep, you heard me right.

As a psychologist doing diagnostic testing, I spent over a decade helping people figure out whether they had ADHD or if something else was causing their struggles. 

What I’ve learned is that knowing a specific diagnosis isn’t always necessary to find relief. In fact, when we can address the root of these issues directly no label is required.

And finding truly lasting relief is so important. 

Because you’ve probably noticed that managing these symptoms day in and day out is exhausting. 😮‍💨 

You’re constantly trying to keep track of what you’ve forgotten, push through the fog, or summon motivation from thin air. It’s a full-time job just trying to cope, and it’s leaving you drained.

So, if you’re ready to stop wasting energy just managing your attention, let’s dig into the *real* roots of these issues and uncover three common causes that are likely hiding in plain sight – and what to do to get your focused energy back! 💃🏽

But First…A Quick (and Painless!) Neuroscience Note

Your brain and nervous system are made up of neurons (brain cells). And these neurons communicate with each other electrochemically. ⚡️

In other words, how fast a neuron is firing is what sends a message to the next neuron, and the next, and the next, and so on. These neurons firing together at a certain rate create electrical signals – or patterns – that we can measure at the surface of the head as brainwaves. ∿∿∿

These brainwaves come in different frequencies or speeds, from fast (like Fast Beta) to slow (like Alpha and Theta). 

🎯 The speed of your brainwaves affects how you think, feel, and function. 

When these patterns are out of balance—either too fast or too slow—it can create the symptoms you’re struggling with. 

So let’s explore what might be happening in your brain. 🧠

1. Your Brain Is Stuck in Overdrive

When your neurons are firing very fast – and you’re in Fast Beta mode – your mind races, you’re hyper-focused on *everything* at once, and it’s exhausting. 😵‍💫

This “busy brain” state might seem like it would be productive, but it’s a recipe for burnout. It keeps you distracted, frazzled, and completely worn out. 

When your brain is juggling a million thoughts, there’s no mental space left to take in anything new. This makes it hard to truly focus, absorb information, or even remember what just happened—because your brain didn’t have time to fully encode it in the first place. 

Instead, you might find yourself daydreaming or turning inward, overwhelmed by the mental noise.

If you’ve tried stimulant medications for ADHD, you might notice they make you feel even more jittery or anxious, amplifying the overdrive instead of calming it down.

Day to day, you might experience difficulty concentrating on tasks, constant mental chatter, or even physical tension from all the mental overactivity. 

(➡️ Psst! If this is you, check out my blog post that dives deeper into calming a busy brain for sleep, with strategies that work at the source.)

2. Your Brainwaves Are Moving Too Slow

On the flip side, if your brain feels like it’s stuck in molasses, with foggy thoughts and a constant “meh” vibe, you’re probably dealing with too much Alpha or Theta brainwave activity. 💤

These slow waves are associated with rest and relaxation, but too much of a good thing can be a problem. 

You might feel like you’re in a mental fog, struggling to keep up with conversations or follow through on tasks. 

When your brain processes information this slowly, it often misses key details, creating the experience of “inattention” or forgetfulness. It’s not that you didn’t care or weren’t trying to pay attention—it’s that your brain wasn’t fast enough to fully register the information in the first place. 

You could also experience dissociation, where you feel disconnected from yourself or your surroundings. This happens because your brain’s slower processing can create a sense of being “removed” from the moment, making it hard to stay present.

Day to day, too much slow wave activity might look like zoning out during conversations, struggling to start or finish tasks, or feeling like your brain just isn’t “on.”

If you’ve tried ADHD medications, you might experience a slight boost in focus. However, if your brain was actually pushed into slow mode by burnout or lack of restful sleep, stimulants could bounce you back into anxious overdrive without providing the real restoration your brain needs.

3. Your Nervous System Is Fried

This one’s a biggie. Your nervous system is the control center for your entire body, and when it’s dysregulated, *everything* feels harder. 😬

You might experience a mix of emotional reactivity, physical exhaustion, and feeling disconnected from your own body or surroundings.

You could swing between being on high alert (jittery, irritable, or anxious) and feeling completely shut down (numb, unmotivated, or overwhelmed). Day to day, this can look like struggling to get out of bed one moment and feeling completely overstimulated the next. 

Whatever mix you’re experiencing, it’s a rollercoaster of emotional and physical exhaustion.

A burnt-out nervous system often shows up as ADHD-like symptoms, but the real issue is deeper. Stimulant medications might temporarily help with focus, but they’re likely to exacerbate the highs and lows of your nervous system state, leaving you feeling even more frazzled or depleted.

(➡️ For more on this, check out my blog post on moving from Burnout to Balance – it’s packed with tools to help you restore your nervous system and regain your balance.)

How to Get Unstuck – For Good

Whether your symptoms stem from traditional ADHD (see below 👇), imbalanced brainwaves, or a burnt-out nervous system, the solution lies in addressing the root cause—not just managing the surface-level struggles. 💡

Your brain and body are complex, but they’re also capable of incredible healing and transformation with the right support.

Yep, you read that right… 

You’re not stuck with these struggles. 

That bears repeating (louder for those in the back)…

YOU.ARE.NOT.STUCK.

By addressing your brainwave patterns and nervous system state, you can unlock the clarity, focus, and motivation you’ve been craving – for good. 

Ok, that’s great…

But now you might be wondering…. HOW? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Embodied Neurofeedback for Lasting Relief from “ADHD” Symptoms

First, Neuro-what-now? 😳

Neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback) is a powerful – non-invasive – tool that helps your brain rebalance itself by training your brainwaves to function more effectively. 

It works by giving you real-time feedback on your brain’s activity and guiding it toward healthier patterns. Over a short time, these changes become lasting, allowing your brain to perform at its best without extra effort. 💪🏽

Embodied Neurofeedback takes this one giant leap further.

Integrating nervous system regulation into the process helps address the deeper patterns of stress and dysregulation in your body. 

➡️  By combining neurofeedback with techniques that calm the fight-or-flight response and restore balance, this approach ensures that both your brain and body are working together to support long-lasting change.

Here’s how it addresses the issues we’ve explored so far:

🎯  For a brain stuck in overdrive (too much Fast Beta activity): 

Neurofeedback can help by training your brain to slow down its activity when it’s revving too high. This rebalancing creates more mental space, reduces the constant mental chatter, and lets you focus without feeling frazzled. 

With Embodied Neurofeedback, nervous system regulation techniques are incorporated to help your body release built-up tension and reinforce a state of calm, making the transformation even more profound. Instead of feeling like you’re juggling a million things, you’ll have the clarity to prioritize and take in what really matters.

🎯  For a brain running too slow (too much Alpha or Theta activity): 

Neurofeedback helps by nudging your brain to speed up just enough to stay engaged and alert. It helps you tune into the world around you, fully process information, and stay present. And if burnout or lack of rest is behind these slow waves, neurofeedback works to bring back the balance your brain needs for true recovery and restoration. 

Embodied Neurofeedback adds a layer of nervous system regulation, encouraging the physical relaxation and recovery your brain needs to find balance and stay resilient.

🎯  For a burnt-out nervous system: 

Neurofeedback works hand in hand with nervous system regulation to calm your overactive stress responses and bring your body back into balance. Whether you’re stuck in fight-or-flight or feeling completely shut down, this approach helps you find stability, resilience, and a sense of ease. 

What If I Really do have ADHD?

Now, if you’ve read this far and still feel like ADHD might be the right explanation for your struggles, don’t worry—I see you and I’ve got you covered too. 

Traditional ADHD is a real condition, and if that’s what you’re dealing with, you deserve effective, lasting support. 

Here’s the exciting news: neurofeedback has been scientifically proven, time and time again, to significantly reduce the symptoms of true ADHD. 🌟

Embodied Neurofeedback works by helping your brain rebalance its activity, training it to function more effectively and efficiently. Unlike medications that mask symptoms temporarily and wear off after a few hours, neurofeedback creates lasting changes by targeting the root of the problem—your brainwave patterns. 

If you suspect you might have ADHD, Embodied Neurofeedback can help you feel more focused, clear-headed, and in control without relying on constant medication. 

So, do I even need a Diagnosis?

After more than a decade of conducting psychological testing to uncover whether my clients had ADHD or another condition, here’s what I’ve realized: you don’t need a label to find relief. 

Diagnosis or not, the key is understanding what’s happening in your brain and nervous system—and giving you the right tools to heal.

That’s the beauty of Embodied Neurofeedback. It’s not about fitting into a specific category; it’s about rebalancing your brain and body so you can thrive. 💃🏽

So, forget the quick fixes and surface-level solutions. It’s time to get to the root cause and truly heal—for good.

Because Neurofeedback and nervous system regulation aren’t quick fixes; they’re game-changers. 🚀

Imagine no longer needing to manage these problems day after day. Instead, you can feel calm, clear-headed, and fully present in your life.

Whether your challenges stem from ADHD, imbalanced brainwaves, or nervous system dysregulation, Embodied Neurofeedback works at the root level to help you break free from frustrating cycles permanently. 🌈

Ready to get started? Schedule a free consultation today and take the first step toward lasting change.