Actually ADHD | Medication Strategies & Clinical Wisdom

Navigating ADHD, the internet, and identity. Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, steps back from the medication optimization material to address the broader context patients are navigating — the cultural moment where ADHD became an online identity, the attachment system dynamics underneath identity-driven engagement with mental health content, and what actually helps versus what makes things worse. This ep...

Seven reasons your ADHD medication isn't working. Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, walks through the clinical patterns that show up when adult ADHD medication fails to deliver the expected response — and what each pattern actually points toward. This episode covers: Why daily consistency matters more than the cultural narrative around "as needed" stimulant use Why ADHD is a disorder of inconsistency and...

How to know you're on the correct dose of ADHD medication. Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, breaks down the Goldilocks Zone — the framework for identifying the right dose of stimulant medication for an adult with ADHD. Not too little, not too much, just right. This episode covers: Why there is no universal "right dose" or "best medication" for ADHD The Goldilocks Zone: too low means tired, too high mean...

A deep dive into the extended-release ADHD stimulant medications. Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, walks through every major option in the methylphenidate and amphetamine categories, the clinical reasoning behind choosing one over another, and the specific patient presentations that point toward each medication. This episode covers: The two stimulant categories: methylphenidate and amphetamine OROS tech...

The Optimization Blueprint — the algorithm Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, uses to find the right medication and the right dose for adults with ADHD. This episode is for two audiences simultaneously: clinicians refining their adult ADHD prescribing practice and patients trying to understand whether their current treatment is optimized. This episode covers: The three medication categories: methylphenida...

The first episode of Actually ADHD. Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with 20,000+ clinical hours specializing in adult ADHD, opens the show with the conversation the internet hasn't been having. This episode covers: Why the book The Process: An Adult's Guide to ADHD Medication exists and why the field needed it The clinical history of ADHD from 18th-century...