Beyond the Brain: ADHD and the Somatic Super Syndrome with Dr James Kustow

ADHD is usually understood as a condition of the brain – but what if there is much more going on in the body?

Emerging research is revealing intriguing connections between ADHD and a cluster of physical health conditions, including hypermobility, dysautonomia such as POTS, immune hypersensitivity, allergies and mast cell activation.

In this fascinating talk, leading adult ADHD psychiatrist Dr James Kustow introduces his Somatic Super Syndrome (3S) model and explores what these frequently overlapping conditions might tell us about the wider physiology of ADHD.

Drawing on clinical experience and emerging research, Dr Kustow will explore the interplay between connective tissue, the autonomic nervous system and immune function, and how difficulties within these systems may contribute to symptoms such as fatigue, pain, brain fog, sensory difficulties, sleep disturbance and emotional dysregulation.

The talk will offer a broader mind-body perspective on ADHD and consider what recognising these often overlooked physical health associations could mean for assessment, treatment and support.

About Dr James Kustow

Dr James Kustow BMedSci BMBS MRCPsych Dip Int Psychotherapy is a London-based Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in adult ADHD. He works within a specialist NHS adult ADHD service and is Medical Director of The Grove Practice, an internationally respected mental health training provider.

Dr Kustow is Director of Education at the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) and was instrumental in developing its national ADHD training programme for psychiatrists. He is also a trained integrative psychotherapist and an internationally recognised speaker on adult ADHD.

In recent years, his work has increasingly explored the relationship between ADHD and physical health, particularly the clustering of hypermobility, autonomic dysfunction and immune hypersensitivity that forms the basis of his Somatic Super Syndrome model.

He is the author of How to Thrive with Adult ADHD: 7 Pillars for Focus, Productivity and Balance, published by Penguin, and winner of the 2021 Celebrating Neurodiversity “Genius Award” for the innovative Lifeskills adult ADHD group programme he established within the NHS.