08/11/2025
What if the same hormones that calm your appetite could also calm your mind?
Recently, many clients have been asking whether medications like Mounjaro or Wegovy could be influencing their ADHD symptoms, mood or focus. These treatments are known for weight loss, but their effects go much deeper than appetite alone.
They act on two naturally occurring gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP. These hormones don’t just regulate hunger; they also communicate with the brain’s reward and regulation systems, including the pathways linked to dopamine.
Emerging research suggests:
• GLP-1 and GIP may help to smooth out dopamine activity, which can reduce impulsivity, cravings and the constant drive for stimulation that many people with ADHD experience.
• They also lower inflammation in the body, something increasingly linked to fatigue, low mood and difficulties with focus.
• By stabilising blood sugar and energy levels, they can reduce the highs and lows that often make regulation more difficult.
Although these medications are not licensed for ADHD, it is understandable that people are noticing differences in clarity, calmness and focus. It highlights how closely body chemistry, inflammation and emotional health are connected.
At Wild Minds Pro, we explore these connections through psychotherapy, recovery support and trauma-informed care, helping clients understand their own nervous system and patterns of regulation.
If you’d like to explore the research further, here are some open-access studies looking at how GLP-1 and GIP hormones influence dopamine, inflammation and emotional regulation:
Can GLP-1 Be a Target for Reward System Related Disorders?
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7848227/
The Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) in Addictive Disorders
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.15677
Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Mental Illness: A Mendelian Randomisation Study
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11942543/
Incretin Hormones GLP-1 and GIP Normalize Energy Utilization, Protect Synapses and Reduce Inflammation
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40263-025-01226-z
This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always speak with your GP or prescribing clinician about any medication or treatment questions.
Wild Minds Pro | Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy & Recovery Support
www.wildminds.pro