Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

Beautifully written, ahead of its time, and aligned with the latest research on trauma, and attachment. It helps provide a lens to destigmatize this misunderstood condition, and a way to begin to release shame to begin to heal. As a licensed clinical social worker, this book rings true throughout from my professional experience treating clients with AD(H)D, as well as my own experience with the diagnosis. This book is not about blaming parenting, it is about understanding how secure attachment, interpersonal trauma, and stress impact people's ability to focus, find intrinsic motivation, and connect to others. This is a must read for anyone who is curious about understanding the human condition, but it is especially helpful if you have been diagnosed with AD(H)D, or know someone who struggles with the ability to focus, stay motivated, and/or connect to others. If you take the leap, it is vital you keep an open mind, and stay present with curious compassion. I hope others find love and healing through this book.

Highly recommend! I learned so much about myself and why I felt so alien and "too sensitive" and out of focus during much of my life. A fresh, honest, and compassionate approach to understanding ADD from professional and personal experience. Author explains concepts through real-life anecdotes and personal stories. Read this if you truly want to understand why we get ADD: rooted in early childhood experiences when we may have been emotionally neglected by our stressed-out parents, even if they meant well. This book isn't about blaming parents or society, but on understanding the causes so we can heal properly, grow, learn to self-regulate and discover our true selves underneath our ADD symptoms.

My therapist suggested I read this. It’s been eye opening and has helped me connect some very important dots in my life and my upbringing and the person I am today. Gabor Maté’s writing style is eloquent and flows smoothly and is easy for most people to understand without a degree in psych. Most importantly, it’s helped me figure out next steps to talking to a psychiatrist to get proper treatment. Even if you yourself don’t have ADD, I think this is still an important read if you have someone close to you who does such as a child, spouse, or family member. It will help you understand them better. And then let them borrow it because it will help them understand themselves better. It’s definitely a valuable tool.

I engulfed this book! It was a remarkable read. As a clinician (MFT), I had naively assumed that medication was the only way to treat this. The research provided in this book and the knowledge of how the brain is impacted by attachment was amazing and eye-opening! I HIGHLY recommend this book for all clinicians and those who have wondered or been diagnosed with ADD. It provides so much HOPE for healing (along with practical steps), beyond the stereotypical medication route!!

THE BOOK WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY THE GRANDMOTHER OF AN ADD FEMALE CHILD. HER DAUGHTER, THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD HAD FOUND IT VERY HELPFUL. THE AUTHOR HIMSELF IS ADD AND IS ALSO A PHYSICIAN. THIS IS A GENTLE TAKE ON PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITH ADD CHILDREN OR PARTNERS. MUCH NEEDS TO BE FORGIVEN IN THESE CHILDREN'S, OR ADULT'S, BEHAVIORS, AND GABOR MATÉ ENCOURAGES THIS. HE POINTS OUT THAT IT IS OUR PARTICULAR SOCIETY WHICH DEMANDS THAT PEOPLE CONFORM TO CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS. IT IS A HELPFUL SLANT ON A DIFFICULT ISSUE.

Essential for people struggling with ADD. I wish this information was available when I was a kid. I grew up thinking I was lazy and stupid and now I work as a grocery-clerk at 38. This can also be a crucial study guide for new parents who don't want to pass on the same mistakes their parents did. This should be required reading for everyone. And Gabor Mate has a way with words that even the ADD mind can grasp. He is a genius and one of the most important figures of our time. He should be nominated for a nobel peace prize because his work could change the world for the better and catipult humanity into a new age. I strongly believe this.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It was recommended to me by my therapist and I am so glad I took her advice. It is incredibly eye-opening, easy to read and powerful. It has reshaped my understanding of ADHD entirely and I am so grateful. I even gifted a copy to my friend who also has ADHD.

Happy I got it

Excelente libro. Si eres padre quizá te cueste digerir lo que plantea, habla de que hay un componente genético en el déficit atencional pero que también influye el ambiente en que este se desarrolle. Y no es que sea culpa de los padres, es imposible transmitir seguridad y tranquilidad a un niño si vives en una zona de guerra, con depresión posparto, o en un entorno de violencia intrafamiliar... Por mucho que lo intentes como padre. Si puedes entender que puedes haber hecho tu mejor esfuerzo y que aún así o haya sido suficiente, creo que este libro te será de mucha ayuda para acompañar a tu hij@. Por otro lado, si eres tú quién experimenta el déficit atencional, realmente es un libro esclarecedor. Lo recomiendo 100%

This book was a real eye-opener. I realized that what I thought was just nervous behavior was actually ADD, and I deeply resonated with the part about always being late. Gabor Maté explains ADD with such compassion that it made me feel truly understood.

Great book, echoes the adhd experience perfectly

Este livro foi um divisor de águas na minha formação médica e humanista! Acima de tudo, enfatiza o contraponto entre o contexto de formação do ser humano e o atual a ser construído.

This book is (by some considered) the controversial book “Scattered Minds” by Gabor Maté (1999). It’s about the origin and healing/how to deal with of ADHD, where he argues that it’s not only genetics that are a cause for ADHD, but also how <b>environmental factors</b> (already starting as early as in the womb - this not an attempt to blame the mother btw!) can be contributing to the development of ADHD. It is one of the first books that considered this angle and it would be interesting to see what new research will have to say about it. It’s definitely far more nuanced than the “haters” say about it, typically hyper fixating on one sentence instead of considering the message of the book as a whole. When reading it I’d recommend you to keep an open mind and acknowledge what resonates to be true to you based on your own situation and history. This book was recommended to me by my therapist to better understand the condition for what it is as a whole, as I have long suspected having ADHD myself (as well as ASD, but I am still on the waiting list for that), in particular after noticing how perimenopause amplified traits that are classic for this condition and present in me, but overlooked in me my whole life, as ADHD presents differently in girls & women. I was finally professionally diagnosed with it in August 2024 at the tender age of 53.