New York Times bestseller!
From renowned mental health expert and speaker Dr. Gabor Maté,
Scattered Minds explodes the myth of attention deficit disorder
(ADD/ADHD) as genetically based--and offers real hope and advice for
children and adults who live with the condition.
In this breakthrough guide to understanding, treating, and healing
Attention Deficit Disorder, Dr. Gabor Maté, bestselling author of The
Myth of Normal, and himself diagnosed with ADD:
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Demonstrates that the condition is not a genetic "illness" but a
response to environmental stress
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Explains that in ADD, circuits in the brain whose job is emotional
self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy - and
why
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Shows how 'distractibility' is the psychological product of life
experience
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Allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick, and
adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviors
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Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood
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Presents a program of how to promote this development in both children
and adults
Whereas other books on the subject describe the condition as inherited,
Dr. Maté believes that our social and emotional environments play a key
role in both the cause of and cure for this condition. In Scattered
Minds, he describes the painful realities of ADD and its effect on
children as well as on career and social paths in adults.
While acknowledging that genetics may indeed play a part in predisposing
a person toward ADD, Dr. Maté moves beyond that to focus on the things
we can control: changes in environment, family dynamics, and parenting
choices. He draws heavily on his own experience with the disorder, as
both an ADD sufferer and the parent of diagnosed children. Providing a
thorough overview of ADD and its treatments, without blaming anyone,
Scattered Minds is essential and life-changing reading for the
millions of ADD sufferers in North America today.
