Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-01 09:54:25
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gabor Maté
- ISBN：1785042211
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Summary
Scattered Minds explodes the myth of attention deficit disorder as genetically based – and offers real hope and advice for children and adults who live with the condition。
Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology， psychiatry and psychology – and himself has ADD。 With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research， Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents – and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain。
Scattered Minds:
- Demonstrates that ADD is not an inherited illness， but a reversible impairment and developmental delay
- Explains that in ADD， circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy – and why
- Shows how ‘distractibility’ is the psychological product of life experience
- Allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick， and adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviours
- Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood
- Presents a programme of how to promote this development in both children and adults
Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology， psychiatry and psychology – and himself has ADD。 With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research， Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents – and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain。
Scattered Minds:
- Demonstrates that ADD is not an inherited illness， but a reversible impairment and developmental delay
- Explains that in ADD， circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy – and why
- Shows how ‘distractibility’ is the psychological product of life experience
- Allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick， and adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviours
- Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood
- Presents a programme of how to promote this development in both children and adults
Reviews
The Blue
，
Understanding is healing。
David Parker
，
A great book in describing myself。 Good parenting advice and places I could see where my own parents failed。 Almost feels overwhelming。
Mikey Bishop
，
I really appreciated this book！ I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and had some misgivings given the year it was written。 But I actually came out with a better understanding of and compassion for myself。 Which is all I could have asked for really！ It's always nice to feel seen and not so alone in the mental chaos and anguish that is daily life。 I really appreciated this book！ I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and had some misgivings given the year it was written。 But I actually came out with a better understanding of and compassion for myself。 Which is all I could have asked for really！ It's always nice to feel seen and not so alone in the mental chaos and anguish that is daily life。 。。。more
Jonas Minelga
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Very great book！ Lots of insights， great real life examples， lots of practical ideas how to deal with various situations。 Recommend！
Victoria Foote-Blackman
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A long-winded coverage of the topic of attention-deficit disorder that while full of anecdotes and repeating itself is nonetheless an excellent addition to the library for anyone who has or lives with someone who has ADD or ADHD。 While one might dispute all or some of Maté's theories on why people develop ADD， his attempt to present a holistic and compassionate life-long treatment is admirable and worthy of deep consideration。 A long-winded coverage of the topic of attention-deficit disorder that while full of anecdotes and repeating itself is nonetheless an excellent addition to the library for anyone who has or lives with someone who has ADD or ADHD。 While one might dispute all or some of Maté's theories on why people develop ADD， his attempt to present a holistic and compassionate life-long treatment is admirable and worthy of deep consideration。 。。。more
Delia Mihaela
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O carte extraordinara pentru toți medicii și psihologii。O lectura obligatorie pentru parintii copiilor cu deficit de atenție！
Amy
，
Honestly， I low-key think everyone should read this book。 But DEFINITELY read this book if you have ADHD， attachment wounds， weird relationships with your parents， or if you have kids。 It's as much a primer on parent/child attachment theory as it is on ADHD， and it is written extremely well。 Highly recommend。 Honestly， I low-key think everyone should read this book。 But DEFINITELY read this book if you have ADHD， attachment wounds， weird relationships with your parents， or if you have kids。 It's as much a primer on parent/child attachment theory as it is on ADHD， and it is written extremely well。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Hazel
，
Absolutely fantastic。 Gabor Maté astounds me again with his incredible insight！ Loved the focus on how our childhood experiences shape us so much。 That being said， there is also no doubt a genetic component。 And the interplay on those two factors is very complex ！ Looking forward to new discoveries on ADD
Loz
，
Fascinating read about ADHD， risk factors for its development， and how we might better support those who live with it。
Jermyn
，
A very healing read as it helped me properly & genuinely understand my pain and insecurity as I struggled to find myself + be connected to my feelings。 It is daunting & confusing when we don't know what to look for as we turn inwards to figure ourselves out。 This book has been enlightening & wonderful in helping me let go of much guilt， shame & discharge a lot of pain。 Thank you Dr Gabor Mate 。。。 a recommended read if you're struggling with addiction， insecurity， anger issues & figuring out how A very healing read as it helped me properly & genuinely understand my pain and insecurity as I struggled to find myself + be connected to my feelings。 It is daunting & confusing when we don't know what to look for as we turn inwards to figure ourselves out。 This book has been enlightening & wonderful in helping me let go of much guilt， shame & discharge a lot of pain。 Thank you Dr Gabor Mate 。。。 a recommended read if you're struggling with addiction， insecurity， anger issues & figuring out how to alleviate deep frustration。 。。。more
Chedydy Dia
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Fabulous writing full of insights for those who suffer from ADD。
Schonink
，
To actively love， to extend oneself， as well as to accept。
Jana
，
3。5
Tope Farotimi
，
Incredible。 I would recommend this to anyone who thinks they have ADD。 He writes very thoroughly about the causes， symptoms and cure。
Mihaela
，
De citit si daca nu ai pe cineva cu ADHD in preajma， are multe informatii utile si este o carte bine scrisa。
Peter Van elswijk
，
Recommended to parents。。
Kshitij Dewan
，
My neck hurts from nodding so vigorously， so often。Part 3（4？） of __ of my user guide
Tree Stan
，
A very insightful book that explores the origins not just of ADHD， but a whole range of related ailments。 Very useful for parents of afflicted children as well as adults。
Julie
，
I enjoy Mate's bold， big-picture thinking， whether via books or talks。 There is some hubris in it， as with many writers/speakers who so boldly pronounce their ideas。 However， I always find his work thought-provoking and compassionate。 I work as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and many of his concepts here mirror the discussions I have with my clients。 Some of his ideas on family dynamics apply to other populations and don't necessarily feel ADD-specific， but that is what may make I enjoy Mate's bold， big-picture thinking， whether via books or talks。 There is some hubris in it， as with many writers/speakers who so boldly pronounce their ideas。 However， I always find his work thought-provoking and compassionate。 I work as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and many of his concepts here mirror the discussions I have with my clients。 Some of his ideas on family dynamics apply to other populations and don't necessarily feel ADD-specific， but that is what may make the book more broadly accessible。 Even without ADD in myself or immediate family， I found plenty to reflect on for my own development too。 。。。more
Carol
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Required reading for a class， Yoga and ADD。 Why？ I thought it would be interesting to look back over my shoulder at what I could have done differently having raised a son with ADD/ADHD。 In addition， with seven grandchildren I thought I might learn something to help them。 Learn I did。 I tried to absorb the information without guilt。 As I was reading I was thinking this is a great book for all parents to read before their first child is born。 This book offers many parenting techniques， techniques Required reading for a class， Yoga and ADD。 Why？ I thought it would be interesting to look back over my shoulder at what I could have done differently having raised a son with ADD/ADHD。 In addition， with seven grandchildren I thought I might learn something to help them。 Learn I did。 I tried to absorb the information without guilt。 As I was reading I was thinking this is a great book for all parents to read before their first child is born。 This book offers many parenting techniques， techniques fundamental to the core development of a child， not just for those children with ADD or other challenges。 The most important concept is that family therapy precedes any child therapy or medication。 Family therapy is time consuming， medication is an immediate （short term） solution。 Just because you can have a baby does not mean you know all there is to know to best raise that baby/child to thrive。 This book， easy to read， is a tool that can help。 Some might not agree with the author and to those I would say this is just one person's perspective on what might help/make a difference。 。。。more
Katie
，
I love Gabor Maté and his writing style。 It is easy to read and be absorbed into。 His ecological/contextual perspective is consistent with my own values and beliefs。 As I've been exploring my own ADHD diagnoses， I found this book helpful in that I saw myself in so many of the stories。 Challenges I've had that I didn't know were related to ADHD or couldn't even put into words， Maté explained so perfectly。 It was a very validating read that increased my self-insight。However， given his explanations I love Gabor Maté and his writing style。 It is easy to read and be absorbed into。 His ecological/contextual perspective is consistent with my own values and beliefs。 As I've been exploring my own ADHD diagnoses， I found this book helpful in that I saw myself in so many of the stories。 Challenges I've had that I didn't know were related to ADHD or couldn't even put into words， Maté explained so perfectly。 It was a very validating read that increased my self-insight。However， given his explanations for ADHD as being rooted in childhood， I didn't find it very useful for treating or managing symptoms as an adult。 The brief chapters on self-parenting （i。e。 the treatment for adults） felt overly simplistic: get good sleep， eat healthy， exercise， and accept yourself。 Okey dokey then。 。。。more
Nicole
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 With what is appearing an explosion （or rather an uncovering） of adult diagnosis this book is an interesting addition to the information around ADD/ADHD。 With sections dedicated to adults learning of their situation。 Some of the reviews I read prior to reading， feel this book places "blame" onto parents。 I did not see it as blame but rather finding a context for repeated family patterns and reactions to situations lived through and the impacts it can have on individuals。 With what is appearing an explosion （or rather an uncovering） of adult diagnosis this book is an interesting addition to the information around ADD/ADHD。 With sections dedicated to adults learning of their situation。 Some of the reviews I read prior to reading， feel this book places "blame" onto parents。 I did not see it as blame but rather finding a context for repeated family patterns and reactions to situations lived through and the impacts it can have on individuals。 。。。more
Andrei
，
Since I've binge-watched Gabor Maté on YouTube there wasn't a lot of stuff here that was completely new to me， but there were nonetheless such supremely insightful moments that I was uttering 'oh my God' to myself。 It often felt like a personalized troubleshooting guide， which sounds absolutely wonderful but is a bit of a mixed blessing， since getting such a detailed deep dive into my psychological problems was not exactly a pleasant process （and I was frankly outraged by some of the setbacks de Since I've binge-watched Gabor Maté on YouTube there wasn't a lot of stuff here that was completely new to me， but there were nonetheless such supremely insightful moments that I was uttering 'oh my God' to myself。 It often felt like a personalized troubleshooting guide， which sounds absolutely wonderful but is a bit of a mixed blessing， since getting such a detailed deep dive into my psychological problems was not exactly a pleasant process （and I was frankly outraged by some of the setbacks described）。 I stopped about a third of the way through since I couldn't really handle it and read two other books before I returned to it， while jumping on various websites regularly during the read。 I wonder， though， to what degree the stuff he talks is really all that specific to ADD。 He does a great job of pointing out how sensitive infants are and how crucial attachment relationships are for their development， and yet plainly describes how supremely difficult it is for any human being to achieve those standards， especially given the demands of our society。 For example， at one point he says: Research shows that many parents spend virtually no more than five minutes， if that， of meaningful contact with their child each day。 If that snippet of time is to grow， parents need to create some space around themselves， and in order to do so they may have to reconsider their lifestyle。 Socioeconomic trends greatly exacerbate the attention starvation of children。 According to the Economic Policy Institute in the U。S。， the average work year is now 158 hours longer than it was three decades ago。 “An extra month has been tacked on to what in 1969 was considered a full-time job！” writes the psychologist Edward L。 Deci。 It's been 20+ years since the book was published and it doesn't look like North American society is trending towards shorter workdays and stronger interpersonal relationships—quite the opposite。 Considering the way he describes the various ways people use seemingly innocuous behaviour like buying music as an anesthetic for deep pain， I can't help but see a wealth of proliferating distractions available to us which will exacerbate the problem at large。 However， the fact that this book even exists at all is a testimony to the possibility of forging new directions。 Anyway， if you like Maté's YouTube videos you will *love* this book。 。。。more
Lina
，
This book is changing my life and I will be forever grateful to Dr。 Maté por his ability to explain complex ideas in a comprehensive way。 He provides insights into what ADD is， the causes， and describes different scenarios。 I think this book is not only exclusive for people with ADD but for parenting in general。
Cory
，
This book was so enlightening and made incredible sense。 It is a new way of considering ADHD and pulls together so many threads， that I will read it again to fully take in all the incredible insights。
Bazyli
，
some revelations occurred while reading this book; though main audience seems to be parents of ADHD children （which isn't me） some revelations occurred while reading this book; though main audience seems to be parents of ADHD children （which isn't me） 。。。more
Roxann
，
It's a shame there's so much *jerkoff motion* material about attachment theory， because the relationship between neurobiology and environmental stressors is actually interesting to consider。 I think this book is a good companion to Behave by Robert Sapolsky， if you just skim about 60% of the parenting advice。 Unfortunately， approaches like this are how we got the trope of a permissive parent refusing to discipline the kid having a tantrum in a department store because "saying no will affect his It's a shame there's so much *jerkoff motion* material about attachment theory， because the relationship between neurobiology and environmental stressors is actually interesting to consider。 I think this book is a good companion to Behave by Robert Sapolsky， if you just skim about 60% of the parenting advice。 Unfortunately， approaches like this are how we got the trope of a permissive parent refusing to discipline the kid having a tantrum in a department store because "saying no will affect his self esteem。" Still， a balanced take on ADD itself （when it is， in fact， mentioned）， addressing both its frustrations and the need for compassion。 。。。more
Mihaela Bugaci
，
Very insightful book， not only about what ADD means and how to live and accept it， but human development starting from infancy to adulthood。 I would recommend this book to everyone that struggles to understand oneself， regardless if you have attention disorder or not。 Also， the parenting principles and suggestions offered by the author are a great bonus to the large amount of information on therapy， psychology and most important self-discovery。
bonnie
，
I am in the early months of my journey of reading lived experiences of people with ADHD and experiencing for the first time the feeling that others walk around with brains like mine， the good and the bad of it。 Gabor Mate brilliantly captured my existence - the first chapter was as if someone had climbed inside my head and articulated the contents of it - Mate then embarked upon a methodical takedown of my addiction-oriented approach to life。 Having been disarmed， I have no choice but to surrend I am in the early months of my journey of reading lived experiences of people with ADHD and experiencing for the first time the feeling that others walk around with brains like mine， the good and the bad of it。 Gabor Mate brilliantly captured my existence - the first chapter was as if someone had climbed inside my head and articulated the contents of it - Mate then embarked upon a methodical takedown of my addiction-oriented approach to life。 Having been disarmed， I have no choice but to surrender。 In addition to the whole "take a look in the mirror" generally piece， this book was our parenting awakening - read "Whole Brain Child" for some of these concepts stripped of the "you already screwed up your kid pretty seriously" overlay。 One thing I don't care for is the extent to which Mate is prone to hyperbole。 You'll see him say "EVERY SINGLE PERSON WITH ADHD ______" quite a few times in the book。 And then at other times he says "not everyone， but many with ADHD ____"。 Examples from memory for ____， though I don't remember which is "all" and which is "most": feels a sense of responsibility for the whole world; sometimes becomes super tired while talking about something emotional。 These statements seem to be based on anecdotal observation - and this is refreshing but also disorienting when they are not used consistently。 At least one of these types of statements I did not specifically relate to， and after having felt totally encompassed within the first chapter， I felt excluded。 I don't think this book is accepted within the medical community as a paradigm of ADHD （he says as much）， but even if you don't accept it， I think its advice on life is generally very useful to those who struggle with ADHD behaviors or are parenting those who struggle with ADHD behaviors。 The concept of self-parenting is particularly important for those who do not think of themselves as having been neglected in a newsworthy sense， but perhaps their parenting needs were not met， even if their parents were doing their best。 Mate uses his upbringing during the Holocaust as a rather extreme example of this。 An influential book， worthy of reading for those with ADHD or close to someone with it。 。。。more
Janine Toomey
，