Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

Gabor Maté, MD

Feb 2023 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Daniel Maté

About this audiobook

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:

• Demonstrates that the condition is not a genetic “illness” but a response to environmental stress
• 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 behaviors
• Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood
• 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.

About the author

A renowned speaker and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress, and childhood development. Dr. Maté has written several books, including the NYT bestseller The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection, and has coauthored Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. His works have been published internationally in over thirty languages.