Why Dr Gabor Mate' is Worse Than Wrong About ADHD

Рет қаралды 104,102

Russell Barkley, PhD - Dedicated to ADHD Science+

8 ай бұрын

Gabor Mate’, MD has proposed that ADHD is NOT genetic or inherited but arises out of exposure to childhood traumatic events (as well as cross generational trauma that may be transmitted from parents to their children). Note that while Dr. Mate’ is a celebrity and medical specialist in general family medicine, he has not conducted or published any research in ADHD that I am able to locate. Yet he has appeared in various videos and podcasts, including the Joe Rogan Experience, pontificating his views of ADHD. In this video, I critically examine his thesis to show that Dr. Mate’ is not only wrong, but worse than wrong. He is worse than wrong because hundreds of research studies directly contradict his thesis, yet he continues to advocate these ideas, nonetheless. His propagation of nonsense in the mainstream media does real harm as it contradicts what the scientific literature is telling us about ADHD. Here I cite several research reviews, meta-analyses, and large-scale studies to show just how complex is the relationship of ADHD to adverse childhood experiences (trauma) and that having ADHD as a child can set one up for experiencing greater such events than would be the case for those who don’t have ADHD. I also explain the role of parental ADHD in not only genetically transmitting ADHD to their offspring, but of how parental ADHD may contribute to a more chaotic and even adverse family ecology that itself sets the child up for greater adverse experiences. In short, Dr. Mate’ and his ideas about ADHD arising purely from trauma and not being genetic in nature are foolishly simplistic and without any sound scientific basis. And, thus they are worse than wrong.
Website for Dr. Mate’: drgabormate.com/about/
Wikipedia entry for Dr. Mate’: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabor_Maté
Book by Dr. Mate’ on ADHD (Scattered Minds): www.amazon.com/Scattered-Mind...
Interview with Dr. Mate’ on Joe Rogan Experience: • Physician Gabor Mate G...
Lecture by Dr. Mate’ in Norway: • Dr Gabor Maté on ADHD
Review of Genetics of ADHD: www.nature.com/articles/s4138...
Review of Genetics of ADHD for Clinicians: link.springer.com/article/10....
Meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies on the heritability of ADHD: psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-0...
Genetic determinants of exposure to adversity in youth at risk for mental illness:
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com...
The role of ADHD in increasing future risk for adverse experiences: acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com...
The intergenerational transmission of ADHD and the role of family and unique environments:
europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr...

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@jonnytodd7045

I have read Dr Gabor Mate's book Scattered Minds, and in that book he wasn't saying that there is no genetic factor in the development of ADHD . As I remember it, he was saying that there are genes that, amongst other things, predispose people to hypersensitivity, and that for infants that inherit those genes, and who also experience an interruption in the connection with the care giving parent, either through trauma the infant experiences, or that the parent has experienced, can result in ADHD. Whether this is true or not, I couldn't say, but at no point in that book does he say that there is no genetic factor in ADHD, and he also doesn't say that ADHD is purely due to trauma. I don't know what he has said in interviews, but I can only assume that you haven't actually read the book, because your criticisms are not accurate.

@caolilan

I just finished reading Scattered Minds, and given all the criticism, I was very surprised to find that Gabor Maté writes that ADHD is genetic. Also, he does not write about trauma at length does not say that Trauma with a capital T causes ADD. I keep feeling that a lot of people who take issue with Maté may not have read his book. At the outset, writing in the late 90s, he says that his focus will be on exploring environmental triggers and impact of child brain development may have on awakening a generic predisposition contra predeterminism..

@suzannemacpherson

I can confidently say that I did not experience trauma until my ADHD symptoms became a problem in my family and in school. The trauma theory has never sat right with me as a neurodivergent person so I appreciate the validation. More importantly, I appreciate the facts and science. Thank you, Dr Barkley.

@cymatic3013

Dr barkley has a celebrity trauma

@robertbaker4917

If Mate were correct, all people with ADHD would have suffered childhood trauma; which is not the case. While I can’t cite data, I can cite anecdote of two close friends, both of which came from incredibly supportive and resourced homes who did not suffer the trauma Matte’s theory would require them to have had. No matter what pop-psychology tells you, not everyone has suffered trauma.

@Hikehags

I love that you neglect to mention that he worked in Vancouver's Lower East Side with Street addicts and severely traumatized people, and his own diagnosis of adhd which he writes extensively about his books. We already know that trapped fight or flight energy adversely effects children into adulthood, myself included. Children are normally energetic and active. It is neither genetic nor a disease. Psychiatrists have a vested interest in keeping it as a disease that can be medicated, as that is their bread and butter, just as the Cancer Corporation has a vested interest in keeping it a non-curable disease, there are too many people benefiting monetarily from it.

@conorfahy

This is a daft way to argue a point. Here Dr. Barkley is making arguments which Dr. Maté has already stated himself and refuted with his own theories in Scattered Minds and in The Myth of Normal. He doesn't challenge any of the major points Maté raised! Could sensitivity be hereditary rather than ADHD itself? Why does ADHD seem to be becoming much more prevelant if genetic? (talk to any teacher with years of experience and I don't think they will say it is just a case of better recognition/diagnosis nowadays). Maté also outlines some good arguments for why the twin studies could be problematic. It's like Maté already made the counterargument to this video before this video was made!

@binghobson7122

Thank you so much Dr B. For so many years I’ve thought I must have been a disappointingly awful mother. Now my grandson at the age of 8 is showing the symptoms of adhd. He has been nurtured so lovingly by my son and his wife. With evidence now of the genetic link my son has realised he has adhd and this explains so much of his history, but then when digging out his old school reports to show him I realised it wasn’t just him but me! Yesterday at the age of 73 I got a formal diagnosis and my whole past life is starting to make sense. Finally I can stop beating myself up and acknowledge that I really did do my best. Sadly too late for my poor dad who was an unhappy man who drank and smoked himself to death far too young.

@terri2069

Finally, someone is challenging Gabor Mate. He is wrong about some things. He seems to get some right, but he is not as right as he thinks he is. It is very closed-minded.

@johnpeskett3155

I'm sad to have seen this video. On reading 'Scatered Minds' shortly after my girlfriend told me she thought I had an ADHD mind, the book was like reading my life story. The clincher for me is the increasing prevalence of the condition within our increasingly pressured and traumatic society. If it was a genetic condition, the proportion would not increase greatly over time. But you point out that the rise is dramatic. Ties in rather well with Dr. Mate's theories as far as I can understand.

@LinusBerglund

I think one thing worth mentioning is that trauma and ADHD manifests sinilarly in many ways in children. I talked to a school psychologist about it, and she half seriously said thay trauma is preferrable since it is usually easily treatable.

@catalystcomet

I think some people see similar traits between ADHD and hypervigilance due to childhood trauma, and they automatically assume they're the same thing. Thanks for the video.

@TruthDissident

The amount of misinformation about ADHD on the internet is crazy. This is going to be a problem in the future, considering how hard it is to find good reliable info.

@tylerelstrom

Thank you for making this video. I run the big corporate community around adhd for Keller Williams. We have parents with adhd who also have kids with adhd and then have blamed themselves in the past. We did a call on the myths around adhd using your research and it helped release so much shame. This is so important and I’m excited to share this video with the group.

@DaxPegels

I am happy with these videos. In the Netherlands you have so many ADHD coaches saying that you can cure it because you can heal the trauma. And they will dig for trauma

@DrPatriceBerry

Thank you for this video! I work with ADHD and specialize in treating trauma and his comments didn’t sit well with me. Trauma definitely impacts the brain and development; however, to say that all people with “adhd” have childhood trauma minimizes the experiences of the people I work with IMO.

@kasia199213

Before I start watching I want to thank you, after reading your book 'Taking Charge of Adult ADHD' and watching your lecture on yt I went to get checked and indeed got diagnosed with ADHD(PI) and got medicated at 31. Hopefully life will get easier from now on.

@water7599

Thank you for your dedication to ADHD science. I've read Dr Gabor Mate's Scattered Minds book and watched several of his podcasts, and I don't share the same view. Could you help me understand more if I've missed something.

@sanz7820

I highly appreciate how you stick to the science and avoid any and all bullshittery. There's so much both misinformation but also what I'd call "toxic positivity" around the topics oof ADHD and other forms of "neurodivergence". It's become more of a trend "to be neurodivergent" and with it has come this wave of bullshit agendas on many levels. I'm so tired of hearing things such as "ADHD is a superpower, it makes you super creative and gives you hyperfocus!". Thank you for those videos you made debunking those ideas and more. We need to stay in reality to understand what we're dealing with - and only by understanding can we help each other and ourselves.

@slother932

I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 47. I had a wonderful childhood and suffered no traumas whatsoever. In fact, my dad and I even engaged in rough and tumble play! I’m curious how Drs Matè and Peterson would explain my ADHD.