Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

Description

Bestselling author and clinician Gabor Mate proposes a radical new theory on the ADD epidemic 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 Mate 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 Mate is a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver's Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of four books published in twenty-five languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts- Close Encounters with Addiction, Gabor is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his ground-breaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country's highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University. To learn more, join his e-news list at www.drgabormate.com.

Gabor Mate's connections-between the intensely personal and the global, the spiritual and the medical, the psychological and the political-are bold, wise and deeply moral. He is a healer to be cherished and this exciting book arrives at just the right time * Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine * His medical background and lucid writing style make complex biological processes accessible to non-scientific readers. * The Gazette (Montreal) * Rare and refreshing. . . . Here you will find family stories, an accessible description of brain development and sound information. You will also find hope. * The Globe and Mail *