A radical guide to understanding, managing, and treating the most discussed disorder of our time

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often considered a purely genetic "disease." Gabor Mate strongly disagrees. In the book Scattered Minds, the internationally recognized physician clarifies that ADHD is closely linked to the environment in which we grow up and offers hope to children and adults. Drawing from decades of clinical experience—and from his own personal story as a person diagnosed with ADHD and as a parent of three children with the same diagnosis—Mate explains with a deeply human approach:

why the brain circuits that regulate attention and emotions may not fully develop in early childhood

how stress and the environment profoundly affect brain function

what really happens in the minds of children with ADHD

how adults can understand their behaviors and emotions

why change is possible at any age and how we can support this process in children and adults.

With scientific evidence and an understanding of the human experience, Scattered Minds sheds new light on one of the most common diagnoses of our time. Gabor Mate gives voice to the painful realities of ADHD and its impact on the lives of children, as well as on the professional and social paths of adults. Moving beyond the concept of "genetic predisposition," he turns attention to what we can truly influence: the environment, family dynamics, and the choices that shape a child's development.

Scattered Minds is an extremely useful book for parents and educators and deeply transformative for the millions of adults living with ADHD today.