Questioning in Your 20s

Noah was listening to a Joe Rogan podcast with Dr Gabor Maté. He found it easy to listen to and appreciated the knowledge shared and different perspectives. Noah liked hearing how Dr Maté had dealt with ADHD in his own life and the approaches he used in treating people.

As they discussed ADHD on the podcast, Noah recognised the patterns in himself, so he got Dr Maté's audiobook Scattered Minds to better understand.

He had to sit with the idea he had ADHD for a bit before he felt ready to talk about it.

Noah didn't get a lot of understanding from his family when he first talked about ADHD. It was hard. He didn't have the words. Family members didn't get it. Things improved over time as his family learned the language of ADHD and recognised the patterns running through generations.

Noah is not sure whether or not to get a formal diagnosis. Does he need it? It's costly and time consuming. Will having a formal ADHD label limit opportunities for him in some way? He's unsure about medication. It might help, but it's big decision.

Noah is in limbo, not sure what to do.

A note on Dr Gabor Maté:

Dr Maté is a retired physician with a focus on trauma-informed care. His stance that ADHD is caused by childhood trauma is considered out of step with mainstream research that indicates ADHD is primarily genetic while trauma plays a role in the severity of the disorder. Dr Maté does offer valuable insight on the impact of trauma, but critics say by adopting a purely trauma lens, he ignores biological factors. Dr Maté's approach resonates with people who feel unseen or misunderstood by the medical system, his emphasis on compassion, trauma-awareness, and understanding the person as a whole is appreciated.

ADHD and the human mind are not black and white. There is value at looking at both genetics/biology and social/emotional environments.