Re: Dr. Mate's theory of ADHD being caused by early adversity

[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

Is Gabor Mate still peddling that theory?

Wow, I thought that had been discredited again and again.

If Nazi occupation causes ADHD why didn’t the rates go to 100% for kids born between 1939 and 1945?

Why aren’t the rates at 100% for kids in Third World slums?

Sorry, no sale. There’s a thousand ways to shoot the theory apart. I had to listen to them from a number of Doctors when we made the documentary.

While it’s a cool sounding theory, especially with the new understanding of Brain Plasticity, it doesn’t explain why people the ADHD rates of people who have been through trauma is the same as everyone else.

Or why ADHD kids are more active even before they are born.

I understand Mate had horrible childhood trauma. But there’s no study I know of that has shown ADHD people have a huge rate of childhood trauma.

All of the studies I’ve seen, books I’ve read, and experts I spoke to show that there are two ways to get this:

First – you are born with it, it’s genetic, and they’ve actually identified seven of the genes. You’ll see it in your family tree.

Second – A brain injury can create symptoms that fit ADHD. (Is this what Mate is talking about? If so, it’s a small fraction of ADHD people.)

But the first way, genetic, is far and away the most common. Over three quarters. The fact that most Adults realize they are ADHD when one of their kids is diagnosed gives one a sense of how it’s inherited. I can look back through my family tree, and forward to my kids and see it.

If you use the figure of 5 to 7% of kids having this in North America, the rate among siblings is much higher. In other words, if one of your siblings has ADHD, you have a much higher odds of having it than 5 to 7 percent. And amongst twins, who have nearly identical genetics, it’s over 90%.

The fact is, ADHD is hugely genetic. Why it happens in families where the kids have no real trauma (I personally had an ideal childhood in Don Mills, a community designed to be safe and nurturing.)

Bad parenting, childhood trauma, too much sugar… there’s no statistical evidence of any of that.

Mind you, a family with ADHD is already going to have more chaos than average.

But I’ll tell you, every expert we spoke to who knows Gabor Mate’s theory has simply rolled their eyes and said something to the effect of, “Nope.” Too bad, if it were that simple we could eliminate it by protecting kids from trauma.

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