ADHD, Trauma, and What Dr. Gabor Maté Teaches Us About Attention
In recent years, searches for “adult ADHD symptoms” and “ADHD in women” have skyrocketed. More people than ever are wondering if their difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, or emotional overwhelm could be ADHD. Social media is full of checklists, memes, and life hacks for ADHD brains. But while awareness is growing, there’s still a lot of confusion about what ADHD really is and what it isn’t.
Beyond a Label
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is most often described as a neurological condition marked by distractibility, impulsivity, and restlessness. Yet Dr. Gabor Maté, in his book Scattered Minds, challenges us to look deeper. He describes ADHD not as a disease to be “fixed,” but as a complex response to stress and disconnection that develops in childhood and even during conception. In other words, ADHD is less about a broken brain and more about a brain that adapted to an environment of overwhelm.
This view resonates with many adults who were overlooked as children. Instead of being seen and soothed, their big feelings were often dismissed. Over time, the nervous system adapts: attention scatters, restlessness builds, and the ability to self-regulate struggles to fully develop.
ADHD and Today’s World
It’s no accident ADHD is trending right now. The demands of modern life—constant notifications, remote work (especially remote work), parenting under stress, and a flood of digital stimulation—magnify our struggles with focus. Even people without ADHD find themselves searching “how to focus better” or “nervous system reset.” For those with ADHD traits, the pressure can feel unbearable.
This is why Maté’s approach feels so relevant today: it invites us to stop pathologizing distraction and start asking what our environment and experiences have done to shape our brains.
Trauma and ADHD
One of Maté’s most profound contributions is his link between childhood trauma and ADHD. Trauma here doesn’t only mean catastrophic events. It can mean chronic stress, emotional neglect, or environments where a child’s needs weren’t consistently met.
When a child doesn’t feel safe or seen, their nervous system adapts in order to survive. Attention may splinter as a way to tune out overwhelming stress. Emotional regulation may falter because the brain is stuck in survival mode. Later in life, these adaptations show up as ADHD symptoms: anxiety, impulsivity, brain fog, memory loss, lacking sleep, or restlessness.
As Maté writes, “ADHD is not inherited, but it is passed on—through our environment, our stresses, and our unresolved pain.”
Healing ADHD: More Than Medication
Medication can help many people with ADHD, especially by boosting focus and calming hyperactivity. But Maté urges us not to stop there. Healing ADHD also requires understanding the roots: building safety in the body, processing trauma, and learning to regulate the nervous system.
This is where integrative approaches come in:
Somatic exercises and breathwork to ground the nervous system
Meditation to strengthen attention and create moments of stillness
Emotional tapping (EFT) to reduce stress in the moment
Sound healing and body-based practices to restore calm
Trauma-informed coaching to gently reframe old stories and build resilience
Brain spotting or EMDR to rewire old memories
These practices don’t replace medical support, but they add another layer—addressing the “why” behind the symptoms, not just the “what.”
Why This Matters Now
As more adults get diagnosed with ADHD, it’s important to move the conversation beyond quick labels or TikTok symptom lists. If ADHD is, at least in part, the result of stress and disconnection in childhood, then healing requires more than tips and tricks; It requires compassion for our own histories.
Maté’s work reminds us that ADHD is not a personal failing. It’s an adaptation. And adaptations can shift when we create new conditions of safety, presence, and support.
Final Thoughts
The rise in ADHD awareness is an opportunity: to destigmatize neurodivergence, to better understand the role of trauma in shaping attention, and to explore approaches that treat the whole person, not just the symptom.
Dr. Gabor Maté’s insights in Scattered Minds remind us that healing is not about “curing” ADHD. It’s about recognizing how the body and mind responded to early stress—and creating space for new patterns to take root.
ADHD may be trending, but the deeper conversation is timeless: what would our lives look like if our nervous systems felt safe, our attention was honored, and our histories were held with compassion?
If you’ve made it this far, I love you.
