Dr. Gabor Maté on ADHD, Bullying and the Destruction of American Childhood

[CHIMO]

AMY GOODMAN: New figures show the number of U.S. children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder–ADHD–has grown 22% since 2003. Earlier this month, the Center for Disease Control reported that one in ten children now have ADHD, an increase of one million since 2003. The spike in diagnoses of ADHD and other mental disorders has fueled an unprecedented reliance on pharmaceutical medications to treat children, with long-term effects that remain unknown. The conventional response has also emphasized coercive methods with parents and schools encouraged to focus on regulating children’s behavior.

Well, the Canadian physician and bestselling author Dr. Gabor Maté argues that these responses are treating surface symptoms as causes while ignoring deeper roots. Whether it’s in mental disorders like ADHD or in rampant instances of bullying Dr. Maté says, "Children are, in fact, reacting to the broader collapse of the nurturing conditions needed for their healthy development." Instead of focusing on regulating children’s behavior, Dr. Mate argues that we should be look at how those nurturing conditions can be improved. Dr. Gabor Maté the author of four books including Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It and, with Dr. Gordon Neufeld, Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers. Earlier this year, he appeared on Democracy Now! to discuss his work on drug addiction, as well as on the mind-body connection, the role of emotions and stresses in the development of chronic illnesses. Dr. Maté recently returned to our studio to talk about ADHD, parenting, bullying, the education system, and how a litany of stresses on the family environment is impacting American children.

DR. GABOR MATÈ : In the United States right now there are three million children receiving stimulant drugs for ADHD.

AMY GOODMAN: And ADHD means?

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/24/dr_gabor_mat_on_adhd_bullying
http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2010/nov/video/dnB20101124a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=00:24:43