Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

by Gabor Maté MD

The truth is that there are no techniques that will motivate people or make them autonomous. Motivation must come from within, not from techniques. It comes from their deciding they are ready to take responsibility for managing themselves.

True motivation is knowing that I do what I do not because someone else wants me to do it, or because I believe someone will respect or like me for doing it, not because some inner voice tells me I “should” do it, and not because I am asserting my independence by defying someone who forbade me to do it. What I do satisfies me, regardless of what others may think.

“the ahistorical memory”

The inability to recall in the moment something that had either upset you or pleased you in the past. All or nothing thinking when someone can only think of the good in their life, or inversely, can only think of what's bad. For example, getting into a fight before bed, and then waking up the next morning and acting like nothing happened, simply because your brain forgot it happened.

He needs to allow himself at least the same degree of autonomy he would grant to a teenager. It is not a duty to clear some physical space so that his mind is not oppressed by the clutter, but it is a sensible thing to do if the long-term goal is development.

Lack of exercise leads to an internal sluggishness that undermines alertness and attention. Exercise releases substances in the brain that are necessary for mood stability, motivation and attention and, in the long term, makes the chemical apparatus that manufactures these substances more efficient. I recommend that people set a goal of vigorous exercise every day.

If attention and presence of mind are the long-term goal, time and effort need to be devoted to their cultivation each and every day.

We don’t do our children any favors when we try to protect them from experiencing sadness or failure. What we really want for them when they feel sad is to be able to endure disappointment and hurt feelings, not to hide behind defenses, angry acting-out and driven behavior in order to avoid emotional distress.