Hacker News Reader

There are some pretty prominent voices like Dr Gabor Mate who think that ADHD stems from stressful family life/structure and/or traumas growing up.

I myself was diagnosed with ADHD, and psychedelics healed me and my past to the point where I no longer needed prescribed stimulants, so it’s possible that MDMA could help.

View on HN

I don’t think I had a remotely stressful family life growing up and I am a near prototypical case of ADHD. So is my mom. It’s anecdata, but I think that perspective is complete bullshit and it makes me upset because it allows people to shame you for using stimulant medication.

Extending this line of reasons not to be as dismissive: perhaps both are true and result in the same behaviors. It seems totally possible that a rough and stressful family life could result in similar effects to have a physiologically innate issue. The term ADHD is rather broad a describes quite a few different things, which I don’t think are effectively taxonomised in current practice e.g. overlap with autism etc.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com