Prince Harry joked that he’d got a ‘free session’ during a 90-minute filmed conversation with Dr Gabor Maté (Picture: GRHO)
A trauma expert has suggested the Duke of Sussex has attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Canadian doctor Gabor Maté told Prince Harry he saw the condition as a ‘normal response to abnormal stress’.
The royal appeared a little taken aback at first after being ‘diagnosed’ during a live-streamed interview.
He then said: ‘Okay. Should I accept that or should I look into it?’, before joking ‘Free session – wonderful’.
The term ADD is used for people who have difficulties with concentration without the presence of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as impulsiveness or hyperactivity.
Symptoms include not paying close attention to details, having trouble keeping attention on tasks, not listening properly and having difficulty organising things.
Dr Maté, author of The Myth Of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing In A Toxic Culture, believes it can be cured, although there is disagreement in the medical community over this.
He told Harry he had come to the conclusion that he had ADD after reading his memoir Spare.
The duke did the interview after the release of his memoir Spare (Picture: GRHO)
Dr. Gabor Mate is a doctor and the author of bestselling books
‘One of the intentions I know you have is to remove the stigma around mental health or to help remove the stigma about mental health issues’, he told him.
‘When I read your book as a clinician – you can agree or disagree – but I come up with several diagnoses that seem to go on in the book.
‘Whether you like it or not, I diagnosed you with ADD, okay? It takes one to know one, I share that diagnosis.’
He continued to say Harry could ‘do what he wanted with it’, adding: ‘I’m just saying’.
‘I don’t see it as a disease, I see it as a normal response to abnormal stress’, he said.
‘When a kid is in a stressful environment, one way they cope with it, they scatter their attention, they remove themselves from the stress, and I think there’s a lot of stress in your life.’
Harry commented saying ‘there’s lots of stress in everyone’s lives’, before asking if ADD could be treated and healed and if there was an ‘age limit’ on this.
About attention deficit disorder (ADD)
The term is used for people who have difficulties with concentration without the presence of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as impulsiveness or hyperactivity.
How is it diagnosed?
A clinician must be satisfied there is excessive difficulty with the majority of the inattentive ADD criteria.
These criteria need to be problematic at both home and school or work on an ongoing basis, to be significant and causing impairment.
What are the symptoms associated with it?
Not paying close attention to details, having trouble keeping attention on tasks, not listening properly and difficulty organising things can all be symptoms.
Also, not wanting to do things which take a long time, failure to follow instructions and being easily distracted.
What is the treatment?
For a child, educational strategies to refocus and engage the mind can be key. This could include keeping lessons bright and interesting and sitting them at the front of the class.
There are also various medications available.
Dr Maté replied saying: ‘No, I think that’s the beauty of this conversation and the beauty of stance you have taken in the world.
‘When you have recognised the trauma and its impact it can be healed at any age.’
NHS guidance states that there is no cure for ADHD – an updated term for ADD – in children, but it can be treated.
The exact cause ‘is not fully understood’, although it’s thought genetics and brain function and structure play a part, while certain groups are more at risk.
In the 90-minute wide-ranging conversation, the pair also discussed Harry’s drug use.
He said marijuana ‘really helped’ him cope with his mental health struggles, but said cocaine had done ‘nothing’ for him.
The father-of-two admitted he always ‘felt different from the rest of his family’ and opened up about his upbringing ‘in a broken home’.
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Canadian doctor Gabor Maté told Prince Harry he saw the condition as a ‘normal response to abnormal stress’.