Trauma, Impaired Attachments, and Fostering Resilience: Beyond The Medical Model

Diagnoses such as ADHD, depression, anxiety and addictions are rising amongst our youth. The conventional medical model looks at these dysfunctions as biological diseases to be treated with pharmacology and/or behavior modification. This talk, based on Gabor Matés bestselling books, shows that such conditions reflect adaptations to social stress and multigenerational family trauma. In brief, they represent disturbed attachments, often despite parents’ best efforts and wishes. While medications may be helpful, they must rarely be the first line of treatment and never the only treatment. By understanding the sources of the problems our youth struggle with and by realigning their attachment world, we can support the inner resilience all humans possess and promote the healing of troubled brain circuits.