#237 - Dr Sami Timimi - Why ADHD Is On The Rise

Listen to this episode from MindStrong on Spotify. Dr. Sami Timimi is a consultant psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of Searching for Normal.Why does it feel like everyone suddenly has ADHD or autism? Are we medicalising normal life? And what if the mental health crisis isn’t biological—but cultural?Expect to learn why ADHD and autism were never true medical diagnoses, how mental health labels became lifelong identities, why resilience can’t be taught but must be lived, how therapy culture breeds learned helplessness, why “mental health awareness” may be harming kids, how social media glamorises illness, and why reclaiming responsibility is the antidote to a culture obsessed with being unwell.00:00 – Intro: Why everyone seems to have ADHD01:00 – The rise of ADHD, autism and mental health diagnoses03:00 – Are psychiatric disorders real medical conditions?06:30 – How ADHD and autism expanded from rare to common11:40 – Why people hold onto mental health labels14:00 – The history of ADHD and “upside-down science”18:30 – How adult ADHD became a global identity24:30 – The link between diagnosis and identity politics30:00 – The danger of victimhood and loss of resilience35:00 – Why resilience can’t be taught—it must be lived39:30 – How overprotection creates learned helplessness43:00 – The false relief of a diagnosis48:00 – Why mental health became a brand52:00 – The beauty of diversity and human uniqueness57:00 – How to build resilience through experience1:00:00 – Parents, coaches, and raising mentally strong kids1:02:00 – Why “mental health awareness” may harm children1:06:00 – Autism rates are skyrocketing—what’s behind it1:09:30 – Redefining what “normal” really means1:13:00 – From mental health to mental strength1:15:00 – How focusing on problems creates more problems1:20:00 – Reframing problems as skills to learn1:22:00 – Can we recover from over-diagnosing society?1:24:00 – Pushback from psychiatry and the mental health industry1:27:00 – Technology, distraction, and social media’s impact1:32:00 – The glamorisation of mental illness onlineFind Dr Sami: https://samitimimi.co.ukTry my app:Get 20% of MindStrong Sport app subscriptions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindstrongsport.com/checkout⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Use code mindstrongpodcast)Get in Touch:⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lewishatchett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lewis_hatchett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To sponsor or contact the show visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lewishatchett.com/podcast⁠⁠