Trevor Noah on Depression, ADHD & Ketamine Therapy

I'm a Woman diagnosed with ADHD at 61 .. (the daydreamer) explains my entire life!! Sister always called me a flake. Didn't finish school. Lost jobs, for always being late or not completing tasks. Lost friends for always being late making them think I didn't care. Self loathing because although I'm extremely intelligent, I just failed at life, procrastinating etc. After saying all of this, if I'm working on my hobbies, I can go 12 hours without thinking of food or what I was probably supposed to be doing. So bitter sweet, now I know and can begin to heal and now I know, what my life could have been.

"It's in my body, I can't talk this out" that is the most relatable feeling I think I've ever heard

Trevor described that Adhd checking out moment so perfectly

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

I work in the therapy field and what he says about the comedy field being a good field for ADHD is exactly the reason why people who have ADHD can be excellent trauma therapists, trauma nurses/doctors, paramedics, etc. some of the best in the field are those with ADHD, because of their brain’s way of taking in information & track in the midst of chaos! He’s so right!

Thank you, Trevor Noah, for sharing this and Neal Brennan for posting it. I'm a therapist who specializes in working with adults with ADHD; later-in-life diagnoses of ADHD; women with ADHD; and the 2e population. This estimate is on the conservative side, but in school alone, a child with ADHD receives 20,000 corrections or negative comments by the time he or she is 10 years old. It is no wonder that depression and anxiety are common co-morbidities of ADHD. I focus on the emotional components of living with an invisible brain-based difference. Whether this is said by adults outright to a child with ADHD or their actions and efforts to treat a child's ADHD nonverbally relay the same message, children with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed) tend to hold the negative core belief that they are somehow inherently broken and need to be fixed. Many of the adults who come to see me expect that I'll be like a certified watchmaker there to fix them like a broken clock. Shame is often at the heart of what adults with ADHD have been carrying with them for most of their lives. There is so much misinformation out there - even the nomenclature of the diagnosis is a misnomer. You're absolutely right- we don't have a deficit of attention - we have too much attention and an inability to filter out stimuli that are unimportant to the task at hand that we're trying desperately to focus on. Dr. Dodson described it well when he said that neurotypicals have a priority-based, or importance-based, nervous system and those with ADHD have an interest-based nervous system, except that we don't get to choose what we pay attention to. When it's a subject that highly interests us or there is some kind of variable that involves fear, our amygdala gets activated and we suddenly gain the ability to not only focus but hyperfocus. This is why so many of us with ADHD follow career paths in the performing arts or the ICU/ER - when the stakes get high, we get clear-headed, calm, and focused, and we can perform with ease. Those of us with ADHD (especially the inattentive type) often experience brain fog and activation issues partly due to insufficient dopamine levels, so stimulants help lift the fog so we can gain full access to our thoughts and it helps us get activated to start on tasks that do not inherently generate high levels of interest. Covid long-haulers with brain fog are getting medically treated with the medication we take for the brain fog we've been experiencing and dealing with our entire lives. When neurotypicals take a stimulant like Adderall, they have a vastly different experience from how it affects those of us with ADHD because they don't actually need the medication. It helps us feel like we can do the things that neurotypicals take for granted that they can do that require executive functioning skills - it doesn't put us into hyperfocus mode. There are still so many myths being perpetuated about ADHD that appear in places one might least expect, like in classrooms and doctor's offices; and the general misunderstanding often leads to the mistreatment of children, teens, and adults with ADHD. They are often on the receiving end of neurobigotry that further fuels the shame they're carrying and their desire to hide and not get help.

My husband with ADHD was a fabulous kindergarten teacher. He hated school himself but created a research based, hands on learning environment that he managed beautifully. He loves comedy and could be a comedian. All the memoirs I’ve read about comedians support Noah’s idea that many have ADHD.

I didn't know I could love Trevor more than I already did. But as he talks about PTSD, ADHD and Depression I'm just nodding and feel more connected to him than ever. ❤

Trauma is its own muscle memory. Your body is still trying to keep you safe long after the threat is gone.

Trevor’s comment about focusing on the ‘wrong’ thing is true! I CAN NOT multitask, and if there is music playing it’s the ONLY thing I can hear.

Trevor Noah is a breath of fresh air. Helped me survive lockdown, I miss his daily show so much.

Yes! I was diagnosed with major depression at 12. I could never "get over it". Then, I was diagnosed at 44 with neurodivergent: ADHD (inattentive, impulsive) and on the autistic spectrum. It was enlightening. Then I was diagnosed with CPTSD and told my depression diagnosis was incorrect. My world opened up! Thank goodness the clarity came. I love myself now, at 46. I have hated myself for over 30 years. labels and understanding is so helpful. No more dismissive language. There are people with true depression--it is a valid diagnosis for some. But, it can be a dismissive diagnosis that doesn't get to the heart of the issue.

Trevor is one of the most attractive men in the entertainment industry. Inside and outside. Him being so candid about therapy makes me respect him even more. I wholeheartedly wish him all the best.

We have a society in America that prioritizes productivity and the maintenance of the status quo above all else. That’s where a lot of the self shaming comes in. When you’re rich you can afford to really step away and analyze your situation but if you’re poor everything becomes several extra steps just to meet your basic needs. These things go beyond what an individual can do to help themselves. There always needs to be accountability for behavior but have to look at it through a broader context of the way our system creates these conditions.

I am 31 and it’s been a month since I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. He’s right about how just knowing changes almost everything. I’ve been living on survival mode, despite having a good paying job; there’s always something simple, a 30 minutes task I will procrastinate doing for weeks; I’ve put myself in many toxic relationships that I hyper focused on the other, and therefore lost touch with myself or was emotionally abused; I never completed any studies besides high school. I always thought I lacked some meaning in life, or that it was on me to be more determined and motivated… now I now it’s only a matter of time until I relearn how to play the game, because I’m that special character with special moves and tricks. Until then, I’m learning to be gentle with myself.

"If you don't take things personally, the world opens up to you" is some major wisdom buried at the end.

Thank you for explaining the story of my life. Got diagnosed with ADHD yesterday, age 51. Until two months ago I had no idea why I have been such a failure. Now I know that I am not crazy, I can try to build my life from scratch. Luckily I have good personal relationships to help me.

Psychedelics in general are amazing. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder years ago. Got diagnosed with ADHD. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

I'm 55 with ADHD. Surfing is the best thing for me. It causes me to be hyper focused and definitely puts me in a flow state.

Diagnosed with ADHD at 39, this is such a perfect example of what I went through & how I think/process. Getting a diagnosis 100% helps just knowing "you're not crazy." Hearing others talk about it & their experiences is very helpful in not feeling crazy, but feeling seen & better understanding