ADHD & Lack of Play Opportunity - A Rebuttal of Jordan Peterson's Claims About ADHD

In this video, I systematically dismember the ignorant claims of Dr. Jordan Peterson about ADHD that he made in video clips posted to YouTube. Those scientifically unfounded assertions can be found in the clips shown here:

The very notion as he claims that ADHD is a rubbish diagnosis, a psychiatric fraud and a mere consequence of the inopportunity of boys to engage in rough and tumble play is so outdated and scientifically unsupportable as to reflect a stunning lack of scientific scholarship for someone who is a professor emeritus of psychology, among other egregiously wrong statements he makes in these appearances. Asserting such unsupportable misinformation about a neurodevelopmental disorder can do real harm to those who have the condition in various ways. Our professional guidelines advise us to admit the limits of our expertise. These comments demonstrate that Dr. Peterson has not done so – he is no expert on ADHD and in the future should show more humility when asked questions about this serious neurodevelopmental disorder.

[theresed]

As a homeschooled kid of the 80s, I can vouch for the fact that working to the point of exhaustion does NOT make ADHD symptoms disappear and schoolwork become magically easy. I can vouch for the fact that as I girl I struggled as much as my brothers. I can vouch for the fact that we got plenty of play and went without television for years, and the ADHD symptoms did not go away. I can vouch for the fact that once school was finished, I still struggled to focus on the things that gave me joy, such as hobbies, because ADHD is mentally exhausting.

[russellbarkleyphd]

For those of you who think that my position on Jordan Peterson's views of ADHD are just a matter of two equivalent scholars of the disorder having a small disagreement on an issue, see my comment below to this suggestion, which I reprint here so others don't miss it.

"Thanks for your comment, Ruth, but I am sorry to say it does not hold up to serious inspection. Jordan Peterson has made these claims in several different interviews and years apart, so the rationale that he was just caught off guard by a question is not a compelling reason. Second, when any psychologist, especially one of his rank and stature, is asked about something in our field in which he has little or no expertise, then the mature, respectful, and humble response one should say is: I don't know." You don't just make up some clearly farfetched and grossly dated rationale for your opinion. Third, his comments are conveyed with contempt for psychiatry, the disorder, and, relatedly, the many fellow clinical psychologists who have studied this disorder for several hundred years. It is also contempt especially for the diagnosis of ADHD which he has repeatedly declared is a fraud. So this is no simple one-time error of recall in the moment but an obvious conviction that he holds about a neurodevelopment disorder. Fourth, when prominent psychologists of his degree of celebrity make such grossly and egregiously wrong comments, particularly in public, to quote Richard Dawkins, they are "worse than wrong." Their comments not only bear no relationship to the voluminous and current scientific evidence at hand that bear on the issue. Their prominence does harm by making people believe in an idea that is both fallacious and could lead to harm to people with this disorder and their families. Jordan's comments are equivalent to the theory of Bruno Bettelheim about autism back in the 40s and 50s when he asserted that the condition arose from cold, callous, unloving "refrigerator mothers." His prominence led people to believe that, governments and colleagues to accept it at face value, and treatment programs developed around the idea when there was not a shred of evidence to support the position. The decades of cruelty suffered by people with ASD and their families was atrocious and inexcusable and is one of the worst historical periods in the history of ASD. So, no, we are not going to repeat that tragedy again by allowing prominent professionals to utter such rubbish publicly and, by inference, blame parents for a neuro-developmental disorder. Jordan's argument clearly implies that it is parents who are at fault for not letting their children, boys in particular, engage in rough and tumble play. This is the very same sort of "parent bashing" engaged in by Bettelheim and others who saw the learning, development, and behaviors disorders of children as merely the parents' fault. So when celebrity expert psychologists make outrageously wrong statements about a neurodevelopment disorder that have the potential to inflict harm we are entitled to be outraged. This is not some mere misunderstanding or erroneous citation of a study where two well informed scientists might have an understandable difference of opinion. Yes, that might warrant your suggestion of speaking to him privately. But that is far from the case here. So, no, I will not engage in some respectful collegial dialogue with someone who makes statements that are worse than wrong and does so repeatedly in an area of our field in which he clearly has no expertise and that could reverse decades of advances we have made it helping the public to scientifically understand this disorder. It is incumbent upon him to publicly state he is wrong and apologize to those who he has harmed by this repeatedly stated nonsense. And it is incumbent on experts in the field like my self to call him out on it publicly for doing so."

[gracesumner]

This video MADE MY DAY! As a therapist who works with ADHD children, has ADHD, and has a family full of people with ADHD, people like Jordan Peterson infuriate me. Thank you for making this, and for all you've done for the ADHD community.

[slavepusher]

Thank you so much for this video, and all of your work. 
As somebody who was diagnosed with ADHD 22 years ago in a juvenile detention center, getting a proper diagnosis and the right treatment saved my life. But it really gets to me when I still hear people spouting off nonsense about ADHD, and what's worse, it feels like it's been getting louder lately. It's particularly maddening when these people should know better.

Especially because the reason I only got diagnosed in a juvenile detention center (e.g., once i got in real trouble), was due to the school psychologist for my district being in the "ADHD is a fraud" camp.

Keep doing what you're doing. Your efforts to set the record straight are so needed. Thanks again.

[rfb]

For what it's worth, Dr Barkley, it seems pretty clear to me that your level of animation and passion in this video arises from your level of concern for the many people who struggle with the impact ADHD has on their lives. I'm just a coach, and a new one at that, and I'm often horrified by the amount of misinformation out there. As you know, people with ADHD are often desperate to make sense of themselves and what they experience, and they look to places like YouTube, Instagram, the traditional media and other platforms for answers - especially when they can't afford professional support. Their families and friends also pick up on all this nonsense. It really does cause harm. We need people like you to critically engage with and challenge opinions like this, because that's what they are, opinions - not research, not hard-earned experience with sufferers, and not lived-experience.

[NorthernPixels]

I had a therapist who told me I likely didn't have ADHD, as it was often misdiagnosed. But that I was just very intelligent and bored. Well, it turned out I'm on the autism spectrum as well as having ADHD, and once I switched to a psychology professional who knew what she was talking about, and I was given practical strategies, my life improved tenfold.
This misinformation by Peterson is actively dangerous and could potentially be life-threatening if the wrong person took it to heart.

[BusyTiredHappyMama]

Thank you, Dr. Barkley. I can’t thank you enough for making this video. I believe you are absolutely correct when you say Jordan Peterson‘s opinions on ADHD is causing harm. Because it actually is causing harm between my husband and I.

I have ADHD, and was diagnosed at age 30, not long after my 6 year old son was diagnosed. He is now 24, and an engineer for a military contractor, as well as, a highly trained urban search and rescue volunteer for our state. I consider his early diagnosis, medication, and the ADHD coaching that helped him develop effective coping skills, for his success. (& his own hard work, of course)

My husband is Nuro-typical, and while we know he loves and cares for us deeply, he still finds it very difficult to truly understand our daily struggle with having ADHD. (Even though he has witnessed it for decades now). However, my husband has begun listening to Jordan Peterson’s podcasts, lectures and interviews. And unfortunately, somewhere along the way, my husband seems to have become even less understanding or forgiving towards us when it comes to our ADHD struggles. It’s causing, pain, frustration and anger, in me, and confusion and hurt, in our son. Again, my husband is a good person and loves us, but clearly to him, Jordan Peterson sounds very believable.

[xmouse]

Follow professional practice and "admit the limits of your expertise". I just don't think that's possible for someone endowed with the amount of hubris and ego thatJordan Peterson appears to be. Like a lot of these pop psychs. and scientists he is addicted to the sound of his own voice and believes he can pontificate on just about anything with zero regard for real expertise, scholarship, evidence, peer review or ultimately harmful impact. People like Peterson give psychology a bad name by sprouting aphorisms and linguistic verbiage in the name of psychology which really just serve to make them sound smart and sell their name or their books. Thank you for having the courage over your convictions sir and thank you for not giving him more air time which way too many people who should know better give him.

[priwncess]

You're a good man. ADHD is absolutely real and I was diagnosed with it at age 5. It has affected my life in so many ways. Thank you for defending us who struggle with it.

[bubblepuuf]

Thank you for making this video. I grew up on a farm with tons of rough and tumble play as he would call it. We had no screens, no internet, no cable, spent all day outside playing in nature, ate locally grown food only (literally just vegetables and meat no processed food)

Despite all this, I was still diagnosed with ADD (adhd inattentive type) in my teens.

Was such an eye roll to hear Dr peterson say that stuff so casually, when I know that I had the literal perfect environment in his eyes, but still developed adhd.

I tried to outhink my adhd, felt like there was something wrong with me for too long by avoiding treatment and accommodations for years because of crap like this.

I hope that one day a kid with adhd won't feel like there's something wrong with him for struggling because of something that isn't his fault, that he is taken seriously and gets treatment.

[AutonoMeMentalHealth]

Thank you, Dr. Barkley, for taking this stance against the ongoing problem of celebrity psychology content.

[RuailleBuaille]

A pirate t-shirt, glass of wine and John Wick?
I knew you were a legend because of your incredible work regarding ADHD, but you've just gotten even more badass if possible.

[sumurdoch]

Thank you so much for this Dr. Barkley. Your outrage, and impassioned response, was so validating. I was a little girl with ADHD diagnosed as a 38 year old woman. The ignorance, and women and girls being deleted from the discussions by rampant idiots, is retraumatizing.

[gaskievids]

Hi Dr Barkley,

I wanted to let you know that I owe you a huge debt of gratitude. I have struggled for my entire life with so many things, and it wasn't until last year I started to become aware that almost all of these symptoms were associated with ADHD. This sent me on a journey of discovery and ultimately led me to you, and your wonderful talks on YouTube. After listening to you speak so eloquently on the subject I decided to seek a diagnosis because of how strongly the things you described resonated with me. Of course, I got formally diagnosed with ADHD and am now medicated as a result. This is in no small part down to you.

You are a credit to your field and come across as a wonderful, empathetic and understanding human being. I just wanted to thank you for the work you continue to do to this day in helping educate people on what is frankly a terrible (and often misunderstood) disorder that impacts the lives of so many. We will likely never meet, but if we do you can expect a hug and some tears.

Thank you once again and I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

[catalystcomet]

Dr. Barkley wiping the floor with Jordan Peterson is something I'm able to focus on even unmedicated.

[daisyfanning]

I can’t say how much I appreciate this rebuttal. Your advocacy for the lived reality of people with ADHD, the scientific research and the clinical practice in this area is admirable.

[haroldbesswhitehawg]

I am so grateful that this appeared on my recommended list. I admire the passion and dedication to the scientific method. As someone who struggles to cope with ADHD daily, I’ve had to do my own research to ferret out the mechanisms which alter my life experience. It’s very refreshing to hear someone who knows what they are talking about, and to quash the unfounded notions of naysayers who’s posits hold no water. Thank you so much.

[sep.s]

3:30 Thank you for this, as someone who considers themsleves as you put it, "on the left"; cancelling, on the whole, is unhelpful and does not actually get people to examine critically the opinions that are being platformed, it only gets people to double down and deeper into what their opinions.

[adventureandy]

As an executive teacher at what most people call a 'Behaviour School', I have gained knowledge and insight from you for years and gone on to help so many students, and families, of adolescent students with ADHD thanks to your RESEARCH based findings. Jordan's words have and will continue to have a negative effect for many years given that an ill-informed, frustrated and largely uneducated audience will grasp it. Thank you for your response and mainly for the amazing contribution you have given for decades. I appluad you. Greetings from Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia

[MattThornton-ogxo]

Dr. Barkley, I am a 62 year old male who suffers from ADHD. I see a Psychiatrist and psychologist and they both agree I have ADHD. I am fortunate to have people in my corner and help me deal with ADHD issues and without their help, I would not be in a good place today. So thank you for your response and your stable input with ADHD. I truly appreciate you and your work. Please do not stop sharing the information about ADHD you have provided to people like me. Your work has made a difference in my life and so many others like me. Thank you.