EXCLUSIVE: Matt Haig Opens Up About ADHD Diagnosis, Happiness & How To Cope With Depression

ADHD Chatter

Alex Partridge

Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Education

4.8 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2025

⏱️ 92 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Matt Haig is a world renowned author, having sold over 10 million books, best known for writing 'Reasons to stay alive'. Today, he tells us how to navigate depression and find happiness. Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:10 Dedication 01:20 When was your first memory of feeling different? 06:25 When was your first memory of accepting that you were different? 10:30 What does ADHD mean to you? 16:02 Tiimo advert 24:09 How would you differentiate between anxiety, stress and depression? 27:24 Why is it hard to describe depression? 34:57 What was running through your mind at what could have been your final moments? 45:06 What did those thoughts teach you about the value of life? 01:07:16 Neurodiversity in the family 01:16:18 How is your mental health today? 01:18:09 If you were to "thank" depression, what would you thank it for? 01:20:21 The ADHD agony aunt 01:29:54 A letter from the previous guest Find Matt on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/?hl=en Visit Matt's website 👉 https://www.matthaig.com Get 30% off an annual Tiimo subscription 👉 https://www.tiimoapp.com/adhdchatter Producer: Timon Woodward DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up on this week's episode, ADHD is kind of energy in your head and your being that is
0:05.9	permanent. It's not an illness that comes on. It's a condition that you are. A world-renowned
0:12.8	author and mental health advocate. Who has sold over 10 million books worldwide. Best known for writing.
0:18.8	Reasons to stay alive about his intense battle with depression.
0:21.6	His ADHD diagnosis is now helping him make sense of it all.
0:25.6	I had gone from being one kind of nightmare boyfriend to the opposite kind of nightmare
0:29.6	boyfriend.
0:30.6	Before my breakdown, I was a nightmare because I was an addict who didn't realize was an addict.
0:35.6	Two, couldn't go to the shop on my own.
0:38.4	What do you think is the difference between depression, stress and anxiety?
0:42.8	Stress is basically what a lot of us feel a lot of the time,
0:46.8	where things are just slightly out of alignment.
0:49.1	When you've got proper capital A anxiety,
0:51.8	you are suddenly in a state that you can't switch off. And depression is
0:55.8	the point beyond that at which you feel like you've given up. So I would go through a period of
1:01.4	anxiety and then through sheer exhaustion, I'd reach a point which my brain sort of just fell into
1:08.2	depression. This episode is dedicated to anyone who loves long drives
1:13.6	because you can hyperfixate on your latest obsession for hours.
1:20.0	When was your first memory of feeling different?
1:23.4	My first memory, well, I've only ever, I suppose I've only ever felt a bit different.
1:30.7	I've only ever felt like I've got a lot in my head.
1:35.5	And as far back as I can remember, that struggle to make sure I'm being normal or
	...

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