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Self-mistrust beliefs have been proposed as a core thinking theme in adults with ADHD.

The nature of adult ADHD increases procrastination and other matters that erode self-trust.

Some recent studies lend credence to the association of self-mistrust and ADHD, though indirectly.

Insights from these studies strengthen a focus on building self-trust combined with coping skills for ADHD.

Mistrust beliefs are typically other-focused, rooted in one's experiences of having been wronged, abandoned, or abused by others in trusted relationships. These experiences leave them wary and on guard about others’ motives.

Self-Mistrust and Adult ADHD

My first book on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adult ADHD,1 is where I first made mention of “self-mistrust” beliefs. They became apparent to me in countless sessions hearing clients’ self-doubts and corresponding self-recriminations and frustrations with themselves for consistently not doing what they know they needed to do and that they knew full well they could do.

But the insidiousness of the effects of ADHD is that they were still unable to reliably count on themselves to implement intentions as a consequence. The consistent inconsistency of ADHD left them believing, and often saying aloud, “I can’t trust myself.”

Several years later, I stumbled across Albert Bandura’s construct of self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) while I was writing a book in which I took a stab at proposing a cognitive theme germane to adult ADHD.2 SRE’s description, that of a kind of meta-efficacy, fit with the consensus that........

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