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Mental health & neurodiversity: videos Hacker News recommends
Mental health: ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, therapy, addiction, trauma, executive function, parenting, psychiatry, burnout, emotional regulation. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (13 talks, 11 lectures, 5 podcast episodes), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 9 HN recommenders 13 months 2015–2025J Jason Salotti · lectureRepeatedly called the best way to understand ADHD, and recommended to anyone before commenting on it.
- 14 HN recommenders 12 months 2009–2026HN returns to it repeatedly as the best single introduction to understanding clinical depression.
- 10 HN recommenders 11 months 2012–2023HN commenters frequently recommend it as an eye-opening case against heavy porn use, though it is contested science.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2018–2025A ADHDtips · lectureHN readers recommend it as the best primer for understanding ADHD at a neurological level, often suggesting that even the first 10 to 20 minutes are enlightening.
- 11 HN recommenders 9 months 2009–2017For over a decade HN has pointed people asking about stress, focus or meditation to this as a restful and approachable introduction to mindfulness.
- 9 HN recommenders 8 months 2017–2024HN commenters repeatedly recommend Barkley's lectures as the best introduction to understanding ADHD.
- 10 HN recommenders 9 months 2015–2025HN people with ADHD or ADHD-affected relatives share it as an authoritative, practical talk that helped some seek diagnosis.
- 7 HN recommenders 8 months 2019–2022F Fredrik Knudsen · documentaryRegarded as the definitive, if heartbreaking, account of Terry Davis and TempleOS.
- 10 HN recommenders 7 months 2020–2024HN commenters share it as an easy-to-follow guided exercise for anxiety, stress, and recovery, with many reporting daily use.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2013–2020Repeatedly recommended in mental health threads for its honest storytelling that resonates with developers.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2022–2023HN commenters say it convinced them to quit or cut down on drinking, and point to it as a more comprehensive treatment than most articles.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2020–2022H How to ADHD · explainerHN commenters use it as the go-to name and explanation for task paralysis and procrastination, and say it helped them see why they avoid tasks.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2018–2023T Tim Ferriss · podcast episodeHN recommends it as a thoughtful, honest look at the causes of addiction and depression, and as a deeper Mate interview than most.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2022HN commenters share it as the talk that introduced them to the Sinclair Method as an alternative approach to alcohol dependence.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2025HN commenters quote it for the line that the opposite of addiction is connection, and recommend it as a more plausible account of addiction than the standard model.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2025Recommended to people with chronic pain, fatigue or RSI as a rigorous but balanced case that pain does not always mean injury.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021I Invisible People · interviewHN commenters point to it in threads on homelessness and drug policy as a short, honest firsthand account from an articulate addict.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2022U UNC Learning Center · lectureHN recommends it as a rigorous clinical look at ADHD, including the view that it has no benefits and that external prompts help.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2022HN recommends it in depression threads as a practical, non-medication approach with concrete takeaways.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2024HN recommends Barkley as the best resource on ADHD, with clear explanations of what prescription ADHD drugs do.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023P Psychlopaedia.org · talkHN commenters recommend it as a comprehensive talk on depression, and one says it helped them through a bad period.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024J Jimmy McGee · commentaryRecommended as an engaging, well-researched look at the history of gambling machines and how games borrow their psychology.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022Shared in loneliness threads as a well-sourced, empathetic explanation, including for people struggling with it.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2022HN commenters recommend it to people with ADHD for helping them understand their behavior and how their brain works.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2020Recommended as a quick, memorable explanation of how to support someone in pain without making it about yourself.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2026M Monke96ify · comedy videoHN users share it in threads on drinking and addiction as an honest account of alcoholism and sobriety.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2023V Virtusan · tutorialHN commenters recommend it as a short, practical guided rest session to use during a midday break or nap.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024HN people offer it as practical focus and ADHD advice from a credentialed neuroscientist, though some treat it as only a reference.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2019T Thriving In Science · lectureHN uses it as the expert primer on burnout that dispels common misconceptions.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2019M Mizzou Visual Productions · lectureHN points to it in discussions of antidepressant efficacy, the serotonin model and the power of placebos.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025H HealthyGamerGG · explainerHN commenters call it enlightening for understanding the emotional challenges of gifted kids, especially those who struggle later in school or college.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2022Praised as one of the great non-technical talks, appearing in best-talk lists.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2020HN mentions it when discussing how believing stress is harmful affects health and anxiety.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2021HN cites it in depression and brain health threads for its message that the brain can be improved, and that brain injury is common and overlooked.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2023H HealthyGamerGG · explainerRecommended in Ask HN threads on motivation and internet addiction as an accessible explanation of why screen time dulls drive.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2024HN cites it as a fascinating look at ultrasound-based brain treatments.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026F Filmbilder & Friends · videoHN commenters use it as a wordless illustration of addiction, shared in threads about children and screens, drugs and habit-forming products.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2024HN cites it as the best motivation advice some commenters have heard, and it is often shared in procrastination threads.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023HN people send it to others in addiction and digital-habits threads as an expert explanation of dopamine baselines.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2021HN commenters point to Barkley's talks as a respected clinician's view of ADHD as a spectrum of executive function problems.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2026V VinnieFarsheds · comedy videoThe standard illustration of yak shaving, dependency hell and getting derailed, also likened to adult ADHD.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024Cited in threads on metabolism and mental illness, especially keto for psychiatric conditions.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2024R Ride with Larry · documentaryShared as a vivid visual example of cannabis visibly reducing Parkinson's tremor.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2022Mostly shared as a more reliable YouTube mirror, and cited as a related talk on motivation; one commenter criticizes Blow's comments on impostor syndrome.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2024T ticklemeozmo · comedy videoQuoted jokingly when someone's bad behavior was learned from the very people criticizing it.
Questions
What is the most recommended mental health & neurodiversity video on Hacker News?
Essential Ideas for Parents by Jason Salotti: Repeatedly called the best way to understand ADHD, and recommended to anyone before commenting on it.
How is this mental health & neurodiversity list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.