Do you feel like the authors themselves don't know what it's like to have ADHD and to try to read one of their books?
I say "tried" because I have definitely but I think there's this thing with books that get published traditionally that they have to be 10 million words long and the authors could really just put the 'helpful' information in one chapter and the rest, the introduction, the history, the science, the irrelevant case studies, all of that can just get thrown out.
I listen to audiobooks and also read on the kindle but I haven't found one useful book on ADHD that I can get through because, guess what? I have ADHD.
I would love to hear any book recommendations and advice on how to get through them without dying of boredom.
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I have tried to read Driven to Distraction and the follow up Delivered from Distraction. I just can never get through them - I get so bored. The Distraction books have a chapter in the beginning that they say is for people with ADHD (who, obviously, can't get through a boring book) but even that chapter just doesn't draw me in. I guess as a person with ADHD, I want to jump right to the actionable items to help me, not learn the whole history of it, but I'm curious if I'm the only one.
I totally agree. That's a really good idea, a book that gets right to the solution, if there is one. I had the same experience with those books, too dry and clinical and boring
I enjoyed ADHD 2.0 - I read about 1/2 of it - mostly read another 25%, and just skimmed the remaining 25%. It's a short book. I really like watching YouTube videos at 1.25 or 1.5 speed to keep my attention (have to focus on every word at that speed - and I also turn on closed captions) and have enjoyed How to ADHD a lot, but never watch ones where she talks about apps. I'm looking for community and for a way to supplement therapy without spending more money, but have not found what I need yet.
I listen to all my audio books at 1.25 or 1.5 depending on the narrator's speed and just the story in general. I haven't read this book, so thanks for the tip. As for apps, I feel like it's just one more thing to clutter my phone, one more new thing to learn. You always have to input so much to them, it's another chore I don't need. But I do use lots of free apps I already have on my phone, like Google Keep and Docs (Google Keep is my most used app I bet.)
Good day. I just started "Your Brain's Not Broken" by Tamara Rosier - 3 chapters in. I've read Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate, Drive to Distraction and The ADHD Advantage. They all discuss what it's like to live with ADHD and what it is. I'd like to hear more about what specifically I can do to manage my ADHD. 43creatures , a community group for support is likely effective to help us over come our fears and challenges.
Same here. Once you've read one book about what ADHD is and a million case studies of their patients, you can skip that part in other books. To me, it feels like more of hte same and it's always at the start of the book so I always feel compelled to read from page one then burn out on it.
how to adhd is from an adhd author. One of my favorite you tuber actually. Same with dirty laundry by the adhd_love couple. Been wanting to read both books.
Oh, yes. I think it's out now but I have been waiting for my library to get a copy. I live in Ecuador so it's not easy for me to just buy books here, but I do usually get them from the library anyway.
I like be library apps for books! It makes it so much easier. Just needs patience. It takes a while to get them here in the US too. I know if you can request it, a copy will be bough quicker.
Yes. That sometimes works. I'm actually a huge reader, even of non-fiction. I'll read anything if it's interesting and well written. I was on a huge astrophysics kick for a long time and now I think I've read at least 20 books on Greek mythology (including one I read twice and a third time in Spanish because I loved it so much - Mythos by Stephen Fry) but ADHD books, so far, have been a dud. Which is why I like the library since I would have had to pay for all of those. When I really love an author though, I throw them some $ too, to keep things balanced.
I still prefer the first book I ever read about ADHD which was recommended by my therapist. "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?" by Peggy Ramundo and Kate Kelly. I was able to find myself in it even though I did well in school and have mostly inattentive symptoms.
I think the whole idea of a book to handle ADHD is over the top, especially if you are a person looking for help because you don't tolerate medications. Everything nonmedication boils down to intentional behavioral changes. And if I could do those with any consistency, I wouldn't be struggling with ADHD as much as living with it. I mean, even medicated people have off times in their days!
So I play to my strengths, which are variations of dopamine hits. If knowing my keys are ALWAYS clipped to my purse saves time and gives me a dopamine hit, I can (and have) trained myself to clip them to my purse. Rinse and repeat with other issue. But no book has given me a full-on manual to treat and overcome my ADHD. It's a daily struggle from ground zero.
I think a book that just got straight to the business of telling you actionable things to do would be great. Leave all the science to the other books I've already read. That's what I'm hoping to find.
To be honest, I've been seriously considering it (and to be 100% truthful, I already have most of the content because I've been saving these tools, tips, tricks, and strategies for a long time in a spreadsheet, because I'm a nerd). I wondered if maybe someone else might benefit from them but I would definitely have to put it into a more readable format.. There are so many books out, and again - so many of them by experts in the field - it's hard not to get intimidated but I think that's a typical ADHD trait. Or, at least in my case, I am often stymied by imposter syndrome and I can certainly trace the roots of that back to the same traits that are my textbook ADHD symptoms. Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe that's all I need. Good luck with your quest as well.
I think that a lot of books out there about ADHD are from people who are in the psychology/psychiatry niche, which means yes, books will be dry. Yes, they're experts, but mostly for those who *work* with ADHD, so, yeah, dry and sometimes boring. These books for mostly for those unfamiliar with ADHD, so so much have it themselves.
I think that a lot of the problem is the motivation and ability to finish the books or get far enough along in the book for the tips. In my experience, I tend to flip from book to book, cross-reference, then forget what I read before, and start over, and vicious cycle here. Yep, a lot of these books are for the academia. I don't know if that helps, but that's what I'm finding out, in my (so far) reading experience.
It's not that I'm not interested in them. I am, but my brain goes at times on it's own little trip, or I get distracted, not so much the boredom direction, but some books could get to the "meat" a lot quicker, lol. I seem to be the combined type of ADHD but I *do* find the science interesting, but it's the getting distraced that "drives me to distraction", if you know what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean. I honestly don't understand why forewards and introductions need to be so damn long . I do sometimes suspect they are trying to reach a word quota, but also just they feel like they need to explain the whole history and science again so that we trust they know what they're talking about. I honestly don't even care if the book is written by a PhD or not. I can tell if I'm going to get something out of it in just a few minutes.
Well, I'm thinking of writing a book myself or several, so at least I'll know what *not* to do, lol, assuming I can ever organize the damn things. Organization and I have never been buddies, let alone besties, if you know what I mean, and sometimes I know I can tend to drag things out. I start typing, and don't always know when to stop, so I'm learning to do that.
I agree with you. I don't think it matters if someone has a PhD attached to their name, but I think that the introductions and forewards are there to show someone they're an expert and show their expertise, which works with neurotypicals, it doesn't work with us and a lot of ADHDers aren't impressed, especially hyperactive who just want people to come to the point already, lol. It's a fine balance act, that's for sure.
Well, you should. I'm thinking of doing the same since lord knows I have enough content saved from years of keeping logs of what works for me. I think the best thing is that there are more books of all different formats available out there because even though we all share some of the same symptoms and struggles, we're all individuals who have different styles and preferences of how we learn and absorb information. So, I say go for it!!!!
Thanks so much for the support. I have about 24 years of trying to organize notes for my site Victory Infopublishing. I just decided my audience last year, people who, like me are beginners to ADHD, but a "little long in the tooth", who either have just been diagnosed with ADHD or who suspect they have it, and are waiting to be diagnosed with it.
I spent most of my life interested in things, but then just couldn't follow through, my mother accused me of being interested in something, but losing interest when I had to do actual work, but that's not really true. I had trouble organizing and maintaining motivation, and that's when I was on Ritalin (from the time I was 5 to when I was 24) because I was "hyperactive", they didn't start talking about ADD/ADHD until around the late 80's or '90's, by which time I had already graduated high school. I lost so many things, pairs of mittens, fidgeted with anything I couled get my hands on that I could recognize when I started looking into what my problem was because it started getting in the way of Victory Infopublishing. Like I would read my Kindle book, but flip from book to book, so believe me, I was my own audience.
I still have yet to figure out how to organize any kind of book, but I'm working on my website, now if I could just organize and get my posts done so that it doesn't take 6 months to finish a post, I'd be doing great. I do tend to drone on and on, but trying to keep things short, I'm started my website more times than I could count, and it's not fancy right now. But I want to get this started to actually get some posts done on WordPress and Facebook. I think I'm doing good there, I haven't even come up with a report to subscribe to my email newsletter yet; they call them "lead magnets", but if I could write an ebook... and publish it on Kindle, that might help, I guess.
I feel so overwhelmed, but trying to take things one bite at a time. It just takes so much out of me, and that's not even considering my sleep apnea in addition (diagnosed with that in Novemeber of last year, but I read that sleep apnea's co-morbid with ADHD in 1/3 of the cases, and of course my Cretinism (Congenital Hypothyroidism) and learning disability. I'm a total mess! But I can't quit Victory Infopublishing. I figure that any win for people with ADHD, isn't just success. It's a victory, because we have to fight for focus each and every day, and now with the ADHD prescription shortages, it's not fun! I believe it takes a community to fight for success, for victory. My "tagline is "Together, we can achieve the Victory Lifestyle", and I'm just starting to figure out what that Victory Lifestyle is supposed to look like, again for almost 24 years. Still, I continue, so your kind words and moral support is more than helpful. Thanks!
Have you ever tried writing out your thoughts, then asking an AI like ChatGPT to "say this same thing, but more concisely?" I would give it a try and see what you think of the results.
I'm writing out some of my thoughts now, actually along with what I had for general for Victory Infopublishing, and I'm just since November started trying out different prompts for ChatCPT over at Open AI, and also Copilot from Microsoft. I tend to wobble a bit with each one, I'm using the free version now because I'm broke, but I'm starting to make some headway.
Actually, making my thoughts more concise would really be a lifesaver and a time-saver. Thanks. I really want to help people, and start getting traffic. Might help with not just any posts, but also my About Page. I just drone on and on, so I'll start with that, lol. Thanks a million!
I hope it works for you. So many people seem to be using AI to write all their content for them and it ends up all sounding the same and devoid of any real substance. After a short time, you'll be able to tell when you read a blog post or article, that it was written entirely by a machine-learning program, so just remember to make it your own, then use the tool to help you format it better, but always be original.
I kind of expected to be like PLR (Private Label Rights), that is, you're expected to edit it for your branding because the best even human PLR writers/ghostwriters till they get to know you can do is write in a generic fashion. You're expected to edit it and the same for AI, so no big for me. Again, I appreciate the tips and tools. It *does* help. Have a great da y..👍😀
Isn't it ironic that those of us with ADHD tend to drone on and yet, that's the exact thing that makes us lose focus trying to listen to or read someone else doing the same? This is why I think these tools could help you get your message across. My father was the same way, his letters were like Joyce or Hemingway, he was brilliant, but they were all over the place. I wish he could have stuck around to play with it.
Oh, yeah, how well I know that. My husband and I used to write each other "novelettes" for letters, that were at least 12-40 pages long, because we had to address each point. This is before we were married, btw. I'm pretty sure he has some ADHD too, and neurodiversity does run in his family; he has a nephew on the autistic spectrum, though he's high functioning, and his dad might have been ADHD, but passed undiagnosed. I never met him, but when I talked on the phone with him, after realizing that he wasn't Rick, he seemed so sad. He had a lot of womanizing, issues, to say the least. Rick tends to stay at home most of the time, but I do see signs. We've been married almost 40 years now.
But back to the issue, our letters were not so much letters as books, like Earnest Hemmingway, but my writing was so bad, almost illegible because my pencil/pen was trying to keep up with my brain, and yeah, all over the place. I was taught typing for a year or two in the junior high, and then when I was in high school took 3 years of typing. It's more natural for me to type than it is to write longhand, and I hold my pen in a "death grip" which does hurt, but there you go.
My folks told me I coudn't write because my writing was too disorganized, but never gave me any help to focus on better writing. They didn't seem to mind the homework, but they didn't support my writing at all. I think they had issues or beliefs that said that handicapped children didn't do better than their families, so....issues.
I have two sites, but I'm just all over the place but am getting near the point where if I have to choose one or the other it's Victory Infopublishing because I want to get my life under control, and so am the most emotionally close to my ADHD though I have yet to be "officially" diagnosed. I'm in my 60's now, but I want my 60's and 70's to actually get somewhere other than on the "dole". Still finding some solutions.
I have a book called "Still Distracted After All These Years". It is written by Kathleen Nadeau who has ADHD. It is written in a format that is ADHD friendly. You can read it in small sections so it has less chance of being overwhelming. I am able to listen to the audio narration much easier than trying to read it cover to cover. It is specifically designed to be read by those of us who have ADHD.
I find it helps to read just the first line of each page - you get some wonderful non-sequiturs - it takes much less time to finish the book and I understand it just as well as I would if I read every word....
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