Information on ADHD please

[Anonymous]

Having been recently diagnosed and searching online and scanning libarys for any and all information on ADD.

Would some members please be so kind as to pass, on some information on various books that I can buy to get a better understanding. I have two atm, ADHD for dummies and ADHD effect on marrage by Milissa Orlov.

If any books have “stood” out from the rest for YOU please would you explain a little about THAT book for me.

Thank you for your support, time and patience

Pest x

Kent UK

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[Scattybird]

So far:

for general stuff and for helping with organising for ADDers as opposed to the usual organising tips that are meant for ‘normal’ folk I’d recommend – ADD-friendly ways to organise your life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau, Routledge. This was one of the first books I read and it was a revelation because it seemed to be aimed at me! I’d start with this one …but I haven’t read them all so just a suggestion.

For a good read and a book that ‘gives you permission to be what you are’ then I’d recommend – Odd one out, the mavericks guide to adult ADD’ by Jennifer Koretsky.

They are both aimed at adults (as opposed to children’s issues.)

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[Anonymous]

“ADD and its effects on Marriage” was the one book that hit home, I realized that both of us probably had it and that we were headed down a slippery slope if we continued undiagnosed and untreated.

I have read so many organizing books over the years that they don’t really resonate anymore with me. The only thing that’s working for me right now is to have a SHORT list of what I need to do, and to do only one thing on the list, nothing else, until that thing is done (mostly relates to commitments at work, but it is also useful at home). If I don’t do that, I’ll pick and choose and embellish and embroider the task and get nothing done that should be done, fall behind, and really be in trouble. It’s so boring to do the one thing that’s next on the task, but that’s how I am coping at the moment. I read the one Scattybird mentioned and it was good, but I have trouble implementing anything. No wonder I was such a lousy manager/supervisor. I cannot walk the talk.

Having said that “Getting Things Done” by Dave Allen is a good book too. I tried that for awhile, he has a flowchart for paperwork or emails that has you go through a simple decision process to decide what to do with it if it’s something that takes longer than 2 minutes. The problem is he advocates hanging on to stuff, which is a problem for us, everything goes into the someday/maybe pile and nothing goes into the trash pile!

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[Anonymous]

Dr. Gabor Maté has written two books. He is in a large symposium in B.C. in January related to Alternative Education.

The first, Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Disorder (published in the U.S. as Scattered) offers a groundbreaking and optimistic perspective on this much-misunderstood condition, seeing it not as a disease but as a problem of brain development in the context of a stressed society.

His second book, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress, is a passionately argued thesis that stress has a major role in the onset of most chronic diseases.

The other that I like is Russell Barkley, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD. and Hallowell, Driven to Distraction.

Only Barkley’s book is recent, 2010, the others are older. Hard to know what current data is being studied.

Having read several books and papers, ADHD almost seems to be centered in the U.S., no clue if that means anything.

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[kc5jck]

I liked these videos by Barkley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3d1SwUXMc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WroDEcG7tJc&feature=relmfu

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[Anonymous]

This list of 10 gift picks for an ADDer (by ADDer Zoe Kessler) comes from the psychcentral.com website – it includes some familiar books & names (my ADD psychiatrist is Dr Bilkey)

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/adhd-zoe/2011/12/zoes-top-10-gift-picks/

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[kc5jck]

@nodope I like the “Chick A D D” shirt and may get one of the books on the list to add (ADD?) to my ever growing pile.

Here’s an idea . . Cliff notes on all these books on and about ADD – – WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

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[Anonymous]

How is Dr. Bilkey ? I was reading his web site .. sounds like he could be helpful. I may spring for the long distance call to see.

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[Tiddler]

If you’re a woman, this one may be very useful. (I thought it was.) Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embracing Disorganisation at Home and in the Workplace by Sari Solden

Driven to Distraction was also useful.

The Dr Barkley youtube talks are very useful too.

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[billd]

There’s some good books – keeping in mind much of it is opinion, and thoughts based on their personal experiences, etc. Only those who study this for many many years can truly know the scope, the range, the impacts.

Driven to Distraction is available an an audio book online! I listened to just some of it, quite interesting.

I’ve lived with it for nearly 55 years. I have a son who has it, my mother has it, her father had it……… I spend nearly every waking hour and spare minute here and there studying it, learning about it. I’ve sort of made it a goal to know as much as is possible for one person to know and one day, would like to actually be an advocate and speak about it. It’s EXTREME in my case, even the docs have said it from beginning to end – yeah, you have it, not just have it, but are in the top percentile of effect. Even the sleep doctor said I made her confused and dizzy on my first visit with her. She said I was all over the map, like a kid on a high high.

I like Dr. Barkley’s videos and talks because I take it as a WHOLE, not just the snippets some folks see and take them out of context. Most don’t know where he’s coming from – I guess with the ADHD I have, I “get it” – I see where he’s going with it. He’s not doing what all too many folks, even a lot of ADD folks think. I get it. In fact, I’d do the same if I was him! That’s how I play the game – that’s how I get the attention and show the concern. I don’t pussy-foot around issues. I make them explode into view and show them in the worst possible light. It’s common among ADD folks in the extreme to do just that. In a lot of ways, I think the doc himself is fairly ADD.

there’s a lot of books, some availble here on this site – and I’ve listed some links I’ve found that help folks at work understand…..

About distractions, forgetting…….

http://thenewsouthwest.com/2010/addadhd-in-adults-can-cause-forgetfulness-distractions/

Meds eventually lose their effect, if they work at all……………(they won’t work for all people, and when they do, they often only work short term and you start all over again) This is a pretty good site in general.

http://www.womenwithadhd.com/forum/topics/medication-always-works-at

hyperfocus myth (multi-tasking and hyper-focusing are both myths in my opinion, and university studies pretty much prove multi-tasking is simply not possible for over 90% of the population.) It’s not really “hyperfocus” as much as the lack of ability to CHANGE or control the focus! You LOVE it, you have great interest, therefore, you can’t change FROM it. It’s not much of a choice as much as it is chemical. I’ve worked with a LOT of folks with a LOT of disabilities in my career (Voc Rehab, On With Life, Inc. and so on) and the misunderstandings, the incorrect info out there (as Rick points out in a couple of HIS videos) it’s amazing. It’s the MIS-information stupid highway, IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfkg0VWx3rM

Expert explanations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cw8jHUkHiA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xpEBE9VDWw

Rick Green – Canadian producer, comedian, and Patrick McKenna, also a Canadian comedian, out-takes from their documentary – (both are ADHD adults) this shows what I feel is aa typical ADD person and I point folks to this video if they want to understand what I go through and what it’s like. These guys are GREAT, I love ’em, and I watch and read almost everything they post here and other places.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeK4RE_dixc&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Rick in one of his snippets – I love watching this guys videos and explanations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTR7nu4nGxQ&feature=related

Examples of an ADD adult

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I87gQZwm1I

http://totallyadd.com/he-can-focus-when-he-wants-to

How things don’t get done ->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG1bC1Tz34Y

Comparisons:

Dogs without leashes,

Brain in channel surfing mode (“flipping channels”), someone else has the remote,

Lamborghini brain goes 180 mph, but equipped with Model T brakes,

Cool in a crisis – good in chaos, an ordinary day is totally exhausting and a struggle to get through – that’s me to a T!,

Knows the answer, can solve complex problems, but can’t explain the steps used to get there – that’s me!

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[Author]

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