Books for Adults

"Cognition and ADHD"

with Psychiatrist, Dr Fonseca. At UCL on Thurs 24th May at 7pm.

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Books for Adults

ADHD Authors: disorder or difference?

I favour authors with ADD, examples include Edward Hallowell, Lynne Weiss and Thomm Hartmann, they give a balanced and positive perspective on ADD, Excellent non-ADD authors include Thomas Brown, Daniel Amen and Russell Barkley. All listed below are excellent with detailed research and insightful analysis of ADHD. Beware Barkley, quite negative perspectives.

Books on Adult ADHD

The follow up to "Driven to Distraction", in this new book, authors Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey (both ADD themselves) build on the sympathetic Driven to Distraction to offer a guide to "living a successful life with ADD". The book is tailored to ADD learning styles and provides accessible, engaging discussions of every aspect of the condition, from diagnosis to finding the proper treatment regime. With profiles of patients with ADD who have triumphed it is a great guide to "releasing the positive energy that all people with ADD hold inside"

A great book (not a great title - many people with ADD would argue they are seldom ever unfocussed!). Brown presents perhaps the clearest and most accurate model of the executive dysfunction model, broken down into six categories of (1) Organising, prioritizing and activating to work, (2) Focussing, sustaining and shifting attention to tasks, (3) Regulating alertness, sustaining and processing speed, (4) Managing frustration and regulating emotions, (5) Utilising working memory and accessing recall, and (6) Monitoring and self-regulating action.

Daniel Amen is at the forefront of a revolution in neuroscience and psychiatry, in using objective scientific methods to determine differences in the brain, as opposed to diagnosing from lists such as DSM III. Amen uses a nuclear imaging technique called "Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography" (SPECT) to observe differences in the brains of people with ADD. To date he has performed over 8,000 studies and has classified six distinct types of ADD, with different characteristics and requiring a different treatments.

Probably the most "argued over" theory on ADD, Thom Hartmann looks at ADD not as a disorder but he argues that ADD genes and people have served a vital purpose in society. Hartmann uses his “Hunter/Farmer” theory to put the strengths and challenges of ADD into perspective. ADD skills might have been better for hunting than the for more rule based and slow farming, these same skills would also incline people to create art, humour, to explore, to invent and to create new rules, new ideas, new businesses and new approaches.

For many ADD adults their primary challenge is not focus or planning but is pro- crastination, usually explained as due to perfectionism, fear of failure, inability to plan and avoidance of unstimulating tasks. However for many procrastination creates far deeper problems than a messy kitchen and incomplete tax returns. In this breakthrough book, Don Kerson M.D. ( psychotherapist and pharmacologist) argues that adults with ADD "get stuck" - unable to move forward in their lives, mired by depression, past trauma and an inability to imagine their future.

Out of the Fog is written by the chief of the Adult ADHD Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is a sympathetic and clearly written overview of ADD. Murphy gives lists for simplifying and improving life for the adult with ADD, using concrete examples of time management and organizational skills. Murphy who has ADD himself provides great insight into the world of the ADD adult and he discusses the stumbling blocks ADD creates in the pursuit of a education, career, relationships and a healthy family life.

This book is one of only a handful of books that I recommend to friends and coaching clients, as it aligns so closely with my philosophy of Understanding, Accepting and Embracing ADD. Jennifer Koretsky explores the ways in which ADD can be both challenging for adults who struggle to fit into a world that doesn't always fit them and also rewarding, offering remarkable advantages. Koretsky explores the 5 skills for managing ADD - from breaking the “cycle of overwhelm” to “taking control of space and time”, based upon her personal experiences and stories from her clients.

This book is based on the personal experiences of hundreds of people and recent breakthroughs in neuroscience. It is full of tips, strategies and personal stories about how to stay focused and on track, even when tasks are dull, tedious, and boring. Fidget to Focus is a short guide to keeping your brain engaged and focused. Science shows that is the overall level of stimulation to the brain is increased, even if on secondary tasks, then overall focus is increased. This book offers tools and techniques available to you at any time (workbook included!) to help with focus.

This book is an accessible, readable and useful summary NLP applied to ADD struggles. The mental exercises presented can be extremely effective at reducing the severity of their symptoms, although persistence may be required. Hartmann has an extremely engaging writing style, and persuades and engages the reader to take action in very effective manner, inspiring the reader to perform the exercises he outlines. Not always an easy task with ADD people! Hartmann's descriptions and exercises are attractive, practical and "real-world".

This book is about overcoming ADD Adult challenges. Solden, ADD herself, describes how her own absent-mindedness and disorganization have not prevented her from being a successful lecturer and counsellor. She describes the frustrations of four "example" people with ADD, who struggle with different challenges. Solden offers a three-step approach: focus on the brain, then on the self and finally on the "self in the world". Solden recommends seeking help from others for difficult or uninteresting tasks like paperwork or cleaning.

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ADHD Authors: disorder or difference?

Books on Adult ADHD

Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder: the Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults

Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program that Allows you to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD

Beyond ADD – Hunting for Reasons in the Past and Present

Getting Unstuck - Unravelling the Know of Depression, Attention and Trauma

Out of the Fog: Treatment Options and Coping Strategies for Adult ADD

Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD

Fidget to Focus: Outwit your Boredom, Sensory Strategies for Living with ADD

Healing ADD

Journeys through ADDulthood