BOOK REVIEWS

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem – Nathaniel Branden

Book review

Atough life and low dopamine make low self-esteem is fixed part of ADHD

Nathaniel Bradon is a practicing psychologist, in his best-seller he argues that self-esteem is an “indirect result” of what you do. Bradon systematically approaches improving self esteem by concentrating and performing exercises on the “Six Pillars of Self-Esteem”: Living Consciously, Self-Acceptance, Self-Responsibility, Self-Assertiveness, Living Purposefully and Personal Integrity. With ADHD self-esteem is often severely impacted by life experiences “being different” and by a low chemical response to reward – ADHD adults tend to feel less good about themselves due to low dopamine response to our own successes and perfectionist rumination on failures.

The strength of the book is in the sentence-completion exercises which take about fifteen minutes a day (there are year’s worth in the book). These gently bring about positive changes in your thinking and behavior, so you more aware of your values and desires and to be honest with yourself. The self awareness gained can really help you to start aligning your work, personal life and goals with who you really are, your strengths and what your really want. This rings true as a coach, I frequently observe the increased self-esteem that comes post-diagnosis as clients re-frame how they see themselves and their own different ADHD values, to life aligned with their personality. Six pillars has some valuable insights and exercises that can help with this change.

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ADHD Coach, Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis is an ADHD Coach, writer and founder of SimplyWellbeing. He has over ten thousand hours and fifteen years of experience in coaching ADHD executives, business professionals and creatives. His expertise with ADHD is personal, with decades of his own experience, bringing up an ADHD child, running a large support group and in coaching clients often for years He has published his writing via this website and has ADHD online courses in development. His business expertise comes from a twenty years career in software, from programming, through marketing, sales and running a few start-ups.

Further reading

ADHD at work
Great alternative to the 12-step programme for ADDicts
ADHD at work
Keep an optimistic outlook, calm mind and a realistic perspective, grounded advice from the Dalai Lama
ADHD at work
A mainly unbiased look at the problems from a mixed ADHD/non-ADHD marriage
ADHD at work
Vey personal perspective from a mum and her ADHD son
ADHD at work
The original, the brilliant book that kicked off the new field of positive psychology, the study of happiness
ADHD at work
The first ADHD auto-biography, lots to relate to
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