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30th out of 35 books
—
14 voters
Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
Millions of children and adults tell themselves or are told by others to stop procrastinating, start concentrating, sit still, finish what they started, and get organized. But what appears to be a matter of self-discipline is for many a neurological problem. Now two doctors reveal the impact precise diagnosis and treatment can have.
Paperback, 319 pages
Published
March 2nd 1995
by Touchstone
(first published 1994)
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Still reading, but so far, it's been fantastic for me to recognize why my parents had such a difficult time with me. It's SO therapeutic to read accounts of how ADD(/ADHD) has affected others' lives--those who have it and those around them--and it's quite refreshing to discover the positive aspects of ADD, as well as what things help an ADD child/adult to thrive.
I've been given so many conflicting labels: helpful, defiant, cheerful, irritable, brilliant, stupid, patient, reactive, enthusiastic,...more
I've been given so many conflicting labels: helpful, defiant, cheerful, irritable, brilliant, stupid, patient, reactive, enthusiastic,...more
ADD is not what I thought it was.
I have a child who has been experiencing difficulty in many areas of her life, but the constant arguing (between me and her, and also between her and other family members) was what finally drove me to take her to a therapist. And to my surprise, the diagnosis was ADD, something not even on my radar, and which I was not convinced was even "real." So, she gave us recommended reading, and as Jon put it, ADD is not what we thought it was. This book has been very help...more
I have a child who has been experiencing difficulty in many areas of her life, but the constant arguing (between me and her, and also between her and other family members) was what finally drove me to take her to a therapist. And to my surprise, the diagnosis was ADD, something not even on my radar, and which I was not convinced was even "real." So, she gave us recommended reading, and as Jon put it, ADD is not what we thought it was. This book has been very help...more
This is one of the definitive books on ADD. My diagnosis came late in life (48) though I came to learn I'd lived with the condition all of my life.
This book, and the others in the series, helped me to recognize that I wasn't alone, that I needed meds as well as therapy, how to cope with my ADD and how to help my family and friends cope as well. It helped me recognize some of the feelings I had following diagnosis, some of the patterns I had fallen into and why.
I didn't love the entire book, bu...more
This book, and the others in the series, helped me to recognize that I wasn't alone, that I needed meds as well as therapy, how to cope with my ADD and how to help my family and friends cope as well. It helped me recognize some of the feelings I had following diagnosis, some of the patterns I had fallen into and why.
I didn't love the entire book, bu...more
I laughed. I cried. And this is the unexaggerated truth.
How crazy to read something that so perfectly relates your own narrative? Creepy almost. At times it was as though the author had secretly followed me around for forty years--recording various episodes of my life. Actually, this book was a rather intense experience for me.
Written from the perspective only a seasoned "insider" (the author himself has ADHD and is also a licensed therapist who has helped countless others with their "disorder...more
How crazy to read something that so perfectly relates your own narrative? Creepy almost. At times it was as though the author had secretly followed me around for forty years--recording various episodes of my life. Actually, this book was a rather intense experience for me.
Written from the perspective only a seasoned "insider" (the author himself has ADHD and is also a licensed therapist who has helped countless others with their "disorder...more
An interesting read. Turns out that Attention Deficit Disorder is widely misunderstood. (It isn't just for hyperactive kids after all...) In fact, the condition has a wide variety of symptoms: forgetfulness, impulsiveness, tendency to get distracted, inability to get organized, a strong desire/need for structure, a tendency to start projects without finishing them -- the flip side is that individuals with ADD tend to be imaginative, intelligent, and energetic. Of course, adults with un-diagnosed...more
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Although I have always joked with my students that I must be borderline ADD, I would never have diagnosed myself as actually suffering from the disorder. I even fostered a child with ADHD, diagnosed and medicated, such that I was aware of the problem, but never thought that I really had the condition. Even when I started reading Driven to Distraction, I was reading it to become more familiar with what someone else was going through (actually, what several people I know and care about were going...more
I was browsing in a thrift store and found this nice hardcover version of Ed Hallowell's book about childhood and adult ADD. For only a quarter! I had to be in town almost all day because two of my kids had things going on there so I read it in the car. Helpful and encouraging. It had a lot of stories about different people with different forms of ADD. When the book was written, little was known about adult ADD -- so this book was rather unusual in its case studies of adults who the author diagn...more
A good early book on ADD in children and adults.(A more recent book by the same authors, entitled Delivered from Distraction, may be the best current book on the subject). This book came out around the time ADD was starting to be better understood, and it contains a lot of interesting case studies illustrating some of the different forms of ADD and its subtypes, such as with or without hyperactivity. ADD has been described as paradoxical because of its many seemingly contradictory symptoms. For...more
This a great, first book for those diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and their families or support systems that are beginning to educate themselves about ADD. It conveys its message in comprehensible, non-jargon that provides several examples to illustrate the many symptoms and subtypes of ADD that exist. The author, who is a psychiatrist with ADD and treats those with it, not only delves into the initial symptoms of ADD like distractibility, disorginization, inattentiveness, impulsivity, etc., but also t...more
I was diagnosed as clinically depressed at the age of 18, suffered from bulimia for ten years, binged in secret even after I stopped purging because I couldn't seem to control the urges to eat to quiet my mind, and always suffered from anxiety no matter how much the doctor's upped my anti-depressants. I just figured I was broken.
I was never hyperactive but my mind never shut off. I always lost things the second I sat them down. Change and new things, no matter how simple, set me off an an anxiet...more
I was never hyperactive but my mind never shut off. I always lost things the second I sat them down. Change and new things, no matter how simple, set me off an an anxiet...more
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Mar 22, 2008
C
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with ADD or who loves one
Shelves:
psychology
great book for helping identify a family/personal history of ADD... i have struggled my whole life with some ADD issues, though i never knew why - until i read this book. it really opened my eyes and for the first time i felt like i had some real answers. i really like the lists of tips for dealing with a child/adult/partner with ADD. very helpful - highly recommend.
I had heard of ADD before but didn't know what it was, not exactly.
The one day, my boyfriend and I were passing by a rummage sale; he pointed to this book and asked, "Wasn't this the book you told me about before?" "No," I said, "I have never heard of this title" ... but thank goodness I was intrigued enough to read the back cover, and somehow, right then and there, I KNEW I had to read this.
That night, instead of spending hours being distracted on the internet or whatever, I snuggled into my b...more
The one day, my boyfriend and I were passing by a rummage sale; he pointed to this book and asked, "Wasn't this the book you told me about before?" "No," I said, "I have never heard of this title" ... but thank goodness I was intrigued enough to read the back cover, and somehow, right then and there, I KNEW I had to read this.
That night, instead of spending hours being distracted on the internet or whatever, I snuggled into my b...more
These books were recommended to me after I was finally diagnosed with ADD last month. And although I don't have problems with reading books I want to read, I do have problems with these two — I haven't read them yet (I'm referring to both Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction) even though I try very hard.
I bought them especially because I wanted to give them to my parents because even though I tried to explain to them why I do certain things, they don't seem to be convinced. But...more
I bought them especially because I wanted to give them to my parents because even though I tried to explain to them why I do certain things, they don't seem to be convinced. But...more
A review by Anthony T. RiggioDriven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood (Paperback)
This was a very enlightening book and a must read for students of psychology or for the instinctivly curious about ones self. I think down deep we are aware that we may have this syndrome in ourselves as well as in family members and it is an epiphany to see the condition put into words. It is an easy read in plainspeak without all the psycho b...more
This was a very enlightening book and a must read for students of psychology or for the instinctivly curious about ones self. I think down deep we are aware that we may have this syndrome in ourselves as well as in family members and it is an epiphany to see the condition put into words. It is an easy read in plainspeak without all the psycho b...more
A sense of underachievement, the frequent search for high stimulation, an intolerance for boredom, chronic procrastination, impatience, impulsiveness, restlessness, a tendency toward addictive behaviour – these are some of the suggested diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults.
Driven To Distraction is a highly readable, informative book for anyone who suspects they might have ADD or for those who have been diagnosed with ADD. It would also be invaluable to anyone parenting, l...more
Driven To Distraction is a highly readable, informative book for anyone who suspects they might have ADD or for those who have been diagnosed with ADD. It would also be invaluable to anyone parenting, l...more
I learned two things from this book: (1) That I probably don't have ADD, and (2) how to identify what symptoms of ADD look like. The latter lesson helped provide much more tolerance and understanding of ADD symptoms that I now see in a new light among friends and co-workers.
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If you start typing "ADD is" into Google the top search suggestions are "fake", "bullshit", "not real", and "a myth" so clearly there is still a long way to go towards removing the stigma around this disorder. I think the book is really good although it is important to note it was written in 94' and Hallowell has a newer book from 2005 called Delivered from Distraction which incorporates newer research. Whether or not you believe that various mental health issues are "real" I think is unfortunat...more
An excellent overview of ADD from one of the most respected specialists in the field--and who himself has ADD. The case studies he uses to illustrate are very well chosen, and though the end of the book drags a bit when the focus changes to the biology of ADD and the make-up of the various medications used to treat it, that takes nothing away from the overall excellence of the book. The only main thing to remember when reading this is that it was written in the mid-nineties; there is far greater...more
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A good, hands-on account of ADD written by two experts in the field. A couple points:
-written to be accessible to non-professionals; as the book stresses the importance of disseminating clear information, it would prove valuable
-the information is a bit dated; written while the DSM (clinical manual used by psychiatrists in diagnosing mental illness) III was in use, psychiatrists are now finishing the DSM V which adjusts the definition of ADD and does address some of the difficulties in diagnosin...more
-written to be accessible to non-professionals; as the book stresses the importance of disseminating clear information, it would prove valuable
-the information is a bit dated; written while the DSM (clinical manual used by psychiatrists in diagnosing mental illness) III was in use, psychiatrists are now finishing the DSM V which adjusts the definition of ADD and does address some of the difficulties in diagnosin...more
Excellent overview of learning differences as they relate to ADD. Much more positive perspective on a common challenge among men and women today. I really appreciate the author's honesty and strength based approach to managing the issues related to ADD and other learning differences. Teachers really, REALLY need to read this and start to think OUTSIDE the box in terms of teaching. Sad part is realizing this won't happen in my child's lifetime--it only happened once--in Kindergarten where he had...more
This I believe is the Bible of ADD and ADHD.
I'm a rebel, so I read it and decided all the research and findings were wrong. It's now 13 years later and I was right...that they were wrong...ABOUT MY SITUATION =) Some of the criteria is so vague and common that almost anyone could fall into the category of ADD/ADHD. This is not isolated to this author's findings, but that is just the plain old reality of this syndrome and it's diagnosis criteria (is it a syndrome? condition? maybe i should re-rea...more
I'm a rebel, so I read it and decided all the research and findings were wrong. It's now 13 years later and I was right...that they were wrong...ABOUT MY SITUATION =) Some of the criteria is so vague and common that almost anyone could fall into the category of ADD/ADHD. This is not isolated to this author's findings, but that is just the plain old reality of this syndrome and it's diagnosis criteria (is it a syndrome? condition? maybe i should re-rea...more
I found this book rather frustrating to read and it tended to upset me. I recognised a lot of the problems but found it rather lacking in detailed solutions.
Also, although it was written by a medical professional who has ADHD himself, it is not laid out in an ADHD-friendly way, but just like a regular book, with the normal long sections of uninterrupted text in every chapter, black on white. (The same author has written articles which appear online and which I have found easier to read.)
I was u...more
Also, although it was written by a medical professional who has ADHD himself, it is not laid out in an ADHD-friendly way, but just like a regular book, with the normal long sections of uninterrupted text in every chapter, black on white. (The same author has written articles which appear online and which I have found easier to read.)
I was u...more
The night that our then five-year-old son's therapist told us he had ADHD, she recommended I read as much as I could on the subject, as a well informed advocate is a much more effective advocate. This book was on her suggested reading list, and was the first one I started reading. Halfway through the first chapter, I called my husband at work and proclaimed, "I have ADD. I've had it my whole life and no one has ever realized it before."
That moment has changed my life. This book was the first ste...more
That moment has changed my life. This book was the first ste...more
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This book was a turning point for me in my life, I was diagnosed with A.D.D. way back in elementary school, but my parents at the time didn't think medication was a good option. As I developed and grew from childhood to adulthood I adapted and adjusted as best I could to the underlying ADD problem. The problem is, is that there is only so much you can do. After reading this book I came to the conclusion that I needed to finally go ahead as an adult and get officially diagnosed with Adult A.D.D....more
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If you have a.d.d or have a friend/family member/child with it this is a really helpful read. The chapters arent too long so its easy to read through. Personally I skipped the non relevant pages (the chapters on kids) and read the rest. It was really helpful but was a bit slanted towards pro-medication, something to consider if your anti-meds. I did get some very helpful (non-med) advice from it though, and some good info from it alltogether.
((fyi. im not a doctor/shrink/etc. just a 23yr old ADD...more
((fyi. im not a doctor/shrink/etc. just a 23yr old ADD...more
Apr 21, 2009
Annette
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Annette by:
Stephanie H.
Shelves:
5-star-non-fictional-favorites,
adhd
I really enjoyed this book, I am glad that I bought my own copy because I did underline, highlight, and write notes in the margins. It is filled with case studies which I know he includes because hopefully you find at least one that you can relate to personally... and I did!
These are the things that I found particularly helpful:
1) The Suggested Diagnostic Criteria For ADD in Adults (page 73)
2) The case study about Sarah on page 94 (because she was the one that I could relate to the most.)
3) The...more
These are the things that I found particularly helpful:
1) The Suggested Diagnostic Criteria For ADD in Adults (page 73)
2) The case study about Sarah on page 94 (because she was the one that I could relate to the most.)
3) The...more
Uhhh. A book with case studies. I know it is to make me go "Wow! I am not alone!" when really they make me think "Get on to the stuff that is about me!" (Maybe that's a sign of ADHD.) I spent the first 30 pages or so going "I am nothing like these people. I am so organized! I have never gotten below a B from kindergarten to college" And then I kept reading. ADHD manifests in so many ways. I started seeing myself in the emotional stuff. Oh God. It was really alarming. And impulsivity? I married a...more
Aug 27, 2007
Beneth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who procrastinate/struggle w/ completion
Shelves:
psychology-adhd
My first clue regarding ADD. This is the book to read to see if you have ADD. If every page has you saying, "oh my god, that is me," then you should probably go get tested for it. The popularity of this book I think has taken some of the stigma out of having ADD as an adult. Plus, by now, all the people who were diagnosed with ADD as kids are growing up, and, it's getting more clear that the symptoms don't just disappear. I love that the author continues to call it ADD (Attention Deficit Disorde...more
very informative and uplifting especially in page 142 :
"this person usually brings a special something to the family-special energies, special creativity, special humor. He or she usually livens up any gathering he attends, and even when he is disruptive, its usually exciting to have him around. He punctures bombast and does not tolerate fools. He is irreverent and does not afraid to speak his mind. He has a lot to give, and the family, more than any group of people, can help him reach his poten...more
"this person usually brings a special something to the family-special energies, special creativity, special humor. He or she usually livens up any gathering he attends, and even when he is disruptive, its usually exciting to have him around. He punctures bombast and does not tolerate fools. He is irreverent and does not afraid to speak his mind. He has a lot to give, and the family, more than any group of people, can help him reach his poten...more
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I've read a lot of books on ADD as a result of having a lot of family members including myself, my brother and my son having the disorder. IMO, this is the best book I have ever read about ADD and is a great resource for adults who suspect they may have it. After reading this the first time when it was originally published, I bought a copy for my son's school, a copy for my mother,and a copy for my brother. Since then, I have bought many other copies and given them to friends, educators, etc.
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Edward M. Hallowell is a child and adult psychiatrist who specialises in ADD/ADHD and who also has ADHD. He is the co-author of the book Delivered From Distraction. He also created The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, MA. He is a Harvard alumnus and has been on the faculty of Harvard Medical School since 1983. He received his medical degree from Tulane University Med...more
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“Keep those faces in mind, the little girls and boys in the early grades, all trusting the adults to show them the way, all eager and excited about life and what will come next, and then just follow those faces over time. Follow the face of a little girl who doesn't read very well and is told to try harder; who tends to daydream and is told she better pay attention; who talks out in class when she sees something fascinating, like a butterfly on the windowpane, and is told to leave the class and report to the principal; who forgets her homework and is told she will just never learn, will she; who writes a story rich in imagination and insight and is told her handwriting and spelling are atrocious; who asks for help and is told she should try harder herself before getting others to do her work for her; who begins to feel unhappy in school and is told that big girls try harder. This is the brutal process of the breaking of the spirit of a child. I can think of no more precious resource than the spirits of our children. Life necessarily breaks us all down somewhat, but to do it unnecessarily to our children in the name of educating them -- this is a tragedy. To take the joy of learning -- which one can see in any child experimenting with something new -- to take that joy and turn it into fear -- that is something we should never do.”
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“A streak of Puritanism runs deep within American society. Permissive and pioneering as we may be on the one hand, we are strict and conservative on the other. As much as we may be a country of mavericks and entrepreneurs, we are also a country of finger waggers and name-callers. As much as we may be a country of compassion for the underdog, we are also a country that believes in self-reliance.”
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