Adult ADD: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

New Harbinger Guides for the Newly Diagnosed

by Stephanie Sarkis, Patricia O. Quinn (Foreword)

You've just been diagnosed with ADD. Now what? After receiving a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD), you may feel relieved to finally have an explanation for your symptoms, but also concerned and full of questions about the future. Questions What are the best ways to get symptoms―such as impulsiveness and difficulty with time management―under control? Should you tell people at work? And, wait a minute, there can be good things about having ADD? In Adult A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed , an ADD specialist who has the disorder herself answers these questions and offers all the tools and information you need to process the diagnosis, learn about medications, and decide which treatments are the best options for you. This pocket guide also features a complete list of resources you can use to find support and tips for getting organized and living well with ADD.

Genres: Adhd, Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health

168 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Author of 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction and Accomplish Your Goals, Natural Relief for Adult ADHD: Complementary Strategies for Increasing Focus, Attention, and Motivation With or Without Medication, Adult ADD: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, Making the Grade with ADD: A Student's Guide to Succeeding in College with Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD and Your Money: A Guide to Personal Finance for Adults with Attention-Deficit Disorder.

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this to the newly diagnosed. It's out of date when it comes to the latest research, since it was published in 2012, but generally, I found it to be presumptive and a bit annoying. Everything is phrased as if *everyone* with adult ADHD behaves a certain way or has/had certain experiences, and no. We're all different, and I found it off-putting and a bit invalidating to read "you got bad grades in school" or "you're bad at social interactions" as if they're defining features of ADHD. Some people may have those experiences, but not all of us.

I wish it had focused more on the science behind it and listed possible behaviors or ways of thinking that often appear in ADHD rather than writing everything as if it's a universal experience.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously dated for using the term "ADD" instead of ADHD. I did learn a few things I didn't know, though:

1) There's a 75% chance at least one parent of ADHDers also have ADHD. (Ultimately lead to my diagnosis as a 30-something.)

2)ADHDers are more prone to teeth grinding and sleep apnea.

3)ADHDers have significantly lower levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. That is not cool.

4) Called something else, ADHD was first recognized in 1902.

5) I was reminded that exercise increases the dopamine levels the ADHD brain is lacking. This book suggests using that to your advantage by exercising first thing in the morning, therefore really preparing you for your day.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.
This is an ok introduction, but it's written at a very, VERY basic level, and I think quite a bit of the information is dated. For example, the section on diagnosis doesn't match my experience or the experiences of many of my friends. I'll be seeing if there's an updated edition or something more up-to-date that I can replace it with in my library; I like having a very simple guide available, but I'm not sure how helpful this one is.

[Umi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like half of this ‘guide for the newly-diagnosed’ is advice on getting a diagnosis and it’s very US-centric. The other stuff is actually helpful tho and I appreciated the brevity, at least partly because I checked this and like two others out from the library thinking I’d read them over the break before falling into an Animal Crossing coma instead and now they’re all due in like five days.

[Matthew McGinnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was having trouble falling asleep so after an hour of laying in bed I decided to read myself to sleep... I ended up reading this entire book which was really nice cause I learned a lot and am excited to continue attacking the challenges that arise in my newly realized journey with ADD! Also I'm glad I finally finished this after having it sitting on my bedside table for a month. I'm definitely gonna have to pay a late library fee haha #ADDsymptom

In terms of actually reviewing the book, the first half was more about the process of becoming diagnosed and receiving medication, both of which I have already been through. It was nice to take a moment to reflect on those times as I read about them, though I definitely took more from the second half, which is focused more on what life looks like with ADD.

Now time to go to bed haha

[madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

suuuuuper basic.

[QS · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not even sure where to begin with just how bad this book was. I'm going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume the research and terminology has changed since the writing of this book and my reading of it, because otherwise I just can't imagine how or why this woman is both a practicing counselor and on so many shows, but even with that the sheer amount of misinformation in this book is ridiculous.

I'm going to get the worst offender off my chest right here and now, because this was wildly irresponsible of Sarkis: Schedule II drugs (of which several medications used to treat ADD are classified as) are not "mildly" addicting; they the most addictive legal drugs available in the United States. The rates of addiction might be mild in comparison to, say, cocaine or heroin, but LSD and marijuana are actually LESS addictive than Schedule II medications are. (For that matter, LSD is barely addictive, and marijuana addiction is less severe, but that's neither here nor there.) To say amphetamines and their ilk are mildly addictive is to give people who are prescribed them a false sense of security, encouraging them to believe that an addiction couldn't possibly happen to them. /end rate

*deep breath* Okay, I feel better now. Sort of. Because, I'm sorry, but what is with the tone that this book is written in? Are all self-help books written like the authors believe their readership couldn't find its way out of a paper bag if that paper bag were imaginary? Because good god I wanted to throttle the author by the end of this book.

I also wanted to smack her at the end of the first chapter when there was a summary after something like seven pages. I'm not even kidding. The longest chapter is twenty-three pages largely using words of two syllables, and she thought summaries were necessary? Yeah, okay, I know people with ADD have trouble paying attention to things; I kind of figured that one out on my own, thanks. But some of us have a working short-term memory, and some of us even *gasp!* enjoy reading! Inconceivable! I've read five hundred page epic fantasies in one sitting. I do not need a summary every twenty pages, thanks. (And, yes, I know that my experience isn't equivalent to everyone else's experience and all that. But I know plenty of people with ADD who read, and I don't see them scrambling for summaries at the end of every chapter of their regular material. Why in the world should we need it for this thing? It's not like there's any difficult material in here. I read harder books in elementary school. I'm not exaggerating.)

Pretty much the only useful portion of this book was the recommended reading in the book, but guess what? It's only really useful if you're able to get access to academic journals on psychology, or already have a subscription to psychology magazines, or really feel like shelling out money for the DSM. Somehow I don't get the feeling that you do. (Oh, but don't forget to buy her other six demeaning self-help books on ADD! Written in language so infantile even your second grader will be able to explain your brain problems to you!)

...Maybe I should have given this one star.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book that I recommend to anybody looking for a primer in ADHD. Since it is concise, it is well suited to those with ADHD as well.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely meant for people JUST diagnosed/JUST realizing they might have ADHD. Easy read, super simple book, which is both a pro and a con.

I didn’t like how the author often wrote things as if EVERYONE with ADHD has the EXACT same experiences (ex: “When you were a kid, you didn’t have an off switch.”). ADHD has SUCH a wide variety of symptoms, two people’s experiences can be VASTLY different. So I didn’t like that she wrote it as if we all have the same exact experiences.

The book is probably outdated too, as it was published in 2011.

Had some good/interesting information though.

[joshua warson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great place to start.

It's funny to read in the book itself that I'm in the stage where I'm online and searching for material about ADHD and finding books to read! Also funny that before therapy and medication I would have never read this book let alone leave a review...

This is a great place to start! A reference guide for us, a written outline to guide us. Thank you DR. Stephanie Sarkis.

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening for those who have ADD or think they might have ADD. This helped me complete a research assignment for a college class and give a speech on the topic of ADD. This book really helped me learn more about myself and why I function the way I do.

[Mahdi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was usefull, but it is very long and have not give us informations or recipes as we expect a book , it was beter to be an article, not a book.

[Stephanie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice quick read to understand adult ADD

[Beata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good info, but mostly super basic stuff you'll find out if you just Google for a few minutes.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very, very surface level. There’s also a lot in here on diagnosis when it’s supposed to be a guide for the newly diagnosed.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally helpful as a therapist learning more about ADD to help my clients. Good beginner book.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated and super basic but a decent primer. Deducted a star because entire sections were copy and pasted from her other books on ADD/ADHD.

[Lexxie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, helpful, nothing mind blowing, but good!

[Dean Italiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book was a QUICK read. Good for ADD! It's also a great follow-up to "Scattered Minds: A New Look at the Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder" by Gabor Maté which goes into a lot of detail and case examples. "Adult ADD" outlines the basic things you need to know if you have just been diagnosed with ADD as an Adult. A pocket-book for diagnosis, treatments, options and meds, as well as how to celebrate the positives of ADD. Recommended if you don't have a lot of time.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read this after her other books, this felt like a simple regurgitation of information (although, this might of been her first book and I just read the, in reverse).

I suggest skipping this one and go to her other titles, which are also more informative.

[Avis F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a fair introduction to the disorder but somewhat outdated. you can learn most of this on the internet

[Debbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not helpful