Resources - ADHD Overview, Diagnosis, Treatment

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Books and Background

Delivered from Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D., 2005

This book provides an excellent overview of what ADHD is all about and how you can get the most out of life with ADHD. The authors use a "strengths-based" approach to dealing with ADHD and view it as "a way of being" rather than a "disorder." They provide concrete information about how to treat ADHD and the common issues that people with ADHD encounter. Driven to Distraction, written ten years earlier by the same authors, is still relevant today.

Journeys Through ADDulthood by Sari Solden, M.S., LMFT, 2002

There is a good deal of information available about tactics that can be used to organize oneself to accommodate ADHD. There is much less available about how to deal with the complex emotions of being a person with ADHD. Solden tackles the emotional side of ADHD and takes the reader through three journeys, or stages, that help people move beyond treatment to find new purpose and reshape their dreams. Read this book in addition to other ADHD resources.

More Attention, Less Deficit: Success Strategies for Adults with ADHD by Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA, 2009

This ADHD handbook is written in an even-toned, practical style and organized in discreet chapters, letting the reader choose what he or she wants to work on first. Thought the book is long, it tackles issues in short, succinct chapters, such as "Manage the Mail and Get the Bills Out on Time" and "Expectation Management: Promise Only What You Can Deliver" and "Is ADD an Excuse or an Explanation?" Chapters usually give explanations for what is going on, as well as specific tactics for overcoming the problem.

Note that Tuckman also provides good information about the effectiveness of various types of treatments.

You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! by Kate Kelly, Peggy Ramundo, 1993 (since updated)

This book is extremely well organized, and provides many useful ideas for how to manage ADHD successfully. It is a good complementary book to Delivered from Distraction for those who are just starting to learn about ADHD, going into different aspects than Delivered. The sections on coping strategies and turning ideas into action are particularly good.

The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents by Nancy A. Ratey, Ed.M, M.C.C., S.C.A.C., 2008

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in ADHD relationships is figuring out an effective way to change the patterns into which both partners have fallen. As a top ADHD coach, Ratey has developed strategies to make lasting change. She helps the reader understand why what he/she has been trying over the years may not have worked, and provides a wide array of alternative ideas to get started. She acknowledges that a large part of the issue is creating a structure that works for each individual, then sticking with it to maintain progress. Very helpful for any ADHD spouse who has truly decided it's time to make things better.

ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says by Russell A. Barkley, Kevin R. Murphy, Mariellen Fischer, 2008

This 500 page book, filled with graphs and charts, is for those who want a look into some of the research about adult ADHD. The authors go into great detail about their ideas - spending 50 pages, for example, on how they believe ADHD in adults should be diagnosed differently than in children, and the data analysis they used to reach their conclusions. Be prepared for lots of statistics, and many mentions of the word "disorder." This will tell you the unvarnished facts about ADHD. Written for very interested adults as well as researchers and practitioners.

One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir - Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD by Bryan Hutchinson

This book is a moving account of Bryan's difficult childhood and his struggle to find himself and thrive. It can provide a great platform for spouses with ADHD help their non-ADHD spouse understand better what they went through in childhood. It also makes a good support group discussion vehicle with this excellent discussion guide, put together by Bryan and counselor Sharon St. John.

Mental Health and Money: For Those Without Insurance, Try These Options by Laura L. Smith, Ph.D.

This article gives you some ideas about how to look for lower-cost treatment options. (link from here)

Film- ADD & Loving It

Take a peak at the trailer for this film, which was first broadcast on Canadian TV. The film is loads of fun and informative, as well.

ADHD & Exercise as Treatment

ADHD Treatment is Getting a Workout - USA Today article talks about the effects of exercise on focus. Yes, Kat Orlov is my daughter.

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey. Ratey, author of A User's Guide to the Brain and top psychopharmacolgist is truly an expert on the brain. This book's suggestions about how and why exercise improves focus and academic performance will shock you. You'll ask "why aren't we all doing this?"

ADHD & Organizing at Work

Handling today's onslaught of information and responsibilities is difficult for anyone, but those of us with ADHD have a particularly hard time. Coach Nancy Snell provides constructive tips on how to manage all this information - ON Paper! Smart Phone users - listen up! Read the tips here.

ADHD & Nutrition

Food for Thought - Nutrition and ADHD (PDF)

This article for the Hallowell Connections newsletter provides an overview of treating ADHD with nutrition.

Alternative Treatments

Lens Therapy overview by Rebecca Shafir of the Hallowell Center

pirHEG - An Effective Alternative Treatment for the Chronic Distraction of ADHD - by Rebecca Shafir of the Hallowell Center

Misdiagnoses

ADDitude Magazine archives have a number of articles about the misdiagnosis of ADHD and how to tell it apart from other problems, such as learning disorders, Aspberger's and executive function disorder. Here's one comparing ADHD and autism, search their archives for what you seek specifically.

Neuro-Physiological Explanations of ADHD

Three good lectures by Russell Barkley, PhD posted at the CADDAC website explain the neurological basis of ADHD.

Tools To Help Those with ADHD

This simple kitchen timer is easy to set to count down (or up) and will beep at 5 minutes, 3 minutes and 1 minute before your deadline, helping you think about disconnecting from a project you might be immersed in.

Websites about ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment

The following websites are just some that contain helpful information about ADHD and support for adult ADHD:

adultadhdbook.com - Ari Tuckman's site includes informative short videos about many aspects of ADHD

Drhallowell.com - Dr. Hallowell's site provides his ideas and opinions about ADHD

ScienceDaily.com - offers a news digest about the latest research in ADHD that you can subscribe to via RSS feed.

ADDcoach4u.com - Coach Pete Quily has amassed a large database of information. Particularly of interest - his information on international support groups and resources and his blog posts on the positives of ADHD

ADDresources.org - quite a bit of information on ADHD - some of it is available only to members ($45 at the time of writing).

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