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Synopsis:

Offering straightforward, practical advice for taking control of the symptoms and minimizing the complications of adult ADD, this book explains the diagnostic process that distinguishes ADD symptoms from normal lapses in memory, lack of concentration, and impulsive behavior. 51 illustrations. Resource list. --This text refers to the paperback (reprint) edition of this title.

Authors Kelly and Ramundo, themselves ADD sufferers, offer the first friendly and practical guide to indentifying, understanding, and managing the dynamics of ADD in adults--a problem characterized by a short attention span, temper problems, impulsive behavior, and underachievement, which affects up to 20 percent of the population of the U.S. Line art.

Reader Comments
Bobbie McLean (bobbie@livingson.net) from Livingston, Texas...USA , 03/29/98, rating=10:
A heart wrenching , eye-opening emotionally powerful book!

This book was a lightning bolt of reality and self daignosis for me. I found my entire family buried within the pages of it and never even knew we belonged there !! My Grandson was diagnosed with ADHD. Until that moment I thought it just mean " an out-of-control child" that needed something called Ritalin. My family had its history of dysfunctions and we had all grown to accept that as the skeletons in our closet! But then the pages and phrases began to leap out at me and I saw one member after another member of my family in those examples!

It was so simple and yet so complex as I read the pages way up into the night, unable to close the book. My dirty laundry was being exposed to me and I was not at all prepared to handle it. But with dignity and grace the authors nursed me through the acceptance of the disease and into the healing phases of it! Attacking the disease with fervor it became alive in those pages and seemed to be my life flashing before me in the characters of my Daughter who had been incorrectly diagnosed with manic depression, my Mother who we swore was a Schizophrenic , my sister who just had rages of unexplained anger , and myself who got marks left on my legs from the belt after many report cards with bad conduct grades.

The words of my Father echoed in my brain " You may not be a genius , but you can damn sure keep your big mouth shut and sit still in class!". Time after time my good intentions turned into the same bad conduct grades and I could never stop the cycle. Time after time I prayed for help to stop the behavior problems and I just couldn't. Then the pages of this book began to give me hope that the constant hyper-movements of my body were not just me , there was a genetic cause for those tendencies and there were ways to combat the dysfunctional behavior as well ! By the time I had completed this book , I felt new courage and a kinship with the authors to make the disease work for me and no longer allow it to work against me.

My desire to write children's books and poetry , my hopes to complete tasks that had been preciously left unfinished , and my desire to accomplish goals...they had all resurfaced! . They were accompanied with a new respect for myself. No longer would I fear failure, the only failure would be the failure to try ! Now when I see a screaming disobedient child in the grocery store I am no longer tempted to tell the Mother off, just to tell the Mother that there may be help for them both ! It is easy to recommend a book that so eloquently allows one to see their own faults and begin to deal with them at last! Now I realize that frantic Mother may have disciplined that child much more than hundreds of other Mothers , but it just would not work with an ADHD victim.

It would never be wasted time for anyone to read this book as there will always be times in life when one may run into a child with similiar problems, or an adult. And what a gift to pass on the information contained herein! It may change many lives, many futures, for the better. What a wonderful way to contribute to our world !

Balance Check, 02/03/98, rating=10:
One of the best!

When I read this book I almost fell off my chair laughing - and crying - out of self-recognition. Excellent insight into ADD with tips for managing life. Written by two women who are ADD and who work with people who are ADD. The title says what many of us feel upon learning what ADD really is. Very down-to-earth. Easy to read and well-organized!

buckley@4u.net , 01/05/97, rating=10:
Know you're smart but think you're nuts? Then read this!

I first bought this book strictly because of it's title. Having spent 45 years feeling crazy & stupid and being accused of laziness most of my life, I decided this book was for me. I didn't realize how very right I was! When I started to read I realized I was reading about myself. I identified with many of the descriptions of ADD from childhood through to adulthood. It was incredible to learn I was not alone in my daily frustration. This wonderful, informative book started me on a road of self-discovery. I was subsequently tested and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. The authors describe this "disability" as an "ADD-ed dimension" and they are so right!

I now have self-esteem and self pride. My intelligence has been tested and verified .. I'm not lazy, crazy or stupid and I thank the authors of this book for that discovery. This book has changed my life. I can now read a page without losing my place. I don't forget what I'm saying or lose things as often. I have learned that I am one of many who use an additional area of my brain & must therefore learn to "process things differently". I no longer feel timid, ashamed, afraid or just plain different. I can now accept and like myself for the first time in my life.

This book is written in a very "easy-reading" style. There is a wonderful blending of research facts and referenced stories and quips. As an adult diagnosed with ADD at the age of 45, I can attest to the value of this book. I highly recommend "You mean I'm not lazy, stupid or crazy" to anyone who has ever felt they were!

 

Table of Contents

1. From the Porch to the Printed Page: A Reader's Guide to Understanding This Book
2. Understanding the Disorder That Makes Us Feel Lazy, Stupid or Crazy
3. The Impact of Growing Up With ADD
4. How Are We Different
5. The Not So Fine Art of Coping
6. I KNOW . . . I THINK . . . I HAVE ADD: WHAT DO I DO NOW?
7. About Balance, Toyotas, Porsches, Circus High Wires, and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
8. Interfacing In Action: Groups and Friendships
9. Interfacing In Action: Getting Along on the Job
10. Interfacing In Action: In The Dating Game and The Family
11. From Mealtime Mania to Outing Ordeals: How-To's of Decreasing Discord
12. Principles of Government: Family Style
13. Dynamics of ADD in Organization: Mechanics and Methods
14. Dynamics of ADD in Memory: Mechanics and Methods
15. Crutches, Ladders and the Decision to Seek Professional Help
16. Medicine and Medicine Management
17. Therapy and More Therapy
18. From Obstacle to Opportunity

Epilogue: Imagine a World Without ADD
References
Appendix A: Suggested Reading List
Appendix B: Resource List

 

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