Women with Attention Deficit Disorder 2nd (second) edition Text Only Paperback – October 1, 2012

The idea or diagnosis of ADD/ADHD can lead to paradoxical confusion, particularly for those who are hypo-active (opposite of hyperactive): whose brains can become so full of ideas, messages, etc. that they cannot get up, leave the house, or make a "simple" phone call. As a result, people with (or near) ADHD reject the diagnosis as an excuse rather than a medical condition.People who have ADHD are often extraordinarily bright, high achievers, even "miracle workers" among peers. Common companions to this level of achievement are monumental effort, inability to perform, and huge inconsistencies in application of skills.What people near an individual with ADHD rarely realize is how well that individual is hiding the tremendous time, effort, and inconsistencies behind their accomplishments. All the public sees is the "magic" the ADHD individual can work. What's hidden is the extreme opposite (the "dark side"): an inability to perform so pronounced that the person with ADHD herself cannot grasp a reliable self-image from the enormous range between the low and high sides of her performance. When she shares her difficulties or others learn of them, her peers often react in disbelief and even mockery of the idea that this extraordinary, highly intelligent person cannot manage an everyday task like clearing clutter, doing the dishes, or paying bills. People with ADHD make life-altering decisions in an effort to avoid the failure, discovery of, or mockery/disbelief from peers: they move, quit their jobs, change majors, quit school, pick up addictive habits (self-medicating) like heavy caffeine usage, and so on (Solden, 2008).Solden confirms that ADHD results in cognitive and psychological challenges, but it is a physical ailment that is medically identifiable via MRI (2008). More often, individuals are diagnosed through various psychological tests and questionnaires that are diagnostically sufficient but enable the patient to assume an ability (and failure) to control the symptoms of ADHD far beyond what is realistic. The result is that they blame and berate themselves for non or poor performance. "I need to try harder, get up earlier, start sooner, do better, wake up, stop doing this" or "I'm lazy, ungrateful, slovenly, undeserving, etc." Compounding this assumption is the ADHD person's sense of shame resulting from a history of parental, other authoritative, and internal messages admonishing messy desks or bedrooms, lateness, forgetfulness, etc. In a nutshell, the person with ADHD tends to blame himself and does not accept excuses for his shortcomings, attributing failure to character flaws rather than a breakdown in cognitive (specifically executive) functions in the physical brain (Solden, 2008). Because of this, the ADHD individual sees a diagnosis of ADHD as an "excuse" rather than a disease, resulting in delay of diagnostic clarification, treatment, and recovery.What Solden does extremely well is to identify the variety of manifestations one encounters in an individual with ADHD, their common sources, and pathways to recovery. She addresses the far lesser known and often misunderstood hypo-active individual, finally making sense of the individuals' tendency toward low activity, low stimulation, the feeling of paralysis, and the overwhelm that leads to the behavior.Yes, as another reader pointed out, the proofreading for this book was sorely neglected. It is more rife with unintentional grammatical errors than any mass-produced book I've read (that's a lot of books). Surprisingly, I did not find them annoying enough to detract from the reading experience: the content is powerful.If you have or know someone - male or female - with ADD, ADHD, or anything related, get this book ASAP.

At 65 years old I found myself less able to navigate the swelling seas of life anymore. Under the care of a psychiatrist for 20 years, my condition was wrongly diagnosed. None of medications worked. I forefitted decades of wellness while blaming myself when medication didn't unlock my scrambled behaviors. I suppose it was me that saved my own life by changing doctors. He could immediately see that I the reason why I was having so much trouble understanding or using behavior coping tools was because I had uncontrolled ADHD, not Bipolar Disoder. If you have had a late in life diagnosis of ADHD, the news might hit you hard; I was devastated. It felt like being bullied, and it left me feeling even more damaged. But, I feel much better now that I am taking appropriate medications. Ready to do research on my experiences, I chose this book about my ADHD condition. I am so grateful to Sari Solden for writing this book. She clearly explains this troubling condition, and has pulled back a curtain that exposes why I am not alone. She addesses many questions from misdiagnosis to why women tend to blame themselves for feeling like their lives are coming apart. I bought every other book Solden has written on this topic. Her delivery is clearly presented in a writing style that isn't cloaked in jargon. Also, chapters and specific topics are clearly titled so I am able to find information on issues fine tuned to me and go directly to them. Within minutes Idiscover information about issues and experiences that I had, and I was learning why they happen to me. I finally found answers as well as a clearer awareness of what truly is askew with me. I'm really encouraged, yet still a little bit devastated. Solden's books, however, surely provide empowerment. Please give this book a look. I still find nuggets and missing pieces of myself each time I look inside.