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Summary: FABULOUS. I had two sad divorces, now one happy marriage
Review: This book was the clincher for what ailed me besides all the other stuff. Yes, I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, was an ACOA, incest survivor, negative thinker, etc...but after years of therapy, 12-steps, Unity, etc. etc. I was still suffering, and still acting bizzare in some ways. After reading this book cover to cover, finding a psychiatrist to give me Wellbutrin, my life started to work. Relationships had time to blossom and mature, and love finally stopped eluding me. I owe it all to this wonderful breakthrough book! I am devotedly holistic in my life, am a psychic/and spiritual healer professionally, and yet I find I STILL need medication to help my seratonin. I call it "glasses for the brain". On days I forget to take it, I am still in my jammies by noon. When I take it first thing in the morning, I am functioning effectively in 20 minutes flat. My gratitude to the authors and to the makers of Wellbutrin! The book helped me understand my self, my history, my behavior, my inconsistency, and the reasons I couldn't finish college or the dishes! Wheh! If you suspect you have this disorder, I urge you to get the book. Blessings, Linda Schiller-Hanna
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Summary: A heart wrenching , eye-opening emotionally powerful book!
Review: 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 !
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Summary: Know you're smart but think you're nuts? Then read this!
Review: 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!
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Summary: A TERRIFIC resource!
Review: "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy! " belongs on the bedside table of every ADDer and of every parent, spouse or teacher who is trying to understand the ADDers in their lives. It was cutting edge when it was written and its information is still right on target. As an ADDer, ADD Coach, and founder of a company that trains ADD Coaches, I not only recommend "Lazy/Crazy" to anyone who asks for an ADD book recommendation, it has been required reading for OFI's 18-month ADD Coach Training program since the first beta classes in 1994. (Kate joined us several years later and is now President of OFI; Peggy joined us in 1999 and now heads up OFI's Sliding-Scale Coaching Clinic -- all the more reason I can recommend this book WITHOUT reservation!) An extremely readable book, obviously written from an "insiders" viewpoint, this book made me feel understood and validated -- like great advice from good friends. When I stumbled across it on the "New Books" table at a large Manhattan Bookstore (before I had met either of these authors) I started reading immediately. It was almost an hour before I finally forced myself to close the book, pay for it, and take it home. My copy is well-worn and multi-colored from all the highlighting I do to focus my attention. DO take the time, as the authors advise, to carefully read the first chapter. Although it is a little "heavier" reading than the rest of the book, the ADD information it provides will prove well worth the concentration it may take to go through it. (Helpful Hint: If your dominant modality is visual you will either LOVE the graphics or hate them. For my clients in the latter group, a sticky-note covering the graphics allowed them to focus more easily on the text.) Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC -- founder & CEO of The Optimal Functioning Institute™
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Summary: Thank God--I thought it was just me!
Review: Finally, someone has written a book on this. For the longest I just thought I really had something mentally wrong with me, but after reading this, I don't feel like I'm the only one in the world that can't concentrate on things or that has trouble getting started. If only we (as a society) had known this stuff ten, twenty years ago when a lot of us were in school, we could have been saved a lot of heartache. And saved our parents and teachers a lot of suffering and frustration also. There are a few books out there now even on this and other types of "disorders." One that comes to mind is "The Curious Incident" which is told from the point of view of an autistic teenager. Another is "The Bark of the Dogwood" where the main character either suffers from DID, ADD, BPD, or Aspergers (or any combination thereof). But as far as self-helps, this one takes the cake. The good news is this: We now know what is "wrong" with us. The bad news? We now have to get others to believe it.
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Summary: my opinion
Review: the first one I read along with "driven by distraction".the fact that the authors have ADD too is kind of conforting.they tell about their long struggle to finding proper back up and treatment,It is written in a fun way with illustrations.After reading I finally took an appointment with a psy specialized an ADD ,just to be sure I was not self-diagnosing wrongly.
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Summary: A classic that I often recommend to newly diagnosed adults
Review: First, I want to start with the title: It is so reassuring and affirming. How many adults and older teens have thought this when they first realized that they had AD/HD? Even the illustrations have a humorous, comfy, reassuring feel.
This book deals with the every day practicalities of living with AD/HD. First, the authors reassure the reader that he or she is not bad or blameworthy. This is good, but then they go on to help the individual to take charge. Ultimately this leads to a new sense of empowerment and an enlightened sense of responsibility. The book deals with the often overlooked issues of scheduling, spirituality, adequate sleep and maintaining social supports.
My favorite chapter is the one on how to organize your workspace. This chapter is worth the price of the book. So often people waste time getting up and looking for the stapler or the stamps when a few organizational tips could give them less reason to get up and get distracted.
Best of all for this book: It also comes as an audiocassette!! I personally prefer the book because you can refer back to the individual chapters. If you are not a book reader, consider getting the cassette, and then buying the book so that you can refer to pertinent chapters.
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Summary: I wanted to love this book.
Review: Having recently been diagnosed with ADD i have been trying to learn as much as I can. I first read "Driven to Distraction" which really made me feel better and inspired me. As for "...Lazy, Stupid or Crazy" it really was all over the place. I think both of these women have great information to impart to the reader, but I also think they were trying too hard to be all things to all people. Half way through I found myself flipping pages and skimming. I think with better organization and some heavy editing, this book could be a great tool. As it is written now, it is a cluttered, difficult read.
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Summary: my opinion
Review: Oh my God what a book. I was shocked to learn that I have many abilites and not disabilites. I now have a positive outlook on ADD. This book has changed my life and I came back to Amazon to order 4 more for some of my freinds that struggle with ADD. I now can have my sons teachers read this and they will finnally understand my sons. I am so moved by this book and if you have ADD or know someone who does you should order this book today. I have read other ADD books but this is HANDS DOWN THE BEST EVER!!!
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Summary: Reading this aggrevated my ADD symptoms...
Review: This book is one of the first, if not the first book written specifically with the ADHD adult in mind. I received a copy of this book as a gift years before I was even diagnosed as being ADHD, and was reluctant to and possibly unable to read it at that time. So this book sat on various shelves for several years, until I was actually diagnosed. When I finally picked it up and began reading it again post diagnosis I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and could not for the life of me recall what had turned me off the book initially. It's another one of those books written for individuals with ADHD by people who work in the field, but also have ADHD themselves. This book begins with the typical what is ADHD (a la intro 101) but moves on to cover more interesting and practical ground. You Mean I'm Not Lazy Crazier Stupid is laid out in an ADHD friendly way that makes locating in retrieving information simple. The book is a mix of case studies, personal stories, useful advice, and lists out a wide variety of treatment options and approaches. If you are already well read on the topic of adult ADHD and are on a tight budget you might want a pass on this one, otherwise it's a good addition to any ADHD adult library. If you are newly diagnosed and are struggling with your ADHD symptoms this book is filled with useful tips and information that can help get you started on the road to better ADHD management. I almost forgot, another great thing about this book is that it's also available as an audio book, for those of you who prefer to listen then to read. I myself have both the hardcover and audiocassette versions of the book, and use them both regularly.
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