Did you know October is ADHD-awareness month?
Hooray!
A month all for us special brains! 🧠
And what better way to celebrate than by aiming our hyperfocus powers toward #ReadingAllTheBooks?
Or #ListeningToAllTheAudiobooks, if reading isn’t quite yr jam.
Not sure which Adult ADHD Books to start with though?
Don’t fret, cause like I noted on my About Page, this infonerd has you covered 😉
Over the next little while, I’m going to be making a series of posts, listing all my fave adult ADHD books broken down by category/niche. And today, I’m going back to basics. Starting at the beginning. Returning to source.
Meaning, today’s post is going to be a list of my top 10 fave classic adult adhd books.
Let’s go deep diving! 🤿
10 Classic Adult ADHD Books You Should Really Know About
1) Ari Tuckman – More Attention, Less Deficit – Success Stategies for Adults with ADHD (2009)
The only book on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD) written in a structure that caters to ADHD sufferers’ tendency to jump around, this essential guidebook begins with a detailed diagnosis of ADHD, reviews the history of the disorder and its symptoms, and provides clear, evidence-based treatments.
Revealing medications for controlling symptoms and exploring psychosocial skills that can help adults with ADHD better manage and organize their lives, the resource provides an extensive collection of practical strategies to overcome common struggles in the areas of self-esteem, work, relationships, friendships, parenting, and everyday life.
Click to learn more about Ari Tuckman.
2) Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Ratey – Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood (Orignal 1992, Updated 2011)
Through vivid stories and case histories of patients—both adults and children—Hallowell and Ratey explore the varied forms ADHD takes, from hyperactivity to daydreaming.
They dispel common myths, offer helpful coping tools, and give a thorough accounting of all treatment options as well as tips for dealing with a diagnosed child, partner, or family member.
But most importantly, they focus on the positives that can come with this “disorder”—including high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm.
Click to learn more about Edward (Ned) Hallowell & John Ratey.
3) Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Ratey – Delivered From Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder (Original 2005, Updated 2011)
In this new book, Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey build on the breakthroughs of Driven to Distraction to offer a comprehensive and entirely up-to-date guide to living a successful life with ADD.
As Hallowell and Ratey point out, “attention deficit disorder” is a highly misleading description of an intriguing kind of mind. Original, charismatic, energetic, often brilliant, people with ADD have extraordinary talents and gifts embedded in their highly charged but easily distracted minds.
Tailored expressly to ADD learning styles and attention spans, Delivered from Distraction provides accessible, engaging discussions of every aspect of the condition, from diagnosis to finding the proper treatment regime
4) Edward M. Hallowell & John J. Ratey – Answers to Distraction (Original 1995, Updated 2010)
Two experts respond to the most frequently asked questions about Attention Deficit Disorder.
After decades of being unfairly diagnosed, children and adults with ADD are now recognized as having a common and treatable neurological condition.
Drs. Hallowell and Ratey answer the questions most frequently asked at their nationwide workshops and seminars, resulting in an easy-to-read reference that covers every aspect of the disorder: from identifying symptoms and diagnosis, to the latest treatment options, as well as practical day-to-day advice on how you or a loved one can live a normal life with ADD.
5) Gabor Maté – Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder (2000)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) has remainded a controversial topic in recent years.
Whereas other books on the subject describe the condition as inherited, Dr. Maté believes that our social and emotional environments play a key role in both the cause of and cure for this condition.
In Scattered, he describes the painful realities of ADD/ADHD and its effect on children as well as on career and social paths in adults.
While acknowledging that genetics may indeed play a part in predisposing a person toward ADD/ADHD, Maté moves beyond that to focus on the things we can control: changes in environment, family dynamics, and parenting choices.
He draws heavily on his own experience with the disorder, as both an ADD sufferer and the parent of three diagnosed children.
Providing a thorough overview of ADD/ADHD and its treatments, Scattered Minds is essential and life-changing reading for the millions of ADD/ADHD sufferers in North America today.
Click to learn more about Gabor Maté.
6) Kate Kelly & Peggy Ramundo – You Mean I’m not Lazy, Crazy, or Stupid?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (Original 1995, updated 2006)
There is a great deal of literature about children with ADD.
But what do you do if you have ADD and aren’t a child anymore?
This indispensable reference—the first of its kind written for adults with ADD by adults with ADD—focuses on the experiences of adults, offering updated information, practical how-tos and moral support to help readers deal with ADD.
It also explains the diagnostic process that distinguishes ADD symptoms from normal lapses in memory, lack of concentration or impulsive behavior.
Click to learn more about Peggy Ramundo
*Note – Unfortunately Peggy’s co-author Kate Kelly died in 2012.
7) Lara Honos-Webb – The Gift of Adult ADHD:How to Transform Your Challenges and Build on Your Strengths (2008)
If you have attention deficit disorder (ADD), you may act impulsively, daydream, and have trouble focusing, but clinical studies suggest that these same symptoms may make you exceptionally creative, intuitive, and energetic.
In The Gift of Adult ADD…Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, this book shows you how to transform symptoms into strengths to improve your relationships, job performance, parenting skills, and overall quality of life.
You’ll also read inspiring stories of real people with ADD who have become successful in part because of their ability to meet the challenges of ADD and make the most of its gifts.
Click to learn more about Lara Honos-Webb.
8) Nancy Ratey – The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents (2008)
For the millions of adults diagnosed with ADHD The Disorganized Mind will provide expert guidance on what they can do to make the most of their lives.
The inattention, time-mismanagement, procrastination, impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty with transitions that often go hand-in-hand with ADHD can be overcome with the unique approach that Nancy Ratey brings to turning these behaviors around.
Click to learn more about Nancy Ratey.
9) Sari Solden – Women With Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Your Life (Original 1995, Updated 2012)
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder, psychotherapist Sari Solden’s, groundbreaking book, explains how every year, millions of withdrawn little girls and chronically overwhelmed women go undiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder because they don’t fit the stereotypical profile:
- they’re not fast-talking,
- hyperactive,
- or inattentive,
- and they are not male.
This pioneering book explores treatment and counseling options, and uses real-life case histories to examine the special challenges women with AD/HD face, such as the shame of not fulfilling societal expectations.
Solden explains that AD/HD affects just as many women as men, and often results in depression, disorganization, anxiety, and underachievement.
Click to learn more about Sari Solden.
10) Stephanie Sarkis – 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction and Accomplish Your Goals (Original 2006, Updated 2011)
Managing attention-deficit disorder (ADD) as an adult is a constant challenge.
You may notice that your mind sometimes wanders during conversations.
Maybe you keep misplacing your keys.
Or your ADD may be causing bigger problems in your life, making it difficult to keep in touch with friends and family and leading you to procrastinate on important projects.
10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD offers ten easy ways to better manage your symptoms and live better with ADD.
Written by noted author and acclaimed psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis, who has used these solutions to personally overcome her ADD symptoms, this concise and clear new edition offers the latest treatment information to help you sharpen your focus, improve your relationships, and manage your time and money.
Click to learn more about Stephanie Sarkis.
Which is your favourite?
Do you have a favourite adult adhd book from this list of classics?
Or is your fave classic book not on this list?
I’d love to hear what it is.
Either on Twitter or in the comments below.
P.S. Stay tuned for my next “best adult adhd books” post where I list my favourite hands-on ADHD workbooks.