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The ADHD Advantage: What You Thought Was a Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest Strength
The New York Times –bestselling author of Better Than Normal , esteemed psychiatrist Dale Archer, M.D., reveals how ADHD might be the key to your success.
For decades, in the United States and in countries around the world, physicians delivered the diagnosis of ADHD to patients as bad news and warned them about a lifelong struggle of managing symptoms. But The ADHD Advantage explodes this outlook, arguing that some of the most highly successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and entertainers have reached the pinnacle of success not in spite of their ADHD but because of it.
People with ADHD are restless, endlessly curious, often adventurous, willing to take smart risks, and unusually resilient, and their ranks include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time. Sharing the stories of highly successful people with ADHD, Archer offers a vitally important and inspiring new way to recognize ADHD traits in oneself or in one’s loved ones and then leverage them to great advantage. Readers will learn to harness mental energy for greater creativity, embrace multitasking, and build a path to great success—without medication. As someone who not only has ADHD himself but has never used medication to treat it, Dr. Archer understands the condition from a unique professional and personal standpoint. Armed with new science and research, and his own personal experience, he teaches readers to embrace their natural strengths and innate potential.
For decades, in the United States and in countries around the world, physicians delivered the diagnosis of ADHD to patients as bad news and warned them about a lifelong struggle of managing symptoms. But The ADHD Advantage explodes this outlook, arguing that some of the most highly successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and entertainers have reached the pinnacle of success not in spite of their ADHD but because of it.
People with ADHD are restless, endlessly curious, often adventurous, willing to take smart risks, and unusually resilient, and their ranks include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time. Sharing the stories of highly successful people with ADHD, Archer offers a vitally important and inspiring new way to recognize ADHD traits in oneself or in one’s loved ones and then leverage them to great advantage. Readers will learn to harness mental energy for greater creativity, embrace multitasking, and build a path to great success—without medication. As someone who not only has ADHD himself but has never used medication to treat it, Dr. Archer understands the condition from a unique professional and personal standpoint. Armed with new science and research, and his own personal experience, he teaches readers to embrace their natural strengths and innate potential.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2015
346 people are currently reading
2511 people want to read
About the author
Dale Archer
7 books20 followersDr. Dale Archer is a Medical Doctor, board-certified Psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association who has helped thousands of patients in his private practice for more than two decades.
Dr. Archer was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Tulane Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa, he received his BA in Philosophy with honors, and continued at Tulane where he received his M.D. from the School of Medicine. Dr. Archer attended The University of Texas in San Antonio for his internship in Internal Medicine and while there found his calling and completed his Residency in Psychiatry.
In 1988, he founded The Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a clinic which now staffs 6 psychiatrists and multiple psychologists, therapists and nurse practitioners, who all treat a wide variety of mental health issues. Dr. Archer considers himself a 'General Psychiatrist' and feels that the vast specialization that has occurred within the field misses the point that all human behavior is connected and that to treat one problem without assessing all aspects of the individual has only a limited chance for success. He coined the term ‘continuum theory of mental illness’ which states that psychiatric diagnoses don’t come with an on-off switch, where off is normal and on is, you have a mental illness. Rather, these traits occur on a continuum from 1 (none of the trait) to 10 (super dominant trait) and this will dictate whether treatment is needed and to what degree.
He has had a private psychiatric practice for over twenty years, served as the medical director at various times for adolescent, adult and geriatric inpatient units, worked as a prison psychiatrist, served as an expert witness in many criminal court cases and was the corporate medical director for a 20 facility Addiction treatment group.
He is now the Medical Director for psychiatric services at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and is the psychiatric consultant for the SW Louisiana Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program which trains police officers in how to recognize and deal with mental illness. Recently he was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Louisiana Medical Advisory Board.
Dr. Archer is a media veteran with over two decades of experience. He started a weekly mental illness news segment at the Lake Charles NBC affiliate in 1988. He has had three successful radio shows, including the very popular call-in show "Taking Charge with Dr. Dale Archer” and a regional and internet based TV talk show, "The Dr. Dale Archer Show". He has appeared on most of the top national news shows talking about various psychological issues related to current events.
Dr. Archer has authored several articles, as well as the book Chemical Imbalance Depression. He currently writes "Taking Charge”, an advice column now syndicated nationally in numerous magazines and newspapers. His new book, a NY Times Best Seller Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional (Random House), will redefine our perceptions of what REALLY constitutes a mental illness
In January 2009, he launched DrDaleArcher.com a free, internet-based psychological advice and blog website that combines common sense guidance and medical expertise.
He now splits his time between Louisiana and New York City and continues to pursue his two primary missions: Dispensing free advice online to those in need and dispelling the myths and stigmas that surround mental illness.
from http://drdalearcher.com/about
Dr. Archer was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Tulane Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa, he received his BA in Philosophy with honors, and continued at Tulane where he received his M.D. from the School of Medicine. Dr. Archer attended The University of Texas in San Antonio for his internship in Internal Medicine and while there found his calling and completed his Residency in Psychiatry.
In 1988, he founded The Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a clinic which now staffs 6 psychiatrists and multiple psychologists, therapists and nurse practitioners, who all treat a wide variety of mental health issues. Dr. Archer considers himself a 'General Psychiatrist' and feels that the vast specialization that has occurred within the field misses the point that all human behavior is connected and that to treat one problem without assessing all aspects of the individual has only a limited chance for success. He coined the term ‘continuum theory of mental illness’ which states that psychiatric diagnoses don’t come with an on-off switch, where off is normal and on is, you have a mental illness. Rather, these traits occur on a continuum from 1 (none of the trait) to 10 (super dominant trait) and this will dictate whether treatment is needed and to what degree.
He has had a private psychiatric practice for over twenty years, served as the medical director at various times for adolescent, adult and geriatric inpatient units, worked as a prison psychiatrist, served as an expert witness in many criminal court cases and was the corporate medical director for a 20 facility Addiction treatment group.
He is now the Medical Director for psychiatric services at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and is the psychiatric consultant for the SW Louisiana Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program which trains police officers in how to recognize and deal with mental illness. Recently he was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Louisiana Medical Advisory Board.
Dr. Archer is a media veteran with over two decades of experience. He started a weekly mental illness news segment at the Lake Charles NBC affiliate in 1988. He has had three successful radio shows, including the very popular call-in show "Taking Charge with Dr. Dale Archer” and a regional and internet based TV talk show, "The Dr. Dale Archer Show". He has appeared on most of the top national news shows talking about various psychological issues related to current events.
Dr. Archer has authored several articles, as well as the book Chemical Imbalance Depression. He currently writes "Taking Charge”, an advice column now syndicated nationally in numerous magazines and newspapers. His new book, a NY Times Best Seller Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional (Random House), will redefine our perceptions of what REALLY constitutes a mental illness
In January 2009, he launched DrDaleArcher.com a free, internet-based psychological advice and blog website that combines common sense guidance and medical expertise.
He now splits his time between Louisiana and New York City and continues to pursue his two primary missions: Dispensing free advice online to those in need and dispelling the myths and stigmas that surround mental illness.
from http://drdalearcher.com/about
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
August 1, 2015
This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.
As a reviewer of multiple ADHD books, I was eager to see what this author had to say.
Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The book seems to be padded with lots of stories about those “lucky” enough to have ADHD and had the ability to spend time traveling around the world and failing at multiple jobs before finding the “right” place for them. Not everyone has the money or the support to do this. That is not how the average person with ADHD lives. Moreover, that solution could have been illustrated with a few stories, not over and over again in each chapter. At some point, it goes from inspiring to overkill.
Archer is a big proponent of no drugs for ADHD’ers. I agree that children should be evaluated carefully and not just have pills thrown at them, but the idea of everyone not needing medication is absurd. The author has a series of questions that determine where you are on the ADHD scale, and claims that anyone that is an 8 or lower (out of 10) does not need medication. I feel that would make for a lot of frustrated people.
He also postulates that ADHD’ers are resilient and can deal with failure well, because their constant failure makes them stronger. I can also tell you that is patently untrue, as I live with an ADHD’er and his failures just make him depressed.
If you are a person with lots of money and a personal assistant to take care of the minutiae of daily living, then you will agree with what Archer has to say.
Otherwise–pass this one up, take your meds, and get on with your life.
As a reviewer of multiple ADHD books, I was eager to see what this author had to say.
Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The book seems to be padded with lots of stories about those “lucky” enough to have ADHD and had the ability to spend time traveling around the world and failing at multiple jobs before finding the “right” place for them. Not everyone has the money or the support to do this. That is not how the average person with ADHD lives. Moreover, that solution could have been illustrated with a few stories, not over and over again in each chapter. At some point, it goes from inspiring to overkill.
Archer is a big proponent of no drugs for ADHD’ers. I agree that children should be evaluated carefully and not just have pills thrown at them, but the idea of everyone not needing medication is absurd. The author has a series of questions that determine where you are on the ADHD scale, and claims that anyone that is an 8 or lower (out of 10) does not need medication. I feel that would make for a lot of frustrated people.
He also postulates that ADHD’ers are resilient and can deal with failure well, because their constant failure makes them stronger. I can also tell you that is patently untrue, as I live with an ADHD’er and his failures just make him depressed.
If you are a person with lots of money and a personal assistant to take care of the minutiae of daily living, then you will agree with what Archer has to say.
Otherwise–pass this one up, take your meds, and get on with your life.
July 19, 2018
I mostly agree with The ADHD Advantage, but I'd be hesitant to recommend it to parents.
Archer writes that ADHD is being overdiagnosed in this country and that far too many children are being medicated for it. He blames Big Pharma, overworked teachers, and stressed-out parents. ADHD, he writes, "exists along a continuum, on a scale from 1 to 10, and only a few with the diagnosis have symptoms that are severe enough to merit the highest ratings of 9, 10 or 10+ and hence require medication as a last resort -- not first." Fair enough.
Archer proposes a number of non-pharmacological strategies to help students with ADHD -- for example, teaching them in short increments, employing multimodal teaching strategies, providing regular exercise breaks, allowing such children to study with music playing in the background. Again, all good stuff.
And I appreciate his emphasis that ADHD symptoms can in fact be a tremendous strength. "Flip [these symptoms] around," he writes, "and you have the following: an ability to multitask; a propensity to thrive in situations of chaos; creative, nonlinear thinking; an adventurous spirit; a capacity for hyperfocus on something that fascinates you; resilience; high energy; a willingness to take calculated risks; and calmness under pressure." Archer spends large chunks of the book describing how many successful individuals have thrived, not in spite of these symptoms, but because of them.
Big Pharma, Archer believes, has pushed the pendulum too far, and he's simply trying to move it back to the middle. The problem is that in many circles, the pendulum has already been pushed back too far the opposite direction. I've run into parents who refuse to acknowledge that their children have "learning disabilities," opting instead for the term "learning differences." Such individuals are so fearful that "society" is attempting to conform their little ones to its own standards of normality that they refuse to see that for most people having ADHD absolutely sucks.
Archer writes that "for most, all it takes is awareness and a few simple adjustments to leverage [ADHD] into your greatest strength." But learning how to channel one's ADHD is not an easy task, and even if one figures out how to do this, considerable challenges remain. Russell Barkley notes in Managing ADHD in Schools that over 90 percent of children with ADHD "will experience classroom behavioral and emotional problems, poor relationship problems in the school, low academic achievement" and that such children are significantly less likely to grade from high school and earn a college degree.
In the right hands, The ADHD Advantage can be encouraging and helpful. But parents unwilling to take off their rose-colored glasses will unfortunately use this book to further distort their thinking, which will in turn harm their children.
Archer writes that ADHD is being overdiagnosed in this country and that far too many children are being medicated for it. He blames Big Pharma, overworked teachers, and stressed-out parents. ADHD, he writes, "exists along a continuum, on a scale from 1 to 10, and only a few with the diagnosis have symptoms that are severe enough to merit the highest ratings of 9, 10 or 10+ and hence require medication as a last resort -- not first." Fair enough.
Archer proposes a number of non-pharmacological strategies to help students with ADHD -- for example, teaching them in short increments, employing multimodal teaching strategies, providing regular exercise breaks, allowing such children to study with music playing in the background. Again, all good stuff.
And I appreciate his emphasis that ADHD symptoms can in fact be a tremendous strength. "Flip [these symptoms] around," he writes, "and you have the following: an ability to multitask; a propensity to thrive in situations of chaos; creative, nonlinear thinking; an adventurous spirit; a capacity for hyperfocus on something that fascinates you; resilience; high energy; a willingness to take calculated risks; and calmness under pressure." Archer spends large chunks of the book describing how many successful individuals have thrived, not in spite of these symptoms, but because of them.
Big Pharma, Archer believes, has pushed the pendulum too far, and he's simply trying to move it back to the middle. The problem is that in many circles, the pendulum has already been pushed back too far the opposite direction. I've run into parents who refuse to acknowledge that their children have "learning disabilities," opting instead for the term "learning differences." Such individuals are so fearful that "society" is attempting to conform their little ones to its own standards of normality that they refuse to see that for most people having ADHD absolutely sucks.
Archer writes that "for most, all it takes is awareness and a few simple adjustments to leverage [ADHD] into your greatest strength." But learning how to channel one's ADHD is not an easy task, and even if one figures out how to do this, considerable challenges remain. Russell Barkley notes in Managing ADHD in Schools that over 90 percent of children with ADHD "will experience classroom behavioral and emotional problems, poor relationship problems in the school, low academic achievement" and that such children are significantly less likely to grade from high school and earn a college degree.
In the right hands, The ADHD Advantage can be encouraging and helpful. But parents unwilling to take off their rose-colored glasses will unfortunately use this book to further distort their thinking, which will in turn harm their children.
February 5, 2020
Far fewer examples of women with adhd than men, weirdly gendered language when discussing the traits of women with adhd; where language of male examples is extremely positive, when listing traits of women the author suddenly becomes weirdly negative, saying they're "perfectionistic, nosy, gossips". If you removed the misogyny, you could say that women with adhd are idealistic, curious, inquisitive (which is basically how the men in the book are described)
Overwhelming emphasis on examples that fit the ADHD stereotypes (male, extroverted, extremely hyperactive), excluding other types. Very good to see someone focusing on the positives of adhd but talking about ONLY the positives overlooks the real and painful experiences of those with this brain type. I don't think the examples of how to turn it into an advantage are particularly strong, either. A good premise but a thin one and feels like half of a book.
Overwhelming emphasis on examples that fit the ADHD stereotypes (male, extroverted, extremely hyperactive), excluding other types. Very good to see someone focusing on the positives of adhd but talking about ONLY the positives overlooks the real and painful experiences of those with this brain type. I don't think the examples of how to turn it into an advantage are particularly strong, either. A good premise but a thin one and feels like half of a book.
July 13, 2015
What and eye opening book I dove into. I'm amazed at the advantages that I always thought were downfalls/failures in myself. I went through school being told to "sit still, just focus, try harder, pay attention" and then after a while I became the one that was deemed hopeless. I had teachers who gave up never gave me an attentive and left me with a low self esteem with their hurtful judgements. I grew up found out I was actually intelligent, just not their fit in the box version. I was an octagon in a square system. I was drugged, and felt like a zombie, after a month I refused to take them anymore.I wish this book had been published when I was a kid and needed some answers on why I couldn't do what they wanted no matter how hard I tried. Sad stories are common, but success stories are rarely told, and options for new directions that don't take away from the glorious being with a bit more energy then "they" are comfortable with.
The author delves in all aspects of the ADHD life from early education, relationships, work, medical care, prescriptions, timed lessons, diet, extreme focusing, and weaknesses. He talks with many successful people who have been living with this difference and how it helped them when they learned how to use it's benefits. Many ADHD's are entrepreneurs, interesting. He also brings knowledge from other experts in the field and they share their findings. He is not anti medication, he is medication as a last resort doctor. He wants all resources to be exhausted before the drugs come out and dim the light of the bright person being treated. I really appreciated his honesty on the lack of knowledge that most doctors have on this "disorder" and the tests inability to judge correctly leading to too many kids and adults getting drugged into common. I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone with ADHD or their loved ones. If educators and medical professionals would read it FANTASTIC.
This book was an emotional roller-coaster. I went back to my school days, to uncomfortable social situations where I was to sit and be good. I was kicked out of church at 3 for crawling under the pews. I could not sit still, not I didn't want to sit still. I teared up, got goose bumps, cheered for "my team" and felt vindicated. I saw myself, saw my experiences in others stories. Knowledge is a wonderful thing when it opens up a new window for you. This book opened many windows and offered me comfort for past wounds that never really faded all the way. I do love being an out of the box thinker and learner, and am proud to understand it all a bit better. Yes, I am also an entrepreneur and have been all my adult life except for a 2 month job when I was a teen.
The author delves in all aspects of the ADHD life from early education, relationships, work, medical care, prescriptions, timed lessons, diet, extreme focusing, and weaknesses. He talks with many successful people who have been living with this difference and how it helped them when they learned how to use it's benefits. Many ADHD's are entrepreneurs, interesting. He also brings knowledge from other experts in the field and they share their findings. He is not anti medication, he is medication as a last resort doctor. He wants all resources to be exhausted before the drugs come out and dim the light of the bright person being treated. I really appreciated his honesty on the lack of knowledge that most doctors have on this "disorder" and the tests inability to judge correctly leading to too many kids and adults getting drugged into common. I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone with ADHD or their loved ones. If educators and medical professionals would read it FANTASTIC.
This book was an emotional roller-coaster. I went back to my school days, to uncomfortable social situations where I was to sit and be good. I was kicked out of church at 3 for crawling under the pews. I could not sit still, not I didn't want to sit still. I teared up, got goose bumps, cheered for "my team" and felt vindicated. I saw myself, saw my experiences in others stories. Knowledge is a wonderful thing when it opens up a new window for you. This book opened many windows and offered me comfort for past wounds that never really faded all the way. I do love being an out of the box thinker and learner, and am proud to understand it all a bit better. Yes, I am also an entrepreneur and have been all my adult life except for a 2 month job when I was a teen.
July 28, 2015
There are many points that I agree with Dr Dale Archer in his book, The ADHD Advantage. I agree that it is over diagnosed, I agree that big Pharma is making a bucket full of money off of this diagnosis and I agree there is so much systemic change that can be made in schools, for example, to turn ADHD into a neutral condition rather than a detriment. What we need is the political, and therapeutic, will to do so. We should be able to celebrate difference's rather than punish and castigate. That's where my agreement ends. Otherwise, I thought this book was fairly shallow, muddled and at times, unprofessional. It seems inappropriate to diagnose yourself or make medication recommendations to others without seeing them personally. I have too many family members who have used medication that has helped, not hurt them. They didn't become zombies or robots but were able to become more productive and socially skilled; make friends, do their school work, etc. This was life-changing for them. Some of them talked about how grateful they were for it. For others, they hated being on medication and stopped taking it. In other words, it is complex and this book is too simplistic. At times I felt like I was reading the diaries of the rich and famous who have the means to make certain types of big changes while ordinary people do not. The chapter on schools seemed so superficial.. Has the author been in a typical city public school? They look nothing like the one he described and I think it is more important to put our collective wisdom together and make systemic change for all of our children that are not getting their needs met than the few who can pay for special schools. Dr Archer's assertion that ADHD is a gift, an advantage while ignoring the realities on the ground is unscientific, potentially dangerous and very simplictic. Let's look to see what political and therapeutic changes can be made around doctors and Big Pharma, end the over diagnosis of ADHA and also let's make sure that ordinary, everyday people who need intervention, medication and otherwise (especially in school) receive it without dramatizing how special and advantageous it is to have ADHD. I suspect most people with ADHD would do without all that specialness and just want to live a fulfilling, ordinary live like every one else.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion
October 28, 2022
خب خب خب، قصه از اونجایی شروع شد که بهم گفتن تو آدم تک بعدی هستی!!!! خب اشتباه کرده بودن چون به عنوان شخصی که با این اختلال دست و پنجه نرم میکنه، میتونم با این اختلال عجیب غریب در کاری که دوست دارم چنان غرق بشم که متوجه ی دنیای اطرافم نشم که البته فقط و فقط در کار مورد علاقم!! در باقی موارد نقص توجه و تمرکز و غیره دهنم رو صاف میکنه و به قولی یه ایمیل درست یا حتی یه نامه ی بدون غلط املایی نمیتونم داشته باشم چون فقط اول و آخر حروف رو میبینم و وسطای اون رو به امون خدا ول میکنم.!!!
خب این چند وقت با آشنا شدنم از این اختلال کوفتی و مهر تایید دکترم، بهانه ای شد جهت یک سرچ تخصصی که گاهی باهاشون گریم میگرفت که چرا این اختلال رو من باید داشته باشم و گاهی لذت میبردم از امثال آدم هایی که مثل خودم این مورد رو داشتن و اینکه چقدر آدم های کاریزماتیکی میتونن باشنن و چقدر آدم در کنارشون حوصلشون سر نمیره!!
با خوندن این کتاب فهمیدم میشه به این اختلال به چشم یک موهبت نگاه کرد و با پذیرشش حتی ازش استفاده کرد!! البته با راه درستش!!
اینکه حرف دیگران رو قطع میکنم تا از موضوع جدید ذهنیم حرف بزنم، یا اینکه حوصلم از مهمونی و عروسی سر میره و نمیتونم یک جا به طور مداوم بشینم، اینکه چند کار رو باهم انجام میدم، اینکه حواسم پرت میشه خیلی راحت، اینکه یهو در کاری جوری غرق میشم که اگر خونمون رو دزد هم بزنه متوجه نمیشم، اینکه نمیتونم بیشتر از 25 دقیقه یک درسی رو مداوم بخونم و این صدمه ی جدی رو به درس خوندم زده بود و م��زنه، و اینکه هزاران درد و کوفت دیگه ای که این اختلال برای خودش داره و باید باهاش کنار اومد رو در این کتاب باهاش آشنا شدم و لذت بردم و دیدم خیلی هم بد نیست، باید راه های کنترلش رو پیدا کنم! یا بهتر اینکه همسرم از وقتی با این اختلال آشنا شده رفتارهای یهویی و هیجان زده ی من رو بیشتر درک میکنه و هر بارطلب صبر جمیل رو از خداوند داره، و این همون درکی که یه زوج میتونن داشته باشن !
خلاصه داشتن رفیقی یا همسر بیش فعالی چون من میتونه صبر زیادی رو بطلبه ولی حدالقلش اینکه با من کسی حوصلش سر نمیره!!!!!! باقیشم مشکلات درون مغزی که باید شخصا بشینم با دکتر جان حل و فصلش کنم!
خب این چند وقت با آشنا شدنم از این اختلال کوفتی و مهر تایید دکترم، بهانه ای شد جهت یک سرچ تخصصی که گاهی باهاشون گریم میگرفت که چرا این اختلال رو من باید داشته باشم و گاهی لذت میبردم از امثال آدم هایی که مثل خودم این مورد رو داشتن و اینکه چقدر آدم های کاریزماتیکی میتونن باشنن و چقدر آدم در کنارشون حوصلشون سر نمیره!!
با خوندن این کتاب فهمیدم میشه به این اختلال به چشم یک موهبت نگاه کرد و با پذیرشش حتی ازش استفاده کرد!! البته با راه درستش!!
اینکه حرف دیگران رو قطع میکنم تا از موضوع جدید ذهنیم حرف بزنم، یا اینکه حوصلم از مهمونی و عروسی سر میره و نمیتونم یک جا به طور مداوم بشینم، اینکه چند کار رو باهم انجام میدم، اینکه حواسم پرت میشه خیلی راحت، اینکه یهو در کاری جوری غرق میشم که اگر خونمون رو دزد هم بزنه متوجه نمیشم، اینکه نمیتونم بیشتر از 25 دقیقه یک درسی رو مداوم بخونم و این صدمه ی جدی رو به درس خوندم زده بود و م��زنه، و اینکه هزاران درد و کوفت دیگه ای که این اختلال برای خودش داره و باید باهاش کنار اومد رو در این کتاب باهاش آشنا شدم و لذت بردم و دیدم خیلی هم بد نیست، باید راه های کنترلش رو پیدا کنم! یا بهتر اینکه همسرم از وقتی با این اختلال آشنا شده رفتارهای یهویی و هیجان زده ی من رو بیشتر درک میکنه و هر بارطلب صبر جمیل رو از خداوند داره، و این همون درکی که یه زوج میتونن داشته باشن !
خلاصه داشتن رفیقی یا همسر بیش فعالی چون من میتونه صبر زیادی رو بطلبه ولی حدالقلش اینکه با من کسی حوصلش سر نمیره!!!!!! باقیشم مشکلات درون مغزی که باید شخصا بشینم با دکتر جان حل و فصلش کنم!
June 14, 2016
Full disclosure: I didn't finish it. I got up to about p. 170.
The feeling that I was whitewashing someone else's fence kept coming to mind. Sure, having hyperfocus, creativity, energy, and resilience are all wonderful traits to have. Even with them, however, you still need to make sure your laundry gets done and your bills get paid. That's drudgery that every adult needs to be responsible for. Finding some colorful, exotic career isn't going to get those things done.
Many, many anecdotes and cheerleading; not much help for those in the trenches.
The feeling that I was whitewashing someone else's fence kept coming to mind. Sure, having hyperfocus, creativity, energy, and resilience are all wonderful traits to have. Even with them, however, you still need to make sure your laundry gets done and your bills get paid. That's drudgery that every adult needs to be responsible for. Finding some colorful, exotic career isn't going to get those things done.
Many, many anecdotes and cheerleading; not much help for those in the trenches.
October 28, 2023
Lots of useful and insightful information on ADHD.
I liked the approach of Dr. Archer of trying to leave the use of medication to the end and work on all the other strategies to deal with the struggles of the ADHD trait.
This book also focuses on all the strengths of ADHD especially for having a successful career or passion that are the key to thrive in life. I would have liked a little more depth and information on the emotional struggles of ADHDers, and especially women with ADHD.
But regardless, it is a great book. I highly recommend it if you want to know more on ADHD.
I liked the approach of Dr. Archer of trying to leave the use of medication to the end and work on all the other strategies to deal with the struggles of the ADHD trait.
This book also focuses on all the strengths of ADHD especially for having a successful career or passion that are the key to thrive in life. I would have liked a little more depth and information on the emotional struggles of ADHDers, and especially women with ADHD.
But regardless, it is a great book. I highly recommend it if you want to know more on ADHD.
June 30, 2022
Thanks, I hate it.
This book has a very clear agenda: ADHD is being over-diagnosed and over-medicated, ADHD is a super power and most people with ADHD can be extremely successful without stimulants, big pharma are exploiting people with ADHD and meds turn people with ADHD into zombies.
Ok so firstly, I have kept my shit together (barely, at times) without diagnosis and meds my whole life and no, I'm not running multiple successful companies or changing the world of literature etc. Without diagnosis, I was unable to understand why I was the way I was (this won't be the case for everyone, but is definitely a widespread experience). I understand that medication is not the whole solution, but for many people, it is a key part of it.
Secondly, this book is definitely written with hyperactive ADHD in mind, which is not even the majority of ADHD. It is also written with people who have ADHD but struggle in mainstream school as the focus group, but again, this is not all ADHD. So if you fall outside of these groups, this book is useless. I daresay that even if you fall into these groups, I'd be wary of this book, because on this basis alone it's not a good piece of research and writing.
Ok edit a day later: I'm raging about the relationships section today. Archer says that relationships between people who both have ADHD are unsustainable, and people with ADHD need partners with OCD to keep them on track. Hello I've been diagnosed with both, and it is not a match made in heaven 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
This book has a very clear agenda: ADHD is being over-diagnosed and over-medicated, ADHD is a super power and most people with ADHD can be extremely successful without stimulants, big pharma are exploiting people with ADHD and meds turn people with ADHD into zombies.
Ok so firstly, I have kept my shit together (barely, at times) without diagnosis and meds my whole life and no, I'm not running multiple successful companies or changing the world of literature etc. Without diagnosis, I was unable to understand why I was the way I was (this won't be the case for everyone, but is definitely a widespread experience). I understand that medication is not the whole solution, but for many people, it is a key part of it.
Secondly, this book is definitely written with hyperactive ADHD in mind, which is not even the majority of ADHD. It is also written with people who have ADHD but struggle in mainstream school as the focus group, but again, this is not all ADHD. So if you fall outside of these groups, this book is useless. I daresay that even if you fall into these groups, I'd be wary of this book, because on this basis alone it's not a good piece of research and writing.
Ok edit a day later: I'm raging about the relationships section today. Archer says that relationships between people who both have ADHD are unsustainable, and people with ADHD need partners with OCD to keep them on track. Hello I've been diagnosed with both, and it is not a match made in heaven 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
April 17, 2020
I was looking forward to reading this book, but I just couldn't finish it. It feels detached from the reality of an average person with ADHD. Uplifting anecdotes about celebrities are nice, but they can only carry you so far. It feels like a rant against medication, and while there's nothing wrong with holding that opinion, it does little to deliver on the promise the book makes.
March 10, 2016
If you are looking for an informative, factual introduction or guide to ADHD, this isn't exactly it. If you are an ADHD-er seeking a positive perspective on the disorder, then this is it.
I admit that ADHD often holds negative connotations. The limelight ADHD successes receive are not usually attributed to their ADHD. It was comforting to learn about the experiences of all the ADHD-ers who contributed to this book. It was also useful to pick up the different methods in which they managed their ADHD. Personally, though, I believe that this doesn't represent how most ADHD-ers live.
Additionally, since most of the book was anecdotal, readers should not take it as seriously as one usually takes a non-fiction book.
I admit that ADHD often holds negative connotations. The limelight ADHD successes receive are not usually attributed to their ADHD. It was comforting to learn about the experiences of all the ADHD-ers who contributed to this book. It was also useful to pick up the different methods in which they managed their ADHD. Personally, though, I believe that this doesn't represent how most ADHD-ers live.
Additionally, since most of the book was anecdotal, readers should not take it as seriously as one usually takes a non-fiction book.
January 29, 2023
I… cannot imagine a less helpful structure, framework, or content. This is BS framed with a catchy title.
February 24, 2022
This book is driven largely by anecdotes. He also takes a strong stance against medication but does not do a lot to back that up. Overall I wouldn’t suggest this to others especially if you haven’t done other research on ADHD. As a first step this book has the potential to totally misguide the reader.
September 20, 2023
2.5 stars, while I started out racing through a lot of this book and found that it is a comfort to see others using ADHD to their advantage, this book has WAY too many anecdotes from so so many "ADHDers." If the target audience is those with ADHD.... losing focus easily is something you need to keep in mind before feeding readers with a firehose.
I was hoping for more scientific data, but the majority of this book explains that nearly every person with ADHD goes into entrepreneurship and has 3 working businesses and 25 new business ideas. It's difficult to see this book as a useful tool rather than a constant badgering to monetize every waking thought. There was really only one example of someone with ADHD not owning and founding a bunch of businesses that was tacked on at the very end-- but hey, we live in a society. What I can appreciate from that VERY long series of chapters was the idea that passion is the greatest motivator for increased focus, and if a desk job from 9 to 5 feels soul-sucking, it's not because you're entitled, it's because your brain simply isn't made for that (though honestly, whose is?).
Reading this and other sources have been helpful in even minute ways, but it's troubling to see authors praise ADHD as a superpower and generally advocate for medication-less progress. Using medication doesn't indicate brokenness, so using it as a bragging right only indicates to me a lack of understanding. Exercise may help to boost dopamine and norepinephrine and prove to be helpful in engagement, but there's a reason doctors aren't prescribing 100 push-ups over pills.
The chapter on relationships in this book and another ADHD book... they trouble me. Perhaps it's just the reality of the condition, but "being the fun one" in the relationship isn't enough to balance NOT being the organized, responsible, financially-conscious, non-absent partner and parent. This book talks about conversations to have with your more balanced and down to earth partner (platonic or romantic) that is necessary to keep the relationship from dissolving, but it's hard to reconcile that anyone's poor behavior toward their partner and lack of respect for a common human can be excused and overlooked because their brain is wired differently.
I was hoping for more scientific data, but the majority of this book explains that nearly every person with ADHD goes into entrepreneurship and has 3 working businesses and 25 new business ideas. It's difficult to see this book as a useful tool rather than a constant badgering to monetize every waking thought. There was really only one example of someone with ADHD not owning and founding a bunch of businesses that was tacked on at the very end-- but hey, we live in a society. What I can appreciate from that VERY long series of chapters was the idea that passion is the greatest motivator for increased focus, and if a desk job from 9 to 5 feels soul-sucking, it's not because you're entitled, it's because your brain simply isn't made for that (though honestly, whose is?).
Reading this and other sources have been helpful in even minute ways, but it's troubling to see authors praise ADHD as a superpower and generally advocate for medication-less progress. Using medication doesn't indicate brokenness, so using it as a bragging right only indicates to me a lack of understanding. Exercise may help to boost dopamine and norepinephrine and prove to be helpful in engagement, but there's a reason doctors aren't prescribing 100 push-ups over pills.
The chapter on relationships in this book and another ADHD book... they trouble me. Perhaps it's just the reality of the condition, but "being the fun one" in the relationship isn't enough to balance NOT being the organized, responsible, financially-conscious, non-absent partner and parent. This book talks about conversations to have with your more balanced and down to earth partner (platonic or romantic) that is necessary to keep the relationship from dissolving, but it's hard to reconcile that anyone's poor behavior toward their partner and lack of respect for a common human can be excused and overlooked because their brain is wired differently.
October 3, 2021
As a mental health counselor who specializes in ADHD and someone who herself has ADHD, I was really looking forward to reading this book. What I hoped for was a book that accentuated the strengths of people with ADHD, reframed their challenges, and provided useful resources and support. What I got was 40% shaming medications (medications that are necessary and supportive for some of us), 40% anecdote, and another 20% information that isn't exactly up-to-date. I actually felt worse about myself after reading this book. Skip this one and check out something by Russell Barkley or Sari Solden instead.
April 27, 2019
I'm only 39% done with the book, but it's a DNF. It seems like the author is just ranting about how medication is bad. I don't necessarily disagree, but I was looking for more coping strategies and very few were offered. It was only focused on telling you why ADHD isn't a problem. I don't need an 8 hour audiobook to tell me that.
July 31, 2023
بدون تردید بهش پنج ستاره میدم. این کتابِ فوقالعاده با نام "مزایای ADHD" توسط انتشارات متخصصان به چاپ رسیده. بهترین چیزی بود که راجع به این اختلال خوندم و جزو معدود مواقعی بود که حس کردم نویسنده واقعاً ADHD رو درک میکنه.
بخوام خلاصه بگم، داشت میگفت بیخودی وقتتونو با قرص و روانشناس تلف نکنید چون ADHD چیزی نیست که درمان بشه. باید بهش عادت کنید و بپذیریدش و مثل یک موهبت بهش نگاه کنید. وقتی این کارو بکنید، تمام توانایی های خودتون رو پیدا میکنید. سرکوب کردنش فقط یه هیولا ازش میسازه.
ترجمه کتاب فوقالعاده بود و یکی از مهمترین دلایلی بود که کتاب رو اینقدر جذاب میکرد. به نظر میرسید هم نویسنده، هم مترجم و هم بروبچههای ادیت، کاملا با این اختلال آشنایی دارند؛ چون نوع صفحهآرایی و اندازه فونت و تعداد صفحههای هر فصل، دقیقاً متناسب با نیازهای یک مخاطب بیقرار و بیحوصلهی ADHD-دار تنظیم شده بود.
با تمام مسائلی که کتاب مطرح کرده بود شدیداً همذات پنداری کردم و با تمام وجود فهمیدمش و مدتیه که دارم سعی میکنم راجع به مغزِ ADHDم به خودآگاهی برسم. دیگه ازش نمیترسم و درعوض دوستش دارم، چون زندگی رو برام هیجانانگیز میکنه.
بهترین نصیحتی که میتونم به بچههای ADHD بکنم اینه که روح ماجراجوی خودتونو دنبال کنید و با کلّه برید تو دلِ زندگی :))
بخوام خلاصه بگم، داشت میگفت بیخودی وقتتونو با قرص و روانشناس تلف نکنید چون ADHD چیزی نیست که درمان بشه. باید بهش عادت کنید و بپذیریدش و مثل یک موهبت بهش نگاه کنید. وقتی این کارو بکنید، تمام توانایی های خودتون رو پیدا میکنید. سرکوب کردنش فقط یه هیولا ازش میسازه.
ترجمه کتاب فوقالعاده بود و یکی از مهمترین دلایلی بود که کتاب رو اینقدر جذاب میکرد. به نظر میرسید هم نویسنده، هم مترجم و هم بروبچههای ادیت، کاملا با این اختلال آشنایی دارند؛ چون نوع صفحهآرایی و اندازه فونت و تعداد صفحههای هر فصل، دقیقاً متناسب با نیازهای یک مخاطب بیقرار و بیحوصلهی ADHD-دار تنظیم شده بود.
با تمام مسائلی که کتاب مطرح کرده بود شدیداً همذات پنداری کردم و با تمام وجود فهمیدمش و مدتیه که دارم سعی میکنم راجع به مغزِ ADHDم به خودآگاهی برسم. دیگه ازش نمیترسم و درعوض دوستش دارم، چون زندگی رو برام هیجانانگیز میکنه.
بهترین نصیحتی که میتونم به بچههای ADHD بکنم اینه که روح ماجراجوی خودتونو دنبال کنید و با کلّه برید تو دلِ زندگی :))
August 29, 2018
Interesting tidbits/things I want to remember from this book:
ADHD can best be understood as a brain with a very low boredom threshold.
****The biggest predictor for the diagnosis of ADHD was the age of the child with respect to their grade.
Our eagerness to slap a convenient label on kids causes doctors, teachers, parents to overlook other potential causes of ADHD type behavior, including lack of sleep, anxiety or problems at home, resulting in stimulant treatment that makes their problems WORSE.
Do not use a family practitioner who will probably just medicate, instead find a child psychiatrist or psychologist, with expertise in ADHD to explore alternatives such as therapy, behavior modification, or classroom and home structure.
Big pharma is influencing too much. Stimulants take a physical and mental toll. They pump up the heart rate and stimulate the nervous system which puts a strain on the body long term. Side effects include sleeplessness, loss of appetite, mood swings, and dry mouth. These affect half of the people taking the drugs. Animal studies suggest that taking these for many years could alter the whole structure and function of the brain increasing anxiety, causing depression, and eroding cognitive powers.
People CAN take the meds periodically when needed instead of every day (for instance needing to study for a big test). Adderall was used as the example.
Sugar does not cause or worsen ADHD in general but can exacerbate symptoms.
A study showed that taking some vitamins and minerals may be an effective way to treat ADHD, critics say that the study was too short and did not involve children.
ADHD exists for a reason. People that have it tend to be explorers or good in a natural emergency, ready for whatever comes next and are constantly assessing the situations around them.
New research has shown that mindfulness exercises can help build the mental muscles necessary for cognitive control including the filtering of thoughts and emotions, impulse control, delaying gratification, and the ability to pay attention even when a task is boring.
Some schools that have been successful with ADHD learners use variety in the curriculum, teach in shorter increments (15 minutes), put students in classes based on ability level rather than age, and give kids a wide range of experiences.
For home, kids with ADHD need things to be laid out, clear and reliable, so that they have a safety net. Come home when you say you are going to come home. As a parent, you need to be consistent. They are already dealing with an “unstructured brain” so external structure becomes even more important.
KIDS WITH ADHD NEED TO EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE. Get the blood pumping before having to study.
Some kids learn better in an environment with multiple stimuli (music or tv), experiment with what works. Incorporate visually stimulating things.
Do hands on as much as possible.
Walking around or standing and studying is okay. Ask students what works for them.
Focus on your child’s strengths while helping cultivate an awareness of weaknesses that can be worked on.
Strengths:
Kids with ADHD possess an innate resilience/compassion because of the challenges they face.
ADHDers have hyperfocus when interested in something.
Better at multitasking, moving quickly from one thing to another
High energy
Cool in a crisis
Risk takers
Tools to help:
Set aside times for the brain to run free.
Write it down, write it down, write it down.
Be aware that linear thinkers may not be able to keep up with you.
Find a career that encourages out of the box thinking. Find something you love, and you will be able to focus.
Embrace multitasking
Don’t be afraid to give up on something that bores you, it may not be right for you
Leverage technology to impose structure
Surround yourself with employees that have strengths that balance out your weaknesses.
Impose time pressure on yourself instead of leaving it to the last minute.
Pull an all nighter if that brings your best work. Procrastination triggers your hyperfocus.
Avoid jobs with a daily fixed routine.
CEO/ADHD Strengths:
Resilience
Rapid decision making
Hyperfocus
Productive action under uncertainty
High energy
ADHD can best be understood as a brain with a very low boredom threshold.
****The biggest predictor for the diagnosis of ADHD was the age of the child with respect to their grade.
Our eagerness to slap a convenient label on kids causes doctors, teachers, parents to overlook other potential causes of ADHD type behavior, including lack of sleep, anxiety or problems at home, resulting in stimulant treatment that makes their problems WORSE.
Do not use a family practitioner who will probably just medicate, instead find a child psychiatrist or psychologist, with expertise in ADHD to explore alternatives such as therapy, behavior modification, or classroom and home structure.
Big pharma is influencing too much. Stimulants take a physical and mental toll. They pump up the heart rate and stimulate the nervous system which puts a strain on the body long term. Side effects include sleeplessness, loss of appetite, mood swings, and dry mouth. These affect half of the people taking the drugs. Animal studies suggest that taking these for many years could alter the whole structure and function of the brain increasing anxiety, causing depression, and eroding cognitive powers.
People CAN take the meds periodically when needed instead of every day (for instance needing to study for a big test). Adderall was used as the example.
Sugar does not cause or worsen ADHD in general but can exacerbate symptoms.
A study showed that taking some vitamins and minerals may be an effective way to treat ADHD, critics say that the study was too short and did not involve children.
ADHD exists for a reason. People that have it tend to be explorers or good in a natural emergency, ready for whatever comes next and are constantly assessing the situations around them.
New research has shown that mindfulness exercises can help build the mental muscles necessary for cognitive control including the filtering of thoughts and emotions, impulse control, delaying gratification, and the ability to pay attention even when a task is boring.
Some schools that have been successful with ADHD learners use variety in the curriculum, teach in shorter increments (15 minutes), put students in classes based on ability level rather than age, and give kids a wide range of experiences.
For home, kids with ADHD need things to be laid out, clear and reliable, so that they have a safety net. Come home when you say you are going to come home. As a parent, you need to be consistent. They are already dealing with an “unstructured brain” so external structure becomes even more important.
KIDS WITH ADHD NEED TO EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE. Get the blood pumping before having to study.
Some kids learn better in an environment with multiple stimuli (music or tv), experiment with what works. Incorporate visually stimulating things.
Do hands on as much as possible.
Walking around or standing and studying is okay. Ask students what works for them.
Focus on your child’s strengths while helping cultivate an awareness of weaknesses that can be worked on.
Strengths:
Kids with ADHD possess an innate resilience/compassion because of the challenges they face.
ADHDers have hyperfocus when interested in something.
Better at multitasking, moving quickly from one thing to another
High energy
Cool in a crisis
Risk takers
Tools to help:
Set aside times for the brain to run free.
Write it down, write it down, write it down.
Be aware that linear thinkers may not be able to keep up with you.
Find a career that encourages out of the box thinking. Find something you love, and you will be able to focus.
Embrace multitasking
Don’t be afraid to give up on something that bores you, it may not be right for you
Leverage technology to impose structure
Surround yourself with employees that have strengths that balance out your weaknesses.
Impose time pressure on yourself instead of leaving it to the last minute.
Pull an all nighter if that brings your best work. Procrastination triggers your hyperfocus.
Avoid jobs with a daily fixed routine.
CEO/ADHD Strengths:
Resilience
Rapid decision making
Hyperfocus
Productive action under uncertainty
High energy
June 18, 2015
Here is why I wanted to read this book: there is a teen in my family with this diagnosis and I wanted to understand more about the condition. I’ve never read any other books on this subject.
The first five chapters are introductory to a great extent, but they do put some emphasis on young children and teens with this diagnosis and how the number of kids now having this designation has grown to nearly epidemic proportions. Dr. Archer provides some good ideas for how families can learn to incorporate their treatment plan of an ADHD child within their family. He discusses when he feels medication is most appropriate and when it might be better for the child to not medicate. He also discusses the do medicate/do not medicate issue regarding adults. He comes down probably a little more firmly than I had expected on the non-medicated side. There is a “test” within this section to find your personal number if you know you are ADHD or if you just suspect you might be. Frankly, none of this information was new to me simply from standing on the sidelines and watching one daughter deal with ADHD children in her teaching classroom and the other daughter exploring every avenue for her child with ADHD.
Beginning with Chapter 6, what stands out to me the most was Dr. Archer saying that he had diagnosed himself as being ADHD. It is not stated in this book if he consulted professionals in the proper field to help him confirm his own self-diagnosis. Since he has written another book on this same subject, perhaps the information is contained there. Many of the individuals Dr. Archer uses as examples for how a person can use some of the manifestations of their ADHD to do great things in their lives are either very famous or very rich or both. There are only two examples of what I like to think of as ordinary people, both of which have achieved their own levels of success utilizing strong ADHD qualities. Because there appears, to me, to be such an emphasis put on the rich and famous I soon began to feel I was reading one of those magazines you can pick up in the check-out line of the grocery store. With so very many of the references the doctor was using coming from non-medical sources I lost the feeling I was reading a serious, medically oriented book dealing with a complex condition. The New York Times, CNN, and his own previous book seemed to come up much too often as sources with some references to scientific research, just not enough to give the book the weight I would have expected.
I can certainly understand an adult with the medical diagnosis of ADHD finding many examples of their own trials in dealing with this condition in this book and being inspired. Maybe there will be enough examples to help someone deal with their hyper ability to multitask or it was new information to have someone suggest they make written lists for their constantly “bingo-brain” activity and this will help them look and see what is truly important to do next. Or perhaps they had not noticed that having physical exercise prior to an important event can calm them down enough to deal with situations better. But, really, boredom cannot be alleviated by every person with ADHD by suggesting changing their location. I understand that advice was not stated but it certainly was implied and given examples of so often it began to seem like advice. I think I was most disappointed in the fact that this book was – to my perception – not a serious look at ADHD. Rather it was a way to show how some very wealthy people with connections readily available to most of them have coped and even thrived while dealing with their ADHD. Can the ordinary ADHD person benefit greatly from most of this advice in anything other than a pep talk manner? I would say, probably not. Certainly I would not think this book would be of much practical help to parents of a young child when they are simply trying to understand what is happening in their offspring’s brain.
I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley.
The first five chapters are introductory to a great extent, but they do put some emphasis on young children and teens with this diagnosis and how the number of kids now having this designation has grown to nearly epidemic proportions. Dr. Archer provides some good ideas for how families can learn to incorporate their treatment plan of an ADHD child within their family. He discusses when he feels medication is most appropriate and when it might be better for the child to not medicate. He also discusses the do medicate/do not medicate issue regarding adults. He comes down probably a little more firmly than I had expected on the non-medicated side. There is a “test” within this section to find your personal number if you know you are ADHD or if you just suspect you might be. Frankly, none of this information was new to me simply from standing on the sidelines and watching one daughter deal with ADHD children in her teaching classroom and the other daughter exploring every avenue for her child with ADHD.
Beginning with Chapter 6, what stands out to me the most was Dr. Archer saying that he had diagnosed himself as being ADHD. It is not stated in this book if he consulted professionals in the proper field to help him confirm his own self-diagnosis. Since he has written another book on this same subject, perhaps the information is contained there. Many of the individuals Dr. Archer uses as examples for how a person can use some of the manifestations of their ADHD to do great things in their lives are either very famous or very rich or both. There are only two examples of what I like to think of as ordinary people, both of which have achieved their own levels of success utilizing strong ADHD qualities. Because there appears, to me, to be such an emphasis put on the rich and famous I soon began to feel I was reading one of those magazines you can pick up in the check-out line of the grocery store. With so very many of the references the doctor was using coming from non-medical sources I lost the feeling I was reading a serious, medically oriented book dealing with a complex condition. The New York Times, CNN, and his own previous book seemed to come up much too often as sources with some references to scientific research, just not enough to give the book the weight I would have expected.
I can certainly understand an adult with the medical diagnosis of ADHD finding many examples of their own trials in dealing with this condition in this book and being inspired. Maybe there will be enough examples to help someone deal with their hyper ability to multitask or it was new information to have someone suggest they make written lists for their constantly “bingo-brain” activity and this will help them look and see what is truly important to do next. Or perhaps they had not noticed that having physical exercise prior to an important event can calm them down enough to deal with situations better. But, really, boredom cannot be alleviated by every person with ADHD by suggesting changing their location. I understand that advice was not stated but it certainly was implied and given examples of so often it began to seem like advice. I think I was most disappointed in the fact that this book was – to my perception – not a serious look at ADHD. Rather it was a way to show how some very wealthy people with connections readily available to most of them have coped and even thrived while dealing with their ADHD. Can the ordinary ADHD person benefit greatly from most of this advice in anything other than a pep talk manner? I would say, probably not. Certainly I would not think this book would be of much practical help to parents of a young child when they are simply trying to understand what is happening in their offspring’s brain.
I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley.
July 27, 2015
REVIEW: THE ADHD ADVANTAGE by Dale Archer MD
The thrust of this book is twofold. First, experienced "general psychiatrist" Dr. Dale Archer insists that "ADHD" is an overutilized diagnosis, one that benefits pharmaceutical corporations at the ultimate expense of the children overmedicated and even unnecessarily medicated at all. The intensified diagnosis of the "disorder" began in the 1990's, with newly available medication possibilities. I well remember the rush to diagnosis that became suddenly so prevalent [ and likely obscured real issues].
Second, Dr. Archer doesn't view actual ADHD as a must-be-suppressed-and-controlled condition. He postulates it as a springboard to creativity, vision, leadership, and success, because of--not in spite of--the ADHD. Dr. Archer himself is a prime exemplar.
;
The thrust of this book is twofold. First, experienced "general psychiatrist" Dr. Dale Archer insists that "ADHD" is an overutilized diagnosis, one that benefits pharmaceutical corporations at the ultimate expense of the children overmedicated and even unnecessarily medicated at all. The intensified diagnosis of the "disorder" began in the 1990's, with newly available medication possibilities. I well remember the rush to diagnosis that became suddenly so prevalent [ and likely obscured real issues].
Second, Dr. Archer doesn't view actual ADHD as a must-be-suppressed-and-controlled condition. He postulates it as a springboard to creativity, vision, leadership, and success, because of--not in spite of--the ADHD. Dr. Archer himself is a prime exemplar.
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January 30, 2018
If you have ADD/ADHD, this may be a great place to start. Of the many books I have read, this does an excellent job of highlighting your strengths - which is affirmation sorely lacking from practitioners, parents, and publications alike. You need to have self-confidence and know what your strengths are so you can have the confidence to tackle your weaknesses. START HERE.
If this book itself does have a weakness, it is in that it might be a little too congratulatory. The reality of ADD/ADHD and how it affects you and those around you is not something to ignore. But again, this is probably a message that hes been thrust violently again and again and again in your face.
Despite that, take your most powerful trait - RESILIENCE - dust yourself off, pick up this book, and get on with your life.
If this book itself does have a weakness, it is in that it might be a little too congratulatory. The reality of ADD/ADHD and how it affects you and those around you is not something to ignore. But again, this is probably a message that hes been thrust violently again and again and again in your face.
Despite that, take your most powerful trait - RESILIENCE - dust yourself off, pick up this book, and get on with your life.
November 17, 2019
My daughter was diagnosed with innatentive type ADHD. I picked up this book for guidance and to start somewhere. He doesn’t even included this type of ADHD. I kept reading and learned a lot but I can’t believe he leaves out an entire population. And when he tells a story of a child giving up ballet as it’s not fast paced enough and recommends ballet two pages later I had it. Enough. Great encouragement to turn a diagnosis into a strength, but sell your book for what it is: “I’m only going to care about the hyperactive population. “
August 24, 2021
As a person with ADHD, I found this difficult to finish, which is surprising because the author has ADHD and is an expert in the field! However, I appreciate the positive spin, most other research and writings focus on the negative aspects. While much of this was inspirational and uplifting, I found most of it either too broad/generic or too specific to be very helpful with regards to integrating specific tactics into one's life. It was refreshing to read about many success stories that are ostensibly due to leveraging ADHD qualities though.
September 21, 2022
I began reading this book in order to help my son, but through reading realized that I myself am ADHD. I was never diagnosed because I never struggled in school (or was extraverted enough to frequently disrupt), and it just so happens that one of my "hyperfocus" interests is reading, literature, learning. I may be low on the spectrum of ADHD, but I find myself better understanding tendencies I have, nicknames I've acquired, weaknesses I've endured, and strengths that have been celebrated.
The book was helpful in a paradigmatic way of viewing people and relationships. Though it wasn't especially practical, I was able to gain a small set of skills to aid my son.
The book as a whole is very anecdotal (like this review). But it's also repetitive (which this review is not).
I would recommend this to most people who have time to read for the sake of their relationships, but I would tell them to read only one or two anecdotes per section. Just to speed things up by half.
The book was helpful in a paradigmatic way of viewing people and relationships. Though it wasn't especially practical, I was able to gain a small set of skills to aid my son.
The book as a whole is very anecdotal (like this review). But it's also repetitive (which this review is not).
I would recommend this to most people who have time to read for the sake of their relationships, but I would tell them to read only one or two anecdotes per section. Just to speed things up by half.
March 20, 2023
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A fine compilation of stories, examples, and grumblings at Big Pharma, on how ADHD can be turned into a proper superpower. Told, most times, by the from-zero-to-hero people themselves. A handful of key points, starters, and possible strategies, alongside encouragement to just keep trying until something clicks.
My Opinion: It’s a good book, written well, but as it’s aimed at people with ADHD, the amount of repetitive tales could’ve been reconsidered, as I’ve lost interest fairly quickly. But there’s quite a few very good points in it, some strategies I can definitely apply to my life, and as it was an easy read, I can’t complain more.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A fine compilation of stories, examples, and grumblings at Big Pharma, on how ADHD can be turned into a proper superpower. Told, most times, by the from-zero-to-hero people themselves. A handful of key points, starters, and possible strategies, alongside encouragement to just keep trying until something clicks.
My Opinion: It’s a good book, written well, but as it’s aimed at people with ADHD, the amount of repetitive tales could’ve been reconsidered, as I’ve lost interest fairly quickly. But there’s quite a few very good points in it, some strategies I can definitely apply to my life, and as it was an easy read, I can’t complain more.
May 18, 2023
Marking as read so I don’t try to read it again. Maybe there was something useful here but I couldn’t make my way to it.
September 29, 2023
I struggled with all of the celebrity examples in this book and didn't find those helpful to my own ADHD experiences. I was going to give this 2 stars, but the last third of the book about relationships gave real normal people examples that I thought were super helpful.
Read
May 20, 2021I mean there are really good positive points tp this book! Definitely highlighting advantages of some typical adhd characteristics : yay! But so many specific story examples.. Gets dull.. Plus they are almost all successful white male serial entrepreneurs, so hyperactive, so full to bursting with energy! The most important thing is exercise to help contain all the extra energy. I mean there ARE women Adhd examples showing how they set their neurodiversity to the perfect life for them. One example is a woman who homeschooled her kids and has an organic garden and is so happy. Towards the end my other favorite woman example, she found that she LOVES to clean! She is a housekeeper and with her hyperfocus she scrubs everything to perfection! Ok. And there are genuinely helpful suggestions about relationships. But the overall recommendation (for the mostly wealthy, overly energetic, white males) is to marry a non-adhd person who will support you and understand why you are always late and take care of the things you find boring or let fall through the cracks. You know, the fascinating adventurous adhd partner can be supported by someone who will bask in their glow and pay the bills..
So if your ADHD involves brain fog, lack of energy, variable focus, impulsive eating or distractability, depression, anxiety or any other correlated issues, this might make you feel good for a bit, and then just ya know, unseen. If you have people in your life that you take care of and you are NOT the center of the universe.. There may be more out there. So those are my critiques. Meanwhile, it's nice to have a book so excited about why adhd rocks, how to go about harnessing that power to live your best life, good advice on taking a cautious approach to meds and mostly just use when needed and try to find natural alternatives. There's plenty to like, just that it's 2021 and the utter lack of awareness of the privilege and narrowness of this book irked me.
So if your ADHD involves brain fog, lack of energy, variable focus, impulsive eating or distractability, depression, anxiety or any other correlated issues, this might make you feel good for a bit, and then just ya know, unseen. If you have people in your life that you take care of and you are NOT the center of the universe.. There may be more out there. So those are my critiques. Meanwhile, it's nice to have a book so excited about why adhd rocks, how to go about harnessing that power to live your best life, good advice on taking a cautious approach to meds and mostly just use when needed and try to find natural alternatives. There's plenty to like, just that it's 2021 and the utter lack of awareness of the privilege and narrowness of this book irked me.
January 4, 2021
I picked up this book when I was first diagnosed with ADHD to better cope with the news. Some of the author's advice certainly helped me better understand myself and appreciate my ADHD. I especially enjoyed the informational parts of the book, as they focused on aspects of ADHD that clinical sources either don't discuss or discuss differently. For example, the author considered the benefits of impulsivity, like spontaneity and willingness to take (healthy) risks. I also appreciated the author's efforts to dispel popular myths about the disorder, such as the incorrect belief that diet causes/worsens ADHD.
It felt inspiring to hear the many success stories. However, they all sounded similar, and as a result none were truly relatable to me. I think the author should have tried to better highlight the great diversity of the ADHD community. Most importantly, being an entrepreneur or athlete is not the definition of success.
Furthermore, although I understand the author's concerns with (American) Big Pharma, his repeated advice to reject pharmaceutical treatment simply isn't advisable for all people with ADHD. This advice unfortunately contributes to the stigmatization of ADHD medication, which already helps perpetuate many false beliefs about the disorder and its treatment. I agree that ADHD medication should never be the sole treatment, his advice to avoid medication if possible is misguided and harmful.
Overall, while I enjoyed this book's fresh perspective on ADHD, I would only recommend it to people who are able to take its advice with a grain of salt.
It felt inspiring to hear the many success stories. However, they all sounded similar, and as a result none were truly relatable to me. I think the author should have tried to better highlight the great diversity of the ADHD community. Most importantly, being an entrepreneur or athlete is not the definition of success.
Furthermore, although I understand the author's concerns with (American) Big Pharma, his repeated advice to reject pharmaceutical treatment simply isn't advisable for all people with ADHD. This advice unfortunately contributes to the stigmatization of ADHD medication, which already helps perpetuate many false beliefs about the disorder and its treatment. I agree that ADHD medication should never be the sole treatment, his advice to avoid medication if possible is misguided and harmful.
Overall, while I enjoyed this book's fresh perspective on ADHD, I would only recommend it to people who are able to take its advice with a grain of salt.
May 1, 2020
I liked the title and idea of this book but reading it made me feel upset at times. I used to work with kids as a counselor in a residential setting and many of them were diagnosed with ADHD. I did not like how the author was so negative about medications or having an ADHD diagnosis. I have seen how helpful medications can be especially for kids who have severe ADHD and they should not feel shame for taking medications which I think was implied with his statement that, "medications are a last resort."
He also says that taking medications can lead to abusing drugs which may be true for some people but there have been research studies that have shown that by taking prescribed medications there is a decrease in the number of people that abuse drugs.
I also think that having a diagnosis can be helpful so that people can get treatment or accommodations and again should not feel shame in having that diagnosis.
I did like the later part of the book that focused on the ways having ADHD can be benefit and if you are experiencing difficulties ways to overcome it.
He also says that taking medications can lead to abusing drugs which may be true for some people but there have been research studies that have shown that by taking prescribed medications there is a decrease in the number of people that abuse drugs.
I also think that having a diagnosis can be helpful so that people can get treatment or accommodations and again should not feel shame in having that diagnosis.
I did like the later part of the book that focused on the ways having ADHD can be benefit and if you are experiencing difficulties ways to overcome it.
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