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PLAYDHD: Permission to Play.....a Prescription for Adults With ADHD
Play is the pathway to being an ADHD superstar! Consider all of the famous people who have ADHD- Einstein, Adam Levine, Michael Phelps, Jim Carey, Malcomb Forbes and Shane Victorino, to name a few. All known for being playful in their own way. If you are an adult with ADHD, this book is your prescription to play. This book focuses on how developing a more playful mindset and habit of engaging in playful activities can actually help you to manage symptoms and excel with ADHD. It’s likely that you were never encouraged to play to meet your potential, much less to have fun in an effort to be more creative, happy, energetic, and productive. After a lifetime of being urged to "stop goofing off" and to "take things more seriously," Dr. Milliken offers scientific evidence that play is actually what you need to better manage your difficulties with attention.
ADHD is a serious problem. But your approach to it doesn’t have to be. Permission to Play...A Prescription for Adults with ADHD is written for adults with ADHD as well as for those who just want to remember how to play more. This is one book you will actually be able to say you read all the way through! With scientific evidence, humorous anecdotes, playful activities, short passages, and color graphics, this book captures and holds the attention of even the most unfocused mind.
ADHD is a serious problem. But your approach to it doesn’t have to be. Permission to Play...A Prescription for Adults with ADHD is written for adults with ADHD as well as for those who just want to remember how to play more. This is one book you will actually be able to say you read all the way through! With scientific evidence, humorous anecdotes, playful activities, short passages, and color graphics, this book captures and holds the attention of even the most unfocused mind.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2016
66 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 23, 2021
Most of practical advice in this book is excellent, and I fully intend to incorporate some of these ideas into my routines. On that front, it was quite helpful.
However, I don't really appreciate the demonizing of medication throughout the book. The author states, quite plainly, that you should follow her "prescription to play" instead of medicine because playing won't lead to "psychosis and death." This happens several times, along with mentions of increased tolerance to stimulants and other side effects- without ever mentioning ADHD medications that aren't stimulants, that have relatively no side effects, or that for some people, medication truly is the best option. The author then has the nerve to say that she's "not telling anybody what to do," after devoting much energy to making medicine seem like a guaranteed bad time.
I'd recommend skipping through the first half of the book anyways, as most of it is very repetitive and focuses solely on what and why and who ELSE has ADHD and not on how, something that gets to be irritating.
However, I don't really appreciate the demonizing of medication throughout the book. The author states, quite plainly, that you should follow her "prescription to play" instead of medicine because playing won't lead to "psychosis and death." This happens several times, along with mentions of increased tolerance to stimulants and other side effects- without ever mentioning ADHD medications that aren't stimulants, that have relatively no side effects, or that for some people, medication truly is the best option. The author then has the nerve to say that she's "not telling anybody what to do," after devoting much energy to making medicine seem like a guaranteed bad time.
I'd recommend skipping through the first half of the book anyways, as most of it is very repetitive and focuses solely on what and why and who ELSE has ADHD and not on how, something that gets to be irritating.
August 11, 2020
Really helpful book packed with evidence-based, thoughtful ideas for lightening the burden around ADHD. Moving away from the prevailing idea that one must buckle down and do hard work to manage and overcome one’s ADHD “challenges, toward the much greater self-accepting mindset that life with ADHD can and should be full of fun, fulfillment, *and* accomplishment.
January 4, 2017
An excellent reminder on ways to play and that my brain is constantly looking for novelty. I appreciate the humor, brevity, and easy way she got her point across. Perfect for my ADHD brain!
I will be revisiting this to make more plans and download the recommended apps. I look forward to starting 2017 more "playful"!
I will be revisiting this to make more plans and download the recommended apps. I look forward to starting 2017 more "playful"!
July 18, 2023
On the positive side, Milliken draws on her extensive counseling experience to provide concrete techniques for improving communication, managing household responsibilities, and strengthening intimacy in ADHD partnerships.
Her advice for organizing systems, making lists, and creating routines is practical and actionable. She also offers a valuable perspective on appreciating each partner's strengths and limitations.
However, the book lacks a coherent structure. Milliken jumps randomly from topic to topic, with redundant points repeated in different chapters. There are numerous typos and formatting inconsistencies as well.
As an ADHD reader myself, I found the book's disjointed writing style very difficult to follow. The content often felt more like scattered thoughts rather than a cohesive guide. Perhaps that’s because it’s written by a fellow neurodivergent human — I’m not sure.
In the end, while "PlayDHD" contains some worthwhile nuggets, I wish Milliken had organized the material in a more focused, reader-friendly manner.
Her expertise on ADHD relationships is evident, but the poor execution hampers the book's message. More polish would elevate the helpful ideas within.
Her advice for organizing systems, making lists, and creating routines is practical and actionable. She also offers a valuable perspective on appreciating each partner's strengths and limitations.
However, the book lacks a coherent structure. Milliken jumps randomly from topic to topic, with redundant points repeated in different chapters. There are numerous typos and formatting inconsistencies as well.
As an ADHD reader myself, I found the book's disjointed writing style very difficult to follow. The content often felt more like scattered thoughts rather than a cohesive guide. Perhaps that’s because it’s written by a fellow neurodivergent human — I’m not sure.
In the end, while "PlayDHD" contains some worthwhile nuggets, I wish Milliken had organized the material in a more focused, reader-friendly manner.
Her expertise on ADHD relationships is evident, but the poor execution hampers the book's message. More polish would elevate the helpful ideas within.
May 8, 2023
Kirsten Milliken (psychologist and ADHD coach) writes from personal experience as someone who has ADHD and who works as a clinical psychologist. Her prescription is to go play and gamify life. My son already does a lot of these things and some of them don’t interest him, but Milliken offers a lot of great ideas about how to live with, manage, and harness play to find meaningful, positive, and rewarding ways to live with ADHD.
March 27, 2022
Really concise and I engaging. I’m getting a copy for my office. I’m a big fan of gamification strategies and this book takes this aspect of ADHD symptom management to its highest level. How lovely to get a “prescription to play.”
February 21, 2022
By far one of the best ADHD books around!
March 24, 2019
What a great way to not only deal with ADHD but also with life. We could all use more fun in our lives and play is a wonderful pathway to do so.
Initially I started reading this book to better understand my adult son, who has ADHD, but I quickly realized that I saw myself in many of the scenarios as well. When I shared that with my son, he said, “I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that you have it too!”
I love the practical suggestions on how to incorporate play into our lives, but also the explanations about how play can help. I especially like the references to others who are diagnosed and that the author wrote the book having first hand experience. She caught me every time I jumped ahead, and was waiting for me.
The book is playfully written with interesting fonts, colors, images, and page design. It certainly kept my interest as the author’s own story was shared with wit and wisdom.
Initially I started reading this book to better understand my adult son, who has ADHD, but I quickly realized that I saw myself in many of the scenarios as well. When I shared that with my son, he said, “I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that you have it too!”
I love the practical suggestions on how to incorporate play into our lives, but also the explanations about how play can help. I especially like the references to others who are diagnosed and that the author wrote the book having first hand experience. She caught me every time I jumped ahead, and was waiting for me.
The book is playfully written with interesting fonts, colors, images, and page design. It certainly kept my interest as the author’s own story was shared with wit and wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews