Answers to Distraction (1994, 2010) by Ned Hallowell and John Ratey

The 2010 edition

 This is the perfect book about ADHD for people with ADHD. No long, dry chapters, just quick questions-and-answers grouped by theme: school, work, meds, diagnosis, brain function, relationships, exercise…
 
If you or someone you know need to get a handle on this oft-misunderstood disorder, then you’re sure to find answers to your own questions and you can flit from page to page like a hummingbird.
 
As this is not really a book review, just a log and reflection of what I’m reading, I’m making a note of what I want to remember from Answers to Distraction:
 

• Don’t forget or disregard the diagnosis.

The original 1994 edition

 The most common mistake parents make is forgetting the child has ADHD. Yep, I do this all the time. I think, “My _____ -year-old should be able to do this independently by now.” And then I get frustrated and lose my temper. But of course, because of the disorder, he can’t. Then, the most harmful mistake is disregarding the diagnosis and trying to force the child to do what he cannot. Best quotable: “As my uncle (who had ADD) used to say, ‘When all else fails, ignorant people try wielding a bigger sledgehammer.’” p. 40-41
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• The Big Struggle. It’s real. This is what Hallowell and Ratey call the escalating spiral of conflict between parents and ADHD teens. When I read this section, we had just had a Big Struggle ourselves and were still bruised from the vicious thoughts, words and even actions that had resulted. When I spoke to my son about it afterward, he remarked that on one level he enjoys watching me pound my fists against the brick wall of his will until I give up in despair. Having a name for this type of conflict and knowing we’re not the only ones may reduce the frequency, or at least help us recognize what’s happening and put our sledgehammers away. Humour is a much better tool. Cracking corny jokes de-fuses willpower bombs, even if your teen covers his mouth to try to hide his smile. p. 168-171

• Exercise. The chapters contributed by John Ratey make the case for exercise as a more powerful therapy than medication, supplements or coaching. It activates the pre-frontal cortex, decreases free-radical oxidative damage, improves executive function, among many other benefits. He’s written much more about this in his book Spark, which I can’t wait to read. One good book leads to another. p.236-237, p.304-305

 

• Cannabis is the worst possible thing for teens with ADHD. On the one hand, it’s such a delicious experience that it can become psychologically addictive after just one use. On the other hand, it worsens motivation and memory—weakening what’s already weak. p. 267

 

• Keep it Complex, Stupid. People with ADHD can take something simple and turn it into a morass of complexity. They sometimes spend more time planning the task than it would have taken to do the task. But it’s helpful to know this is a symptom of the disorder, not a character defect. So supporting ADHD people means helping them keep things simple. p. 164-165

 
Have you read it? What were your takeaways?

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