A review by kajalhalwa
Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell A. Barkley
3.0
This book is pretty helpful in getting sense of what adult ADHD looks like, but some aspects are very outdated. The book overall is also not inclusive.
Many caregivers encourage ADHDer kids to mask symptoms and punish them when they don’t. This contributes to under-diagnosis, but also encourages patients to internalize symptoms and develop systems to compensate. I would have liked more anecdotes featuring people who mask and internalize symptoms. I think many people also have more reasons to fear authorities than the people featured in the anecdotes, so have strong incentive to devote energy towards masking.
(In the section dedicated to improving finances):
“If you must carry a cell phone …Make it the cheapest model out there and the cheapest calling plan you can find. You don’t need a camera or Internet, e-mail, or Twitter access everywhere you go. No one is that important. Stop using your cell phone as an entertainment device and start using it as a practical tool to call the people you must and to hear only from those you must hear from, and nothing more. ”
Looks like this passage hasn’t been updated since before smartphones became ubiquitous. In most places people cannot fully participate in society or get their needs met without a decently functioning smartphone. I don’t think it’s great either. Still, smartphones come with a variety of good tools and when used right, these tools can help a lot, and this includes using a camera, Internet, email and social media. As for using phones for entertainment, well, many people wouldn’t complete boring but necessary tasks without entertainment. Many people also wouldn't otherwise have access to entertainment, connection or information, especially in a way they can fit into their busy (and at times unsafe) living situations.
Smartphones can absolutely enable irresponsibility, but I really think it’s a matter of committing to regular self awareness checks and using that info to tweak things here and there until you find the balance that serves you.
I appreciate the section that recommends having a sense of humour toward one’s ADHD. The disorder can impact most if not all areas of life. I think there are some situations where some people who would think that laughing about it means that ADHD isn’t a serious disability. But ADHDers themselves can laugh about their own disorder without losing accountability. When paired with self-kindness, it can lead to developing a healthier perspective and more resilient self esteem.
I also like that the author takes the disorder seriously and shows the many ways it negatively impacts most of not all aspects of life. While I do wish for diversity in the examples, I still got the message that it’s indeed something to take seriously, take responsibility for and something to ask for external help with.
Many caregivers encourage ADHDer kids to mask symptoms and punish them when they don’t. This contributes to under-diagnosis, but also encourages patients to internalize symptoms and develop systems to compensate. I would have liked more anecdotes featuring people who mask and internalize symptoms. I think many people also have more reasons to fear authorities than the people featured in the anecdotes, so have strong incentive to devote energy towards masking.
(In the section dedicated to improving finances):
“If you must carry a cell phone …Make it the cheapest model out there and the cheapest calling plan you can find. You don’t need a camera or Internet, e-mail, or Twitter access everywhere you go. No one is that important. Stop using your cell phone as an entertainment device and start using it as a practical tool to call the people you must and to hear only from those you must hear from, and nothing more. ”
Looks like this passage hasn’t been updated since before smartphones became ubiquitous. In most places people cannot fully participate in society or get their needs met without a decently functioning smartphone. I don’t think it’s great either. Still, smartphones come with a variety of good tools and when used right, these tools can help a lot, and this includes using a camera, Internet, email and social media. As for using phones for entertainment, well, many people wouldn’t complete boring but necessary tasks without entertainment. Many people also wouldn't otherwise have access to entertainment, connection or information, especially in a way they can fit into their busy (and at times unsafe) living situations.
Smartphones can absolutely enable irresponsibility, but I really think it’s a matter of committing to regular self awareness checks and using that info to tweak things here and there until you find the balance that serves you.
I appreciate the section that recommends having a sense of humour toward one’s ADHD. The disorder can impact most if not all areas of life. I think there are some situations where some people who would think that laughing about it means that ADHD isn’t a serious disability. But ADHDers themselves can laugh about their own disorder without losing accountability. When paired with self-kindness, it can lead to developing a healthier perspective and more resilient self esteem.
I also like that the author takes the disorder seriously and shows the many ways it negatively impacts most of not all aspects of life. While I do wish for diversity in the examples, I still got the message that it’s indeed something to take seriously, take responsibility for and something to ask for external help with.