Book Review: ADHD Explained by Edward M. Hallowell
When purchasing this book, I was hoping to help my partner better understand what it's like for me and our child who have ADHD. I imagined it would really clear things up for her and allow her a better view of our brains and then we could better brainstorm things together.
This idea quickly evaporated as I began reading the book. The illustrations and colors and little boxes with random ADHD wisdom were pulling me in. I felt excited tracing my fingers along the roadmap of ADHD (fun fact, Hippocrates is the first person to mention something along the lines of what we now call ADHD) and all its advances. Then I felt shocked as I learned why money management is so hard and why time management seems foreign. This book was fun and funny but also informative in a way ADHD brains can feel stimulated.
Although I am a professional in the mental health world this book was more informative than any textbook I had to read in school. The author explores their own struggles with ADHD and you can see the book was made in honor of the incredible ADHD brain. In the past I have been able to read articles and books, but retaining the information felt like an impossible task. I always find myself having to stop and take a break every sentence towards the end of a longer research article or short, word-filled blog. This book was easier to digest and felt much more manageable.
I would strongly encourage folks who feel defeated trying to understand ADHD to see if this book helps. It did for me and it even included things my child can understand and recognize. It's fun and interactive and gives us a reminder of all the great things we can do because of our different brains.