Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder

This is one of those books that is both a gift... and very upsetting. - - When I was coming up, the terms ADD and ADHD were just becoming popular... only they were becoming so popular a lot of people were having trouble taking them seriously. - - It seemed like a faddy diagnosis and an excuse to medicate any kid who the television set couldn't babysit for adequately... At that time, I should note that it was clear that I had some kind of learning disability - -yet was a supposed "gifted underachiever" - - meaning I had a supposed "borderline genius" IQ but was too "lazy", "disorganized", "unfocused" even "bored" with school work. (Back then the only treatments were "punishment", "tolerance" or counseling to deal with the "problem behaviors") Ironically enough, just after I finished HS the SIMPSON'S became popular, and the term GIFTED UNDERACHIEVER also became a popular term... When I went to school however, bad grades meant STUPID... and there is no doubt, I carry some of the trauma and ridicule today (*Teachers just LOVE calling on ADD kids when they're not paying attention and singling them out.... supposedly to shame them into paying attention, but in reality, as an ADD'er I think it was just one trauma built on another!) O.K. Years passed... and because of my inability to achieve in conventional settings I can't begin to describe all the problems, conflicts and restlessness I had in life... (and here is where I begin to get back on topic....) HAVING READ THIS BOOK I actually read chapters of my own life story to such a point that had a been able to go back 28 years and been told "this is your future" - - I would have actually been able to read it and have SEEN my future (as well as perhaps get help.) Anyway, recently I learned that I had ADHD, and you can have ADHD without being "hyper" - - and in looking deeper I realized that my life was a text book on ADD and it explained everything - - so here's my point: Dr. Hallowell makes a lot of suggestions and leaves it open to the reader to choose... medication, therapy, coaching, 12 step program - - even yoga, medidation and nutritional supplements. Some may very well be quack therapies, others may be under-explored answers - - throw all bias aside fact is this: Had somebody given me this book 20 years ago... (long pause) I probably would have lost it ( In conclusion:- - No, the book does not offer an all in all 100% proven solves all single cure... but it offers OPTIONS... as well as anecdotes that not only demonstrate what its like to have ADD, but are cathartic to read as well... so I see this book as a gift... Looking back, I now realize I suffered because this wasn't common knowlege when I was a kid... on the other hand ADD is nothing new... there have been unfocused, disorganized yet creative people since the begining of time... now however, a syndrome that describes a condition that many people like me have is being formally studied and treatment options are being explored.

I think there are two ways to read this and Hallowell's other book. At first, each sentence felt like a kick in the gut to me. It felt so disabling; thinking of all the ways ADD can manifest itself and become an obstacle, how it had in my past and how it could in my future. But I think I was reading it with too much negativity. It's very easy to use these examples as a crutch, but in Delivered, Hallowell is framing his argument to be enlightening, not depressing. Last night I started tearing up at some lines. It's so unifying, to know other people think this way, and to hear him describe it NOT as a disease or a dysfunction, just a difference in the way the brain processes information and sensations. ADDers are prone to negativity, which breeds more negativity, and so on. If you instead read this book with a positive approach, it's articulation, not punches in the gut. To Hallowell, the only "disorder" present is that you can't bracket out the things that (supposedly) don't matter. To someone with ADD, everything matters, all stimuli is significant, all windows should be looked out, all ideas blurted out loud, all daydreams explored by the imagination. Sure this gets in the way of productivity, but I don't know if being that sensitive to input and engaged with life can really be described as a disorder. I really believe this book will help people harness all their chaos and use it - whether it's with list-making and highlighters, the help of a good friend, planners, therapy, medication, creative outlets, whatever. There will still be chaos, but chaos with reason. Like really great guitar solos. "We may make messes wherever we go, but with the right help, those messes can be turned into realms of reason and art." - Edward M. Hallowell.

In 1994, Hallowell and Ratey published Driven to Distraction to rave reviews. Now, Delivered from Distraction hits the bookstores to similar accolades. The message of hope and celebrating your strengths is the same, the tone of empowerment is the same. What's changed? The very latest in the world of attention differences, including current research in lifestyle changes, supplements, medication, and testing. Unlike D2D, Dr. Hallowell wrote the book, but the project was shared with Dr. Ratey. Like Driven to Distraction, the book is sprinkled with observations taken from the pages of Hallowell's practice. This book is comprehensive and renovated extensively from Driven to Distraction. The ADD field has grown more complex and saturated with "Do this or do that," - "Try this, try that." In four parts, Delivered from Distraction provides a foundation from which to discuss the ADD phenomenon: (1) What's It Like to Have ADD? (2) Three Stories that Tell the Story (3) Making the Diagnosis of ADD (4) Mastering the Power and Avoiding the Pitfalls: The Treatment of ADD. There's a lot to digest in Delivered. The chapters I found fascinating were "ADD Self-Assessment Quizzes for Adults," "An evil, an Illness, or a Kind of Mind?," "The qEEG and SPECT scan" "Conditions that Coexist with ADD," "Bipolar or ADD?" "Genetics," "Are We Training our Children to have ADD?" "The Treatment of ADD: What Works Best," and "ADD in Families." That's almost the whole book... By far, I was fascinated by the chapter on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and its relationship to inflammation and ADD. Dr. Hallowell and Barry Sears of the Zone Diet have teamed up for a study at Hallowell's center in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Does Omega 3 help people with ADD? A few people I know who take Omega 3 have positive experience with this supplement, so I was excited to find that there is a study in the works. Delivered from Distraction is far from ordinary and my interest grew from page to page. It's an easy read, either from front to back or specific chapters of your choice. Perfect for those with wandering, creative minds. And written with a humorous streak at times, too. Definitely not boring. Final thoughts: This book is comprehensive and updated extensively from Driven to Distraction. Bottom line? Delivered From Distraction delivers.

*1) Like many w/ possible ADD, I have "trouble reading", which includes getting myself to actually read even when interested, and extends to tremendous difficulty in FINISHING things/projects in life. This has been extraordinarily painful, b/c sometimes I can perform "at a very high level", even reading!. ##***2) For those who are unsure if they are ADD or if it even matters ( & can't find out b/c they "can't read"), _DO_CHECK_OUT_THE_INTRODUCTION_. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. The vignette is spectacular. 2b) Yes, there exist: personal strength/responsibility, personal cultivation/willpower, values, discipline, etc. Many people seem to continually falter despite nonstop effort. However, in certain people, dramatic progress is achievable through a SOPHISTICATED managment of ADD. At least in some cases, self-flagellation is pointless if there exists a quality, evidence-based solution that intercepts the need for self-loathing. 3) For those who might have a complicated diagnosis (such as an adhd- & -Gently-bipolar mix), these authors are extraordinary clinicians. They even have quality analysis and evidence for the trade-off dangers and benefits of crossing-over treatments for these two! 4) For those w/ concerns of overdiagnosis & overmedication: see their acknowledgments of such, as well as facts pointing to underdiagnosis in some cases. 5) For those wanting to avoid medication, some ground is covered here. 6) For those who (perhaps with their doctor) think they might be, but find that they do not fit the "standard" ADD cariacature (including DSM criteria): This book may be a lifesaver.