Bob Bobman

Re-live all your old parent/teacher conferences!

Revisado: 02-20-13

What would have made Adult ADD better?

I want to admit, up front, that this review is written from a very personal point of view. It might have just triggered something in me. I don't know. But I feel it's only fair for someone with the trait to hop in and give their honest reaction.

Adults with AD/HD have been told their whole lives to "try harder" while, in reality, we're trying as hard as we can. Lack of clarity and proper guidance - showing us the details that we can't see - is what has been part of so many misunderstandings. This book uses so many generalizations ("try replacing bad habits with good ones"...ok, HOW?) that much of it comes off as Tadlock telling us those two words which are like a knife in the soul of an ADDer: "try harder."

What was most disappointing about Martha A. Tadlock’s story?

The book is written from the "disorder" model, often as though the person listening to/reading it is too dumb or too broken to understand what is going on and that there is some unseen adult in the room that the book is actually addressing. Yes, the book is about a condition that I have, but I always felt that my humanity was not addressed. In the eyes of this book's author, I'm just a problem. A manifestation of a disorder. It was like I was back in 5th grade and the teacher was telling me information which was actually intended for my parents' ears - just to make me feel like I was included.

It says that it talks about the strengths of AD/HD (and there are many), but halfway through it I haven't found a single reason for anyone to feel good or hopeful about having this trait. It's a trait, Martha. The message seems to be something along the lines of: well, you're screwed, but here are some horrifying drugs and expensive treatments you'll have to take in order to be viewed as anything close to a normal, functioning adult - which you'll never really be anyways.

If I had found this book early into my treatment for this TRAIT I would have tossed my ritalin in the toilet and gone back to self medicating because there is only the most marginally positive, condescending silver lining which doesn't even present itself until the majority of the material is done telling you how broken you are. But it's not your fault, so I guess that is cause for hope?

How did the narrator detract from the book?

When someone has performed their function in the most basic, C-level way I've found that it's fun to tell them "job" as a form of non-praise, non-critique. They did, in fact, do their job. Not well, but not poorly. If I were to be directing this recording session I would look the narrator squarely in the eye and tell her, "job" with the utmost sincerity.

What character would you cut from Adult ADD?

This question doesn't make any sense. Why would you put this question on this book, Audible?

Any additional comments?

Any information found in this book can be easily found by scanning the first three search results you get when you search for "adult ADD." If you're totally new to the AD/HD game, this might have some use but the tone is also so atrocious that I'd worry that anyone using this as their first point of educational contact would just want to give up on any possible future plans, goals, or happiness. I suppose it's ok for people who don't have the trait, but again this would probably cause them to look down on those who do.

It's not overtly negative, mind you. It's just very antiquated in its outlook and that is really apparent in its tone. I didn't think to look, but I imagine that this book was written some time in the 90's when research on the (may) positive traits of ADHD was minimal. Someone without the trait might read this and think that it's all very appropriate and not condescending at all but, to me, it just felt like so many discussions I've had with people who had an intellectual, brochure-level understanding of what I was going through yet still thought that it was totally appropriate to tell me that I just need to pay attention more or to "try harder" when I was already using every ounce of effort I had.

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