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Driven to Distraction cover art

Driven to Distraction

Written by: M.D. Edward M. Hallowell M.D.,John J. Ratey
Narrated by: John McDonough
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Publisher's Summary

Through vivid stories of the experiences of their patients (both adults and children), Drs. Hallowell and Ratey show the varied forms ADD takes - from the hyperactive search for high stimulation to the floating inattention of daydreaming - and the transforming impact of precise diagnosis and treatment.

©1995 Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D. All rights reserved. ©1995 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

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Just got diagnosed at 41

I recently got diagnosed and this book is a weath of information and will give you a lot of clarity. It was actually emotional listening to the case studies as I also have always thought there was something wrong with me. I always thought I should be doing better but lacked discipline. I thought I was a jerk. (not the word I used but....) Buy it if you know anyone with ADD or ADHD and especially buy it if you think ADHD is some made up thing to sell drugs. It is not. #Audible1

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First time getting through.

I have had this book on my shelf for a long time. As a person diagnosed with ADHD, it was very difficult for me to get started. I tried many times to pick it up and read it. The patient stories helped to keep my interest, and the narrators slight changes in reading style helped the stories to come through. This is a valuable book, and important for anyone dealing with ADHD in any aspect of their life. I’m very glad to have finally found a way to get through it from beginning to end.

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3 people found this helpful

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  • Ray
  • 2018-10-09

Great explanation of what is going on

I suspect that I have ADD. I was never diagnosed as a child, but my mother told me that there had been discussions about if I might have it. She did not go for the test because of the stigma that diagnosis carried when I was in school.

Now 30+ years later to discover that all of my challenges in school while well documented, we’re not investigated is a bit of a disappointment to me because I could have at least been able to know what i was going through.

This book have a good explanation of the mechanics of what I recognized as a child and young adult, and also now as an adult. I’ll move forward from this and hunt for further resources to see if I can manage this condition that I have, be it ADD, or not.

If you ever tell yourself that you are stupid, and it’s an automatic reaction when things go wrong, check this book out. It may help...

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good listen

Great content for ADD Adults but would be more effective with a more engaging narrator.

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Anecdotal and excruciatingly repetitive

I don't really know what I expected, but this wasn't useful at all. It feels like an endless series of anecdotal accounts trying to hit home the message that attention deficit disorder is a thing. They all hit the same beats, and it gets tiresome to hear the same vague reassurances over and over and over again. The actual practical bits of advice are few and far between, not to mention lacking in detail and specificity.

That being said, it seems like this book might have some utility as an antidote to skepticism regarding ADD. If you genuinely think the condition is bogus, or you're just having a hard time empathizing with someone afflicted, reading (or listening to) this might cause you to reevaluate that position.

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A must read for all

Loved that the author has add, and experienced so many clients with add. I look forward to listening many more time. I have a much greater understanding of myself, my husband and our children.

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Good read

Stuff I needed to hear for sure. I did get a lot from it. I am an adult with ADD and it’s seems I’ve been struggling my entire life with it. I will be looking for other books that cover ADD and ADHD for adults but this book has helped me to understand a lot about this diagnosis.

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Excelent book for introduction to adult add/adhd!

The book is excelent and the narrator as well,nice, calm and steady,low frequency voice .An introduction to adult add /adhd but not only.I found many useful information that I intend to use ,ways that can probably help me be more efficient ,relaxed and organized!

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important book did not realise how deep adhd runs

important book did not realise how deep adhd runs its a life changer thank you!

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Foundational Education: Expert Information, Pleasant Delivery

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Dr. Hallowell does a wonderful job explaining ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD 6 years ago, and have been educated about it off and on since then. I learned new things from his book, even though it is dated. I would consider this book one of the (if not thee) most foundational books on ADHD. I feel Dr. Hallowell speaks about ADHD matter-of-factly, and the fact that he also has ADHD makes you relate to him on a certain level. The narrator has a pleasant, theatrical voice that is enjoying to listen to. He puts outstanding emphasis in all the right places and the highs and lows of his voice will not put you to sleep. Very, very good book.

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  • JD Herbert
  • 2018-02-06

Informative

As an adult with a husband, 2 kids under 4, a full-time job in a classroom and a budding business owner I thought I was lazy, crazy, and something was just missing. Everything I tried to do from lesson plans, to baby schedules, to cooking, etc took me 2-3 times longer than my peers. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe ADD in August and my dr recommended this book. I bought it right away but was never able to read much because of my lack of focus and time. The audible version was perfect and I just about cried as every new topic, every case study, every description is what I had been living with my whole life but has gradually gotten worse as my responsibilities increased. I had my husband listen too and it has really added another level to his understanding of me and what I go through on a daily basis. While the information wasn’t a cure it certainly is a great starting point to a better understanding of what add is and what it does in my life. It is definitely a better alternative to researching online which would lead to 1,000 open tabs of partially skimmed information and new avenues to explore and coming out the other end none the wiser.

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48 people found this helpful

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  • Matthew S. Taylor
  • 2016-12-18

If you or a loved one has ADHD, this is a must-read.

The most important book for helping me understand my life with adult ADHD. So glad it was on Audible. I've had the print version for years, but kept getting distracted from finishing it.

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  • JT
  • 2018-10-28

A must for those with or close to ADD

I'm 35 and was diagnosed with ADHD just a few years ago. Being diagnosed answered a lot of questions, but also left a lot unanswered. Why can it be so hard to focus on a task, but then I'm able to hyper-focus at times too? Maybe my diagnosis was wrong? Through the stories of the patients in this book, I got a much better understanding of how ADHD shows up. There were several stories that were so similar to mine, and seeing these patients' experience was such a relief to me. I also had my wife listen in on a couple specific sections that I felt explained what happens in my head better than I have been able to, which has provided some benefit and ease in our relationship.

This book is long- ironically so, given the audience, and I'm sure glad it is on Audible as I couldn't have focused well enough to read it on paper. Though long, I do see the value in the broad coverage of the topic and stories covering the spectrum of how this disorder appears in people's lives.

The narrator was very pleasant. His voice is soothingly wonderful, and perfect for this potentially challenging topic.

I highly recommend this book!

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  • Bryan Mills
  • 2015-12-15

So many lists

While I absolutely loved the lessons that this book gave me I couldn't help but notice that the book does lists very regularly. These weren't very short lists either so it made it slightly difficult to stay on track with the book. I did especially enjoy the stories of others that struggle with ADHD. It helps to know that you are not alone when it comes to these things. I would recommended this book to adults looking to educate themselves on ADHD.

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  • J. Huffaker
  • 2018-12-03

ABetyer Understanding of ADHD

Nice, matter of fact narration. If you have ADHD, recommend listening at 1.15 speed and possibly have a paper copy to follow along with when listening. (Or take notes, if that's one of your strategies for paying attention)

the book itself is very good, especially since it's written by someone who has ADHD, and plenty of stories from others who have it. Information on meds somewhat dated, but the strategies and talk about effects of ADHD on those who have it and people around them (us) is still timely and worth the listen

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  • Lonescout
  • 2018-08-11

A Bit Outdated

While this book is helpful in some ways, and continues to inspire hope within many who struggle with ADD (particularly in adults), some of the information is quite outdated. During the 1980's and early 90's, not much was known about Autism Spectrum Disorders, therefore some of the anecdotes used seem to describe forms of high functioning ASD rather than ADD, though they do share some overlapping symptoms. Overall, it's not a bad read; if one has spare time and happens to be curious about this book, I would not try to dissuade anyone... just keep in mind that there are better, more up to date reads on the subject.

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  • Shane
  • 2014-12-31

Good in general

Good in general though somewhat dated (eg. Makes reference to DSM-III, instead of DSM-5 (which includes adult ADHD), doesn't reference newer drugs. research etc).

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  • Allison
  • 2020-04-15

A life changer

The pace is soothing, the narration is very ‘dignified’. The content is thorough and extremity helpful.

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  • Tom Riddle
  • 2019-01-30

Not what I wanted

the book starts off nicely and interestingly but then right around the second story, the author starts recommending medications and subtly criticising other forms of self medication, even though we know for a fact that more people die from prescription medications than from other "self medication" drugs.
I also don't think the answer to my problem with concentration is to force myself to keep schedules, notes and a plan for each month.
while I'm sure that the author provides a solution for a lot of people, but I enjoy the chaos and I like having 0 plans, I prefer listening to multiple podcasts -- concurrently -- and at the same time trying to focus on a task (even though it doesn't usually work well) than to keep writing and planning days and days of my life.

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  • John M Doman Jr
  • 2019-08-20

Very informative

I am grateful for the information I learned in listening to this book. My spouse and lots of family members have been diagnosed with ADD and I feel I have a much better understanding of what that means.

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