Scan barcode
A review by pinkblingd
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Your Life by Sari Solden
medium-paced
4.0
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder is an amazing book to understand the inattentive and quiet type of ADHD. Sari Solden details the many symptoms and narrates many client stories to highlight how these symptoms may show up and affect our lives. These stories are what makes the book amazing — because ADHD can show up in unique ways, making it that much harder to diagnose.
This book is not for diagnosis. (ADHD diagnosis can only be done by a medical counsellor, not self. And definitely not by that reel you saw where normal human symptoms in a chronically toxic system are framed as ADHD.)
The book is mainly to understand the inattentive type of ADHD, educate oneself and let go of much of the shame associated with these symptoms, and take necessary steps towards getting a diagnosis.
I think it's a great book to read before diagnosis. With a better understanding, one can ask the right questions and break down important areas of concern. For example, ADHD can also affect how we connect with people. A person with ADHD who is dealing with the breakdown of their executive functions/systems may not realise their relationship issues with friends/partners are also due to ADHD. They may be stressing themselves further by assigning their interpersonal issues the label of their character defect.
Another way reading about ADHD helps before/after diagnosis, is in understanding what is and what is not ADHD. With so many generalised social media reels and posts on ADHD and other mental health issues, there is an unhealthy amount of people diagnosing themselves and others. (I have had this experience: a friend stereotyped my entire personality using one or two points and diagnosed me out of nowhere. And with so much conviction.)
The book also details misdiagnosis and the complications of diagnosis, and why it should only be done by a trained professional: Other mental health conditions may be showing up as ADHD symptoms. Undiagnosed ADHD can lead to anxiety, depression, and OCD. A person may also have ADHD and other mental health issues. Or they may have all the symptoms of ADHD and not have ADHD.
It's an entire journey with self-education and a good therapist helping you understand your unique ADHD symptoms, how/when they show up, managing the symptoms through regular therapy and, if required, regular medication.
This book is not for diagnosis. (ADHD diagnosis can only be done by a medical counsellor, not self. And definitely not by that reel you saw where normal human symptoms in a chronically toxic system are framed as ADHD.)
The book is mainly to understand the inattentive type of ADHD, educate oneself and let go of much of the shame associated with these symptoms, and take necessary steps towards getting a diagnosis.
I think it's a great book to read before diagnosis. With a better understanding, one can ask the right questions and break down important areas of concern. For example, ADHD can also affect how we connect with people. A person with ADHD who is dealing with the breakdown of their executive functions/systems may not realise their relationship issues with friends/partners are also due to ADHD. They may be stressing themselves further by assigning their interpersonal issues the label of their character defect.
Another way reading about ADHD helps before/after diagnosis, is in understanding what is and what is not ADHD. With so many generalised social media reels and posts on ADHD and other mental health issues, there is an unhealthy amount of people diagnosing themselves and others. (I have had this experience: a friend stereotyped my entire personality using one or two points and diagnosed me out of nowhere. And with so much conviction.)
The book also details misdiagnosis and the complications of diagnosis, and why it should only be done by a trained professional: Other mental health conditions may be showing up as ADHD symptoms. Undiagnosed ADHD can lead to anxiety, depression, and OCD. A person may also have ADHD and other mental health issues. Or they may have all the symptoms of ADHD and not have ADHD.
It's an entire journey with self-education and a good therapist helping you understand your unique ADHD symptoms, how/when they show up, managing the symptoms through regular therapy and, if required, regular medication.