You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder

"Prior to reading this book, I had read' ADD, the unfocused mind in Children and Adults by Thomas E. Brown which is a fascinating and thorough text on the subject. It is such a good book that the Library are chasing me to give it back!

This book though is a complete waste of time. Well I concede that the Authors are well meaning, this book has absolutely nothing to offer. I have found the book very hard to read as it does not really capture your attention at all (which is bad for someone with ADD!) It has no real structure and is just a load of rambling.

I may be a bit harsh as I am comparing it to the aforementioned book with was excellent.


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~ Written on 2007-11-24

"I used to be "Lazy, Stupid and Crazy". Now I am an informed adult ADD'er who is learning to focus, not only on the challenge of getting through the day, appropriately, and feeling like a useful member of my family and society. Some people refer to ADD or ADHD as an excuse or a "label". It is a much more positive one than Lazy, Stupid or Crazy and certainly a lot easier to live with than "all three", especially since, it is treatable. This book has taken me through the denial , the grieving, the accepting and the healing processes and has helped me participate in the decision to "medicate or not to medicate". I am gaining the confidence to talk about the condition and to discuss my own experiences with those people who wish to learn more about the condition. To explain that ADD'ers do not necessarily "swing from the curtain rails" and that medication can be an answer but is not necessarily so. And that I take Ritilin! Scary stuff in New Zealand where we are still in diapers on the subject of ADD and ADHD. I have found this book to be an excellent resource - worth having in your personal library for reference - I hated it the first time I read it while in my denial stage and some two years later, I have come to accept the honest and down to earth information that I needed to read! The writing style in the book is easy and comfortable and it is written in a paragraph form that will help people with reading challenges to stay focused,without "getting lost" on the page. Do not be put off by the lengh and detail in the book. If you are an ADD adult, or if you are reading it to understand ADD in adults, you can open this book at any chapter and on any page and find something that you can relate to in you day to day experiences with ADD. I consider this book as part of my therapy for coping with day to day life. Well Done, Kate and Peggy. I owe you!"
~ Written on 2000-06-18

"Just got the diagnose myself and the book was jusr what I needed to see one more time that I am not alone with this problem and some solutions how to handle it, and the title quite well summon up how I feelt during most of my life(esp in school)before I got an explanation"
~ Written on 1999-11-29

"I bought this book shortly after discovering I had Attention Deficit. When reading this book it was as if someone had followed me throughout my life and wrote down my experiences and feelings. It really helped validate my ADD and my feelings associated with it. It also pointed out the many positives of being ADD and also the work needed to put the necessary structure in place. I recommend this highly for women struggling with their new diagnosis."
~ Written on 1999-07-22

"Unfortunately, the only way to know that this book is not for you is to have bought and read it. The authors bravely place on the cover: "Self help for Adults with ADD" but medically, ADD is not diagnosed in adults unless they have had a history of hyperactivity and trouble-making as children. Most of the book is devoted to tracing the typical ADD (or ADHD) child into adulthood, leaving only a tiny portion of the book to actual "self help" for adult sufferers. Even though you may have all of the symptoms down to the letter, once you were not a little devil in childhood, there is no help for you. Ritalin can cause profound dysphoria within minutes of peak positive effect, while SSRIs (antidepressants) can wreak havoc in your emotional, social (can actually MAKE you depressed!) and sexual lives. Between this book and incompetent medical practitioners, I think I am consigned to a lifetime of poor focus, concentration, motivation and productivity."
~ Written on 1999-07-15