Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?: Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder

by Gina Pera, Russell Barkley Ph.D. (Foreword by)

Overview

Is It You, Me, or Adult ADHD? has helped thousands of readers understand how this highly variable syndrome affects them as individuals and in their relationships. Around the globe, professionals and couples who have elevated their lives with the book's wisdom recommend it to others.

Gina Pera expertly guides readers in making sense of your own Adult ADHD Roller Coaster-helping to:

View ADHD as a variable syndrome affecting individuals

Realize how later-in-life ADHD diagnosis creates additional issues

Revise old misinterpretations that can thwart progress now-for the adult with ADHD, the partner, and other loved ones

Heal poor coping responses and dysfunctional interaction cycles

Implement supports to completing routine tasks and reaching goals

Appreciate how ADHD can also negatively affect the spouses and other loved ones

Delve into "denial's" dual nature - physiological and psychological - and reach through it

Adopt proven approaches that remain extremely rare in clinical settings, especially couple therapy

Be a more pro-active and confident mental-healthcare consumer, especially with medications for ADHD

The science has been clear since 1994, when Adult ADHD was declared a medical diagnosis. Still, the public harbors misconceptions, and that means millions suffer needlessly. That includes millions of couples who can't understand why their lives together are so hard-often despite many attempts at therapy.

The simple truth is: Everyone knows someone with adult ADHD. Yet we often misattribute the symptoms to anxiety, depression, or even laziness, selfishness, "addictive personality," or moodiness. Some assume that ADHD means little boys with ants in their pants. In fact, childhood hyperactivity goes "underground" as the person matures, resulting in a mentally restless state.

Meticulously researched and written by Gina Pera, Is It You, Me, or Adult ADHD? helps you recognize the behaviors where you least expect them with:

Sound explanations from highly respected experts

Plenty of real-life details

Empathy and compassion for everyone affected by Adult ADHD

Clear advice on proven treatment options, including cognitive-behavioral therapy for ADHD and medication and practical solutions

The revolutionary message is one of hope for millions of people-and a joyous opportunity for a better life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780981548708
Publisher:	1201 Alarm Press
Publication date:	08/31/2008
Series:	ADHD Roller Coaster Guides , #1
Pages:	369
Sales rank:	122,058
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gina Pera is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist and a nationally known advocate for ADHD awareness and effective treament standards.

Pam Ward has performed in dinner theater, summer stock, and Off-Broadway, as well as in commercials, radio, and film. An experienced narrator, Pam has recorded many titles for the Library of Congress Talking Books program. She is the recipient of an AudioFile Earphones Award and the prestigious Alexander Scourby Award.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Insightful, helpful, witty, and very practical. This book can change your life." —-Daniel G. Amen, M.D., author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

Editorial Reviews

"...Until now, however, no books existed that combined a scientific understanding of adult ADHD with pragmatic recommendations to guide coping and problem-solving. Gina Pera's book does so with an admirable balance of sage advice and wise strategies based on the current science.

-Russell Barkley, Ph.D.

"...I recommend it highly to all couples whose troubles seem incomprehensible and for all couple therapists it should be required reading to help them distinguish between ordinary conflict and the roller coaster effect of this syndrome."

-Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples

"...a stunning book, a must-read for couples where one or both partners have ADHD. Kudos and thanks to Ms. Pera! I will make this book required reading for my patients. It is nothing short of a tour de force!"

-Anthony L. Rostain, M.D., UPenn Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program

"Insightful, helpful, witty, and very practical. This book can change your life."

-Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.

"...combines a real feel for the disorder with sound reporting skills and the spice of stories from the couples themselves. Based on science, this book also captures the art of helping couples cope with and move beyond their challenges."

-Margaret D. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Cambridge Health Alliance, MA

"...Pera provides important information about ADHD's causes and treatments and provides empowerment to those who have for too long been blamed for the relationship issues engendered by ADHD.

-Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of California, Berkeley

"...the authoritative guide for couples dealing with ADHD and the baggage that accompanies it. Packed with information, but not overwhelming, it is a unique and valuable resource."

-Patricia O. Quinn, M.D., The National Center for Girls and Women with ADHD

"...as a physician who treats dozens of ADHD patients, there's just been nothing like this available. Is it You, Me, or Adult ADHD lives up to all expectations."

-David Edelberg, M.D., Medical Director, WholeHealth Chicago

"...well researched, reader friendly, and includes insights from a Who's Who of ADHD professionals...it's the new must-have book and bound to become a classic."

-Michele Novotni, Ph.D. author of What Does Everyone Else Know that I Don't?

"...Gina translates big questions into useful, practical, and understandable answers."

- Charles Parker, DO, Medical Director, CorePsych

From the Publisher

According to Pera, approximately 10 to 30 million adults in the United States have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A writer/editor who moderates an ADHD online support group, Pera views the syndrome as a brain-based impairment to be treated with medication, and she uses original online survey data (111 partner respondents) as well as detailed case studies and compatible research findings to support her position. She begins with an explanation of ADHD and its manifestations in later life, then addresses the devastating effects of living with an ADHD-afflicted partner. In the final section, she provides coping strategies. Adult ADHD is largely presented here as the cause of a host of problems ranging from overspending and bad driving to abusive behavior; such sweeping findings and generalizations also characterize discussions concluding that ADHD may be more debilitating than established psychiatric/psychological conditions like anxiety disorders and major depression. More practical are Pera's guidelines for choosing a therapist and communicating with an ADHD-afflicted partner. While ADHD is a controversial psychological construct, this book is a unique compendium of information on the topic for lay readers. Suitable for comprehensive consumer mental-health collections.
—Antoinette Brinkman

Library Journal