So, 160 pages later, I now know I don't have have ADD. This alone was worth the read. As a bonus, the workbook had exercises that addressed the behaviors I told the doctor about. I particularly like a "weekly plan" worksheet that breaks out an entire week into hour increments - from 7:00 am through 10:00 pm. The exercise is to fill this out once a week, including transportation times and preparation and clean-up times for everything that needs to get done that week. Here I learned I underestimated the amount of time things took, so I ran out of time during the preparation or the clean up. Also, I did not factor in recreational time, so would chisel these out of times I was doing things I didn't like. Not that I had ADD. Ah. I also liked a mood moniter chart they provided, that tracks to see if there is a pattern between a mood, the time of day, the day of the week, the person you are with, and/or the task you are performing. This one is easier than I just made it sound, and has been really enlightening.

In a nutshell, if you think you have some of the symptoms of ADD, you will be better informed and will have received practical advice by the end of the workbook. The writing is good and moves along smoothly.

14 of 15 found the following review helpful:


Practical Help for ADD-ults and Others  Nov 16, 2003 By Wayne Aadelstone-Hassel
I count myself lucky for having stumbled across this helpful title a couple of months ago. This highly readable book can benefit anyone who has ever struggled with his or her own behavior patterns --and who hasn't? Many of the problems encountered by people with ADD are non-specific and afflict a large percentage of "non-ADD" people as well, even if to a lesser degree. For this reason, "Living with ADD" deserves a closer look from a wider audience. Such headings as "Conquering the Internal Critic" --"Handling Criticism from Others" --"Ten Fallacies of Thinking" including catastrophizing, personalizing, and polarized thinking address most of us whether or not we fit into the diagnostic boundaries of ADD. The eminently practical advice given by the authors is offered in short paragraphs that even most ADD readers will find manageable; more imporantly yet, the advice is do-able!
Since ADD (and Life) are not monolithic conditions, you may be able to skip an occasional exercise that does not apply to you, but rest assured: the moment you turn the page, the authors will be looking you straight in the eye again. Clearly Roberts and Jansen know whereof they speak. Their PHDs notwithstanding, they have succeeded in communicating their insights without getting tangled in academic jargon. I thank them.

13 of 15 found the following review helpful:


Great for Self discovery  Jul 09, 2004
This is an excellent workbook for ADDers.
It helps you to analyze your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in different situations; understand why your behaving/feeling the way you do; how to cultivate change; and why the change is important and beneficial to you.
I can't express enough my delight in this book, 12 chapters: 3 informative and 9 subjects of potential challenge in an ADDer's day to day life. Especially for recently diagnosed adult college students such as myself.
A must read!!!

2 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Huh?  Sep 16, 2010 By Jessica Haag
I have ADD and thought I could use this "workbook" to help me in my daily life without having to go to a psychologist or specialist in ADD. Unfortunately, I have ADD. I am saying this because I can't focus long enough to make this workbook work for me. Read all this and then do this exercise that I am suppose to remember. This book is so un-ADD it's not even funny. As an adult who has dealt with ADD my entire life, I cannot read several pages and then do some exercises. It just doesn't work. While I did see myself in several of the examples, I just couldn't complete the exercises.


Helpful and practical  Aug 12, 2011 By Robert
This workbook has proven to be helpful in that it calls attention to various ADD-related problems I face and offers practical solutions to fix them. A lot of ADD books out there seem to be full of fluff and, if you have attentional problems, fluff is the last thing you want to suffer scanning through to find help. This book gets to the point and focuses more on finding and recognizing proven solutions than on building confidence. In my case at least, I know that some of the ADD characteristics I tend to perceive as weaknesses can also be perceived as strengths. The problem is that I typically repeat the same behavior and fail to apply those characteristics in positive or helpful ways. I like that this book helps me prevent repeating bad habits.

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