Driven to Distraction by Drs. Hallowell and Ratey reads as a comprehensive and narrative evidence-based publication on ADD. It was originally published in the 1990s and I read the second edition from 2011. This book was an excellent deep dive into ADD as a neurological disorder. Even though the book was written in 2011, there is still considerable social stigma against mental disorders over a decade later, including ADD. It can be confusing to see high functioning people with 'so much potential' not make it because of a 'lack of motivation.' I put these phrases in quotes as general sayings. The authors directly address the moral implications of actions of people with ADD and provide evidence-based explanations which do not serve as an excuse but remove blame. The authors are careful to remind the reader at every opportunity that, if they think they may have ADD, they must get two opinions. For example, the authors review a number of varieties of ADD which may co-occur with other mental disorders and, at the end of this list, make a point to distinguish "pseudo-ADD." The important distinction is that ADD is not just a phenomenon of getting distracted but "the person with true ADD experiences the symptoms most of the time and experiences them more intensely than the average person [and the symptoms] tend to interfere with everyday life," (p.237). As American society uses social media more, seeks high stimulation, immediate gratification, and the like, more people may experience more ADD-like symptoms. However, the key is getting two professional opinions. The authors note that, if everyone identifies with ADD, the actual disorder loses its significance and those who are experiencing true ADD may not get the appropriate care they need. On that note, the authors back up their point with an entire instructional chapter, "How Do I Know If I Have It?" Additionally, the last several chapters hold instructional tips on how to manage adult and child ADD with things everyone can use like the "O.H.I.O- Only Handle It Once" rule which is based on the fact that a to-do pile for people with ADD is a never done pile (p.298). A lot of the coping mechanisms for ADD are just plain good ways to live life. The authors emphasize the value of regular physical exercise (not just for hyperactive, but also for the 'daydreamers'), lists, structure, color coding, and calendars.
Overall, the sticking point of this book is that the medical community and the world's understanding of ADD has changed significantly over a few decades and that treatments vary according to severity. Mental disorders are tricky like that- everyone is so different and one medication may be perfect for person X, but person Y with the same disorder may do well without medication and solely a diagnosis and education. I was happy to read this book after Galileo's Middle Finger because it was pretty much all facts and I learned a lot.
The highlights I took away:
- A diagnosis and some understanding can go a long way for treatment and self compassion. While ADD is difficult to handle, one of the most painful side effects is low self-esteem.
- ADD brings challenges but so much beauty. The authors distinguish a few different frameworks of treating ADD and advocate for the disinhibition framework which reframes the thought from "People with ADD can't focus on anything" to "People with ADD focus on everything" (p.336).
- It seems key to find ADD when people are children because the information is hard to come by as an adult.
The authors also provided an interesting theory about why ADD may be more common in America than other countries: "The people who founded our country, and continued to populate it over time...had to be willing to take an enormous risk in boarding a ship and crossing the ocean...they were action-oriented, independent...The higher prevalence of ADD in our current society may be due to its higher prevalence among those who settled America," (p.235). I don't know if it's even possible to verify this, but I liked the idea. It makes logical sense that a country of risk-taking immigrants would be genetically predisposed to a lack of inhibition and ADD.
Interesting traits of ADD I never knew were associated with ADD:
- ADD fundamentally has inhibition issues, so people with ADD can get angrier quicker and become very sensitive easily. It can be associated with mood swings due to a lack of inhibition.
- Some people with ADD crave conflict unconsciously because of its value purely as stimulation (p175)
- People with ADD tend to be ultra creative because their brains are firing so much, "it increases the number of collisions," (p.220).