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One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir: Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD
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by:
ISBN:
©
Price:
$16.95
Category/Subject:
“As an educator and mother of a child with ADHD, I have gained a lot of medical information about this condition. Bryan’s book however, helped me understand my daughter’s disorder in a new, insightful way. I never considered her point of view before, with concern to ADHD, and how it must be affecting her. Bryan coming forward like this and bravely revealing his struggles with ADD has benefited me and my family beyond measure. Thank you, Bryan”
- Jennifer Williams, an ADHD mother with BA in Early Childhood Education.
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Customer Reviews
One Boy's Struggle
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01/30/2008
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Reviewer:
Lisa
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Being diagnosed around 15 years ago I have read many great books on ADD. I have to say this one is different. Bryan tells a easy to follow story, of what it was like to live with ADD and not know why he couldn't make himself a "normal" kid and later adult. Many books talk about the symptoms, and the things we fail at, Bryan talks about how those symptoms are played out and the feelings that are left behind in your soul. I had to wipe my eyes many times while reading this book, yet he never fails to bring hope to the reader, of a brighter future, no matter how deep the failures. His positive attitude, toward a so called disorder, which is normally thought of as a negative, is inspiring and leads the reader to think about how much more, they too, can be and accomplish.
Any parent with a ADD/ADHD child needs to read this book. You owe it too your child to try to understand them and this book is a incredible help for that.
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a Real Life View of Living in the Adder World
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08/02/2008
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Reviewer:
Steve FitzPatrick
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I am truly grateful for Bryan writing this book and for me to have found it. For many years I lived with undiagnosed ADD, never understanding why, but always knowing that I was different, and or why I did things differently than other people all my life.
When I was finally diagnosed with ADD it was a tremendous relief to know there really was a reason. I had learned the basics through talking to professionals as well as reading the various books available on the subject. This book is very different from all the basic texts that are available. You can only learn so much at school from reading textbooks. It is not until you finish school and go out into the real world when you realized how it all applies.
Bryan's book is the real world. The ADDer World so to speak. The other books show you the cause but Bryan's shows you the effect.
I highly recommend this book to be read by all people living with ADD/ADHD. It will help you understand the impact that this disorder has actually had on you through your life. I really had no clue myself before reading this book. It is also really nice to know that we are not alone with our struggles. If you did not have hope before, you will finish this book realizing that there is definitely hope for an incredibly productive enjoyable future for you.
Even more so however, I recommend this to parents and teachers dealing with children with ADD/ADHD. No one can ever truly understand what it is like to go through life having ADD/ADHD unless they have it themselves. This book shows you the truth dead on, and most likely will be the closest you will ever get to really understand what your kids are dealing with on a daily basis, in both their minds, as well in the world around them.
I also highly recommend checking out Bryan's website: ADDerWorld.com. It is a safe harbor to connect with, and understand others dealing with ADD/ADHD. From my personal experience I can pretty much guarantee that Bryan will personally answer any question you may have if you contact him.
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A Must Read for ADDers, and those who love them!
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01/31/2009
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Reviewer:
NerdyMommy
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Bryan's memoirs are poignant, honest, and, at times, painful. He gives us a glimpse into his troubled childhood, the result largely of undiagnosed ADHD. We see, through his eyes, how children with ADHD struggle just to feel as though they fit in, how they yearn for nothing more than the approval of their parents and other adults - and yet, how everything they do (or don't do) makes that approval even harder to garner.
What I love about this book though, is how Bryan also shows us how he has overcome many of the obstacles that held him back as a child. He acknowledges the people in his life who helped him to realize his potential, and he gives hope to people with ADHD everywhere, that you really CAN succeed with ADHD - in the workplace, in relationships, in life. I came away from reading this book with a profound sense of hope and inspiration for my own future.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has been diagnosed with ADHD, and to parents, spouses, and teachers of those with ADHD. Those with ADHD will instantly be able to relate to everything that Bryan writes... and those without ADHD will have a new insight into the struggles that ADDers face every day. Both will come away with hope for the future. Thank you, Bryan, for sharing your life with us in this way.
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Well Done, Mr. Hutchinson!
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04/12/2009
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Reviewer:
Joel Ph.D.
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I came to know Mr. Bryan Hutchinson through some internet research I was doing on the topic of ADD, in particular in how it manifests itself in adults.
After prerusing his website and reading a sample chapter of the book, I 'bit.' After receiving the book in a timely manner from Amazon, I began to read it....
I could not put it down! The book is an easy read, and is more of a auto-biographical accounting of how the author has overcome some traumatic events in his life as a child, some genetic pre-dispositions, as well as some failed recognition by the public school system (of his condition).
The book also provides a healthy dose of excellent, practical tips that people can relate to -- because they are all couched in real-life stories, i.e. accounts from the author's life. The book is not scientific in nature, one learns from it by 'experiencing' how a young man overcame some tremendous obstacles to eventually reach a relatively healthy, well-balanced life.
In summary, I highly recommend this book to people personally struggling with ADD, as well as professionals who must treat them.
Joel Goodsen, Ph.D.
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Mom and I BONDED over this book!
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08/27/2009
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Reviewer:
Cixous39
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What makes this book special? On a personal level, my Mom and I BONDED over it. While reading it, my mother found me crying and asked what was wrong. I told her what this memoir was about, and let her read it. Once she finished, we cried together. We also laughed because it helped make sense of my own experiences with AD/HD, which went undiagnosed until I was 35. Though Mom had read a few of the "popular", recommended AD/HD books, she had never before understood my behaviors or my feelings.
This is a must-read for anyone who has ADD, or thinks they may, as well as for parents, friends, spouses, and teachers. Though many excellent books describing AD/HD exist, most are written from a medical or purely self-help perspective, perspectives that create distance from the phenomenon of having AD/HD. Bryan's memoir provides an invaluable contribution to the field of AD/HD literature because it is written from the perspective of an insider, someone who has ADD. Undiagnosed until the age of 37, the author recalls excruciatingly painful memories from early childhood through the more positive experiences of his present life. His tell-all life story recounts, with an amazing vulnerability, what it was like for him to grow up in his family, his school years, his friendships, his career, and his romantic life.
Perhaps most importantly, he openly describes how his behavior before his diagnosis, and others' reactions to it, took an extreme toll on his self-esteem. This affected every area of his life, alienated him, and led to the deep-seated belief that he was inherently "bad". The book also explains how he coped with the overwhelming shame he experienced and how he went about developing the more positive thinking patterns that have led to an extremely successful life.
Bryan provides insight into not only what having AD/HD feels like, but also explains that it is a neurological condition, thereby shattering myths still commonly held about it in our culture. He describes how AD/HDers' minds work differently than those of non-AD/HDers', something I wish I'd known before my own late diagnosis, and like Bryan, felt defective as a human being.
As refreshing as it is significant, Bryan focuses on many positive traits, such as the creativity many AD/HDers display, that can be cultivated. His own successes show that while there may be many negatives associated with having AD/HD, that realizing and developing the positive traits can actually be a gift, a resource for achievement.
Bryan shares his innermost thoughts through this raw recollection of his own life experiences, even in a world where having AD/HD remains stigmatized. He urges those who believe they may have AD/HD be evaluated in order to determine whether they have the disorder, maintaining that knowledge of AD/HD is key to overcoming its unique challenges and to creating a successful life and a bright future. For those of us who know we have AD/HD, he stresses the responsibility we must take for improving our lives.
Finally, the book is highly readable (especially for someone who has AD/HD!) due to its short chapters, its vivid descriptions, and the fast-moving story that moves from pain to triumph. I couldn't put the book down. This book has changed my mindset from one of alienation to one of hope.
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Bryan's Brilliant Book!!
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10/14/2011
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Reviewer:
Sharon St. John, LPC
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As I read Bryan's ONE BOY'S STRUGGLE, I wept. I wept for Bryan, for me, for my clients, for my relatives, for my friends who have ADHD. Bryan does an incredible job of pulling the reader into the real world of ADHD. I have a copy of this book in my waiting room. Often my clients come in for their session holding the book, saying, "This is awesome!" or "OMG, this book is about me."
No one can read this book without being touched deeply. This book is a MUST for any parent who has an ADHD child, just as it is a must for adults who have been tortured by their weird behaviors, negative feedback from teachers, parents, friends and siblings. Receiving criticism all their lives because of undiagnosed ADHD/ADD and finally understanding very clearly "WHY" is a huge relief. This book and Bryan's gift for expression is a gift to the Adder and the people who love us.
Buy it for yourself. Buy it as a gift for your child's teacher, buy it for anyone who has been touched by ADD/ADHD. It will change the ADHD world, one book at a time. Sharon St. John, LPC
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