How To ADHD

 How To ADHD by Jessica McCabe is a nonfiction about working with your ADHD brain and not against it. It is the guidebook the author wished she'd had earlier in life, so she wrote it herself. Let's review it. 

Courtesy of Amazon.ca


Hello Brains! This is the most encouraging self-help book I have ever read. I related to it more than I expected to. She wrote it ADHD friendly and you can go straight to the information you need. In fact, she gives you permission to do so early in the book while explaining how it was organized. 

Nonfiction isn't always easy to read. It is purely interest based, meaning that if you have no interest or understanding of the topic you'll get bored. This one is built so you can go exactly to what interests you. Need help with one thing? Find the section easily and you have all the tools in one chapter, with page references to direct you to anything else that can help you understand the topic. 

This was easy to read. I read a big chunk in one go. It was encouraging, not filled with confusing jargon, and made for ADHD people (brains) and those that support them (hearts). I'd gladly give this as a gift to anyone with ADHD or ADHD family members. 



YouTube and this book

This author runs a channel called How To ADHD because she wanted to have all the information in one place, so she could find it and not lose it. This benefits so many people. Episodes, interviews with experts, and general honesty on what ADHD feels and looks like makes a big difference in people's lives. It means those dealing with ADHD don't feel alone. This book is a lot of her videos compressed into one book. 

The link to her YouTube: How to ADHD - YouTube

What I learned

What did I learn from this? Many things. I learned why my husband doesn't sleep as soundly as I do, recognized patterns of behavior in my own life (that really shocked me), and realized some of my own coping mechanisms for life in general are ADHD coping mechanisms, too. Many things you can do to make life easier benefit ADHD brains. My husband has a lot of routines in place that benefit his ADHD and also benefit our flow of life. 

As for what I recognized in myself, it kind of scared me a little. The chapter on social life actively described a handful of my friendships where I let anxiety take the wheel and ruin something (though some of those relationships are definitely not dead, and some definitely are). The other major thing I recognized in myself was rumination, or your mind wandering off to distract you or distress you. Sometimes your brain decides to go down rabbit holes and then, before you know it, time has suddenly passed too quickly. Also, rumination leads me to think of past mistakes and things I said 10 plus years ago. Seriously, it is a problem. That chapter helped me realize I do the "what can I control" and "mindfulness" strategies she suggested already. I began a strategy she suggested - an "I did" journal that documents success, rather than failure, which I can give glory to God for in my prayer life and can remind me of what I have done and not what I haven't (when I feel overwhelmed and discouraged). 

One line that will stick with me is "you are not alone", as I feel alone when it comes to my writing. I sometimes feel I'm screaming into the void when I promote my book, like no one is there. Then I'm reminded of coworkers who ask (in both work places) "when is your next book coming out?" and "You wrote a book, right? Can you bring one to work. I'm looking for something new to read." I'm not alone, but my brain will tell me that I am. I have family, friends, and people who have read my blog from day one (at least one Twitter/X user has). I have my dad sharing my posts, my mom (working at library) getting my book into the collection, my grandparents sharing my books with their friends, my husband who makes key chains for my books and handles the money while I talk to people at the signing tables, multiple family and friends who beta-read (test readers, much like people who test play video games and give feedback), and my brother in law who shares his contacts and graphic design talents (he's making my book cover for Morrow). I'm not screaming into a void. I'm not alone. Most of all, I have God, who has confirmed in my life that I'm put on this earth to write and put my passion projects out into the world. I sometimes feel like I've failed because I get asked "how are book sales" and that's how some people measure success, but I haven't failed and my story isn't over yet. This book drove that home for me. I'm not alone. 
If you know you know - from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Photo courtesy of getyarn.io


Overall Thoughts

Fives stars. Easy fives stars. This was the best non-fiction I've ever read. I related to it more than I thought I would. It made a difference in my life. It helped me understand my husband and some of my tendencies. I don't have an ADHD diagnosis, but I related to it. There is a chance you will, too. We also (my husband and I) love her YouTube channel. Pick up this book. It's worth it. 


***********************************************************

I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page. 





Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him? 

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.











Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nancy Drew's Love Interests

A Character Study: Brave

The Yellow Wallpaper - a short story review