A great addition to one's half-read ADHD book collection

books:


	• The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents Nancy A. Ratey St. Martin's Press, 2008 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A great addition to one's half-read ADHD book collection

I found JackofMostTrades' review reasonable. Perhaps if he gave it one star, one might consider bias - but three stars for this book is very reasonable. I did have trouble finishing it - I guess I'm one of those that got bored half-way through. (Although for the sake of this review I have skimmed the rest) Personally I think everyone with ADD/ADHD should read the book, "A Perfect Mess." Guess what, being somewhat messy can actually be MORE efficient and productive than being a neat-nik. This understanding allows one to focus on those messy habits that truly lead to inefficiency rather than those that just make one's home ineligible to be displayed in Better Homes and Gardens. Reading that book first will help one ignore any inadvisable recommendations and proscriptions in Ms. Ratey's book (and there certainly are some.)

If one has ever set about to clean/organize a room/closet by emptying all the stuff out only to become overwhelmed and left with a greater mess than one began with, this book promotes a psychological equivalent. Yes in theory inventorying all aspects of one's life can help with priority setting - but in practice it's about as successful as organizing a room by dumping everything on the floor first.

It's not surprising that coaches would of course advocate for this book. (Note the vast majority of 5 star ratings are by coaches.) However, Jack is correct, there never has been a study showing the effectiveness of coaching in ADHD. Of course, coaches will like a book that promotes coaching. That doesn't mean there is any science behind it. For a non coach like me - I didn't find the book that useful.

The book doesn't really acknowledge/discuss that ADHD is not about having a disorganized mind but rather a differently organized mind. Thus it fails to capitalize on the strengths that come with having a differently organized mind. When she talks about focusing on accomplishments, she considers these accomplishments as having occurred despite ADHD not because of ADHD. I think understanding the way ADHD is a strength is important to helping one overcome the ways it is also a weakness.

It accepts certain concepts as normative - like the idea that mess creates stress. Actually it is attitudes towards mess that create stress. That's why I recommend A Perfect Mess. Getting rid of the idea that mess/seeming disorganization is inherently bad will do much more to reduce your stress than stressing about organizing. (She doesn't discuss how much of shame is culturally induced - but conforming to the dominant culture isn't always the best solution.) Sometimes mess is a sign of efficiency and sometimes it interferes with efficiency. The key is figuring out which is which. Promoting the concept that laundry isn't done until it's put away (as this book does) obscures the fact that for some people it is more efficient to not put one's laundry away. It's also possible to have a functionally organized kitchen where almost nothing has a "home." It looks messy and cluttered but it's highly functional and there's nothing wrong (and much right) with prioritizing function over a neat appearance.

The client examples are both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand it is useful to see the ANSWER technique applied. On the other hand the client reasons for a problem may not have anything to do with the reader's reasons for a problem and her discussions are not always complete enough to assist the reader in problem solving their own barriers. Furthermore the ANSWER technique by assigning the difficulty to the ADHD brain - may fail to help the struggling reader identify non ADHD contributions. People are more than their ADHD.

For example, this is particularly salient in the discussion of procrastination. Labeling procrastination as an "ADHD cause" of a "symptom" such as difficulty prioritizing ignores that procrastination itself has a number of causes which often need to be addressed in order to stop procrastinating. For example, anxiety/fear can be a major contributor to procrastination and adults with ADHD commonly have higher levels of anxiety than non adults without as well as a high rate of comorbid anxiety disorders (up to a 50% in some studies.) Yet anxiety isn't even mentioned as a potential issue in the chapter on procrastination. And anxiety's contribution to ADHD problems isn't just true of procrastination - a study of adults with ADHD found an anxious state was more predictive of learning/memory deficits than poor organizational strategies or lack of sustained attention. It may be that this is a limitation in the coaching approach itself rather than specifically this book. Either way I felt that the section on procrastination was incomplete and of limited usefulness.

Strengths:
I liked the problem solving approach and discussion of the need to find individualized solutions. I liked the emphasis on not blaming or shaming and avoiding judgment. I think its discussion of ways to instruct one's executive assistant to be more helpful is something that is not commonly discussed and probably useful if applicable. (Does not apply to me, unfortunately.) I think that, particularly for someone who has not read many other books on ADHD, organizing, etc, a number of the suggestions could be useful.

However, if you are a person with ADD who has a large collection of half read books on ADHD - there is a reasonably large probability that this book will join your half-read collection. The best antidote for this problem that I've found is checking books out of the library rather than buying them. I bought this book based on all the exuberant reviews of those coaches who apparently had received a prelease copy, but in retrospect I should have reigned in my impulsivity and impatience and waited until this book arrived at my local library. Half read library books don't add to clutter once they are returned. :)

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GREAT BOOK - DOWN TO EARTH RECOMMENDATIONS

I have just completed reading Ms. Ratey's book and thoroughly enjoyed. She uses her personal experience in conveying her message. I have worked in the mental health field for 30 years and feel that this book is an invaluable resource for professionals who deal with these types of challenges on a daily basis! Kudos to Ms Ratey. I'm waiting for Volume 2!! ThanksThe Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents

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Insightful AND Practical

Both my husband and I are chronically disorganized, but in different ways. This book has sections for ADD, procrastinators, etc. So you can focus in on the section that most applies to you and get great ideas to road test in your own life. There are so many ideas that if one doesn't work, you can just chuck it and try another one. The list of 3 is what has worked for me. Instead of making a list of the 42 things I want to do today and getting overwhelmed, I just write down 3 things. When I finish that list of 3, I get to make a new list. Simple and effective. Good luck!

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Inspirational

Ms Ratey's book is inspirational!!. I plan to follow her strategies in order to help me thrive as an adult with adhd... both in my personal and professional realms. What a relief to know I am not alone in my struggles and that someone as talented as she is willing to share her knowledge with the rest of us out here who are desperately trying to find help to perform to our potential.

Marvelous Work!

Well Done! After anticipation of Nancy Ratey's Disorganized Mind to finally go to print, I was very pleased that it was better than I imagined. I am an adult with ADHD and I am an ADHD Coach. I also have a learning center. Many of my clients are ADHD. I have found this book to be a work of art. I use work of art because this is like the ADHD brain. Those who have ADHD and get help by reading books like this one, can be very creative and successful people. It was also very useful to learn about others who experience this disorder. I think The Disorganized Mind
is a perfect book for anyone with ADHD or if you know someone who is. The author gives a lot of strategies and ways to help organize your life. She also gives practical and concrete techniques on "HOW TO" self- coach. This is what I strive for with my clients. The beauty of coaching is that it is customized for each individual. For instance, if you want a reminder every day for completion of specific tasks three tasks, a brief daily call or text message is perfect. On the other hand, if you are changing jobs or deciding on courses for fall semester, you might need more time twice a week. I highly recommend Nancy Ratey's book, whether you are newly diagnosed or you have been struggling with the disorder for a long time. She gives hope to those of us who are dealing with ADHD. Many Thanks!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

For the millions of adults diagnosed with ADHD The Disorganized Mind will provide expert guidance on what they can do to make the most of their lives. The inattention, time-mismanagement, procrastination, impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty with transitions that often go hand-in-hand with ADHD can be overcome with the unique approach that Nancy Ratey brings to turning these behaviors around.

The Disorganized Mind addresses the common issues confronted by the ADHD adult:
?Where did the time go??
?I?ll do it later, I always work better under pressure anyway.?
?I?ll just check my e-mail one more time before the meeting??
?I?ll pay the bills tomorrow ? that will give me time to find them.?

Professional ADHD coach and expert Nancy Ratey helps readers better understand why their ADHD is getting in their way and what they can do about it. Nancy Ratey understands the challenges faced by adults with ADHD from both a personal and professional perspective and is able to help anyone move forward to achieve greater success. Many individuals with ADHD live in turmoil. It doesn?t have to be that way. You can make choices and imagine how things can change ? this book will teach you how. By using ADHD strategies that have worked for others and will work for you, as well as learning how to organize, plan, and prioritize, you?ll clear the hurdles of daily living with a confidence and success you may never before have dreamed possible.

Nancy Ratey has the proven strategies that will help anyone with ADHD get focused, stay on track, and get things done - and finally get what they want from their work and their life.

For information and resources, please visit www.nancyratey.com

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