What I want to suggest is that if someone finds it difficult to put the strategies into place on their own, that they realize that their ADD / ADHD might be contributing to that and that it can be somewhat of a vicious circle (for some). So, if someone can afford it, instead of beating themselves up about not being able to put Nancy’s ideas into practice, they can hire a coach to help them.

I also agree that a therapist can be a great help in dealing with related issues, such as frustration about not making progress in certain areas and with self-acceptance.

Well, yeah, you do have a point. However, the reality is that not everyone can afford a coach and not everyone wants to have to rely on a coach. With that said, I do support coaches.

The skills that Nancy presents within her book are practical and most are easy to use. The skills are options, some you use and some you don’t. Not all self help books are created equal; however, the options and advice that are presented are practical and will save many ADDers a lot of time with trial and error through their own discoveries. It is true, we probably won’t use them all and many will be forgotten, but if only a few are remembered and used, well, that will make a major difference in the quality of life for many adults with ADHD. This book I think is also very, very useful for parents and teachers, if they can instill some of these skills early on, which could make all the difference in the world to the future of many children with ADHD.

I support personal therapy above every other option available and I believe a coach can be a major advantage, but there are those who would like to give it a shot on their own too and Nancy’s book offers valuable advice and practical skills which can enable someone to make it on their own if necessary. There may be some who cannot use any of the skills presented, for their own reasons, but they won’t know until they try and nothing is worth anything without trying first. It’s a step in the right direction – hey, we might have ADD ADHD, but we are also capable adults who must survive and such skills can be learned.

~Bryan

It seems to me that the very tendencies that would make one interested in this book might make it difficult to follow-through with her strategies without some additional help. Training the brain is key, the question is how feasible it is to do this by oneself.

As a coach, I may be biased, but I’d suggest that if the ideas in the book make sense but are difficult to put into practice, you consider getting a coach who can help you to:

- be and remain motivated
- measure progress
- explore what is working and not working
- keep oneself accountable to the change(s) one wants to make

If you have the ability to follow through on the book by yourself, fantastic. If not, recognize how difficult it can be to do something like this by oneself. I think that’s why so many self-help books, however good they are, often end up on one’s bookshelf (or under a pile of books), despite the best intentions of the author and the reader.

I’m available for this sort of coaching, and there are many other coaches out there who can help, as well. Thanks, Bryan, for your article about this book.