I am proud to present the ultimate ADHD support group guide written by Sharon St. John, LPC! It’s free, so download it now by clicking here. (Best viewed after downloading to your computer – right click and choose ‘save as’.)
 
Okay, I added the ‘ultimate’ because it excites me that a book has been written to assist people with using my book One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir in a support group setting, (or, to be used individually with one’s therapist).  Over the last few years I have received many emails from support group facilitators around the world, from the United States to as far away as Australia, letting me know how they have used One Boy’s Struggle to assist their members in coming to grips with living with ADHD, and to some degree viewing ADHD in a more positive light.
 
Several ADHD support group facilitators have suggested I write a guide, but since I have never facilitated such a group myself I didn’t consider me to be the right person for writing such a handbook. Therefore, it is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank Sharon St. John for writing this guide. As a matter of fact, I must admit I have learned a great deal from reading this guidebook as to what people are truly getting from my memoir.
 
It amazes me to this day how much benefit people have found from the telling of my story. For that reason, and many others, ADHD has truly become a gift for me! Indeed, ADHD caused devastating chaos to my life when it was undiagnosed, and even when it was diagnosed, but the light at the end of the tunnel has been what I have learned and where my experiences have brought me, now, today. Without having ADHD I would have never written any book about it, created this blog or created the ADHD social network ADDer World – so in those very real ways ADHD has become a gift. I truly appreciate, and I am extremely gracious, to be able to share my experiences and life-lessons with you.
 
I hope you enjoy this guide and benefit from it. It is completely free, so please share it and pass it on.
~

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Cixous39, if you happen to read this: Thank you! Seems we have helped each other. I hope you don’t mind that I copied your review of One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir here:

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.  ~Cixous39

Cixous, again, thank you for reading my memoir and taking the time to express your experience and feelings in such a meaningful review (it means a lot to me). I hope to hear from you on our ADDer World ADHD Social Network.

~Bryan

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ADHD_A_Real_Life_Story_Bryan_Hutchinson (download)

Please download the file to your computer by right clicking and using ‘save target’ or however you do it. If you send it in an email to friends send it as an attachment instead of a link, that makes it easier to share for others. I did keep the file name the same as the original so anyone who linked back will not have a broken link.

Again, thanks everyone! Feel free to send me further suggestions.

Bryan

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Sometimes it is nice to take a moment and reflect on things. ADDer World is now a year old (ADDer World community only 2 months) and my book “One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir – Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD”

Fears, anxiety, hope and desire – terrible nightmares and wonderful, splendid wishful dreams. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. And yet, with a little hope and trust in the intangibles of that ‘special feeling’ inside, there is a light that grows brighter and brighter. We take the steps before us, cautiously and anxiously, hopefully and heedfully. I am ever so grateful and ever so humbled. 

If you have not read my book yet, it is a record of the effects of ADHD on a boy becoming a man. We read so often from self help experts who tell us the things we can do to overcome and succeed – and although those suggestions are helpful, it is often more useful to read them from the personal perspective of someone who has “been there and done that”.

Below this paragraph are a few of the things I write about in detail within the pages of my memoir. I tell of how these things affected me and with hindsight how these things either helped me or hindered me. I also explain what these things are from someone who has lived the life unbeknownst, what diagnosis meant and how it helped me overcome the past and create a better future. I give you my very own ADHD reality:

• Hyper Focusing (the power of and distraction of)
• Pretending/Acting/Creating Reality
• Affects of pressure
• Chastisement and ridicule
• Anxiety and Fear
• Hope and Positive Thinking
• That Special feeling inside (which has brought me to where I am today) I believe all of us have it.
• Creating success
• Friendships (both lost and found)
• Much, much more

“One Boy’s Struggle” is about as raw a perspective as you can get. The editing is limited to simple punctuation and grammar. You get to read the reality as it was lived with no influence or oversight from anyone. In this you receive the purest reality of my life experiences and lessons learned as I could possibly provide. This is also a reason why some of the publishers I approached turned down publishing my book as I refused their professional editing or suggestions thereof. I almost gave in to the requests from publishers to have a professional editor give it the polish they believe was needed to help it succeed. I did not give in and decided instead to self publish. I am pleased with my decision – I do not think ”One Boy’s Struggle” would be the same if edited and polished to perfection. My life certainly was not, and is not, perfect (who’s is?). Perhaps J.K. Rowling felt the same way as she was turned down by several publishers for her first Harry Potter novel?

A memoir, such as mine, needs to be raw and pure to be of value the way I intended it to be. Don’t you think? Perhaps the power of your reviews and comments will help others see the value in this raw reality. For now, I have made my book available to you in the form it was intended.   

The proceeds of my book go to supporting the ADDer World websites and my continued writing of ‘my thoughts’ on ADHD. I appreciate the offers of support – simply assisting in spreading the word about “One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir – Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD” is all the support I ask for.

Thank you, each and every one of you, your friend and fellow ADDer – We are in this together. Let’s walk together, you and me. There are great things to come – the reflections of the past can lead to an ever brighter future.

Bryan 

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To give you an idea of what types of blogs and information you can find, I am reposting some of my favorite blogs from members, which you could normally not read unless you are a member. These are reposted with permission – make sure you join so you can read all that is available and post your own stories and insights. 

This first reposting is from Steve, not simply because it is a review he posted about my book, which it is, and he shares a bit about his experience so far on AW:

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Truly a Real Life View of Living in the Adder World  

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.

By Steve FitzPatrick (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

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Please, take a moment today, or sometime this week, to pass on my book to someone you know who would be interested and caring enough to pass it on too.

Thank you,

Bryan 

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Keath enjoyed my book so much that she wrote a personal review about it:

By Keath Low: 

Bryan Hutchinson’s life is inspiring and his message is one of hope, forgiveness, and of moving forward. In his book, One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir – Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD, Bryan takes us through the struggles he experienced as a child and adult living life with undiagnosed ADD. His story is raw and painful at times, yet it is also heartwarming and optimistic.

Bryan spent a great deal of his life feeling less-than. He turned his frustrations inward – not understanding why he felt things differently, why so many aspects of his life seemed harder than those around him, why relationships were difficult, why he felt so isolated and self-critical. Once he was finally diagnosed and in treatment for his ADD, his life took a tremendous turn for the better.

Finally, he began to understand and appreciate the way his mind worked. He became more aware of and grew to value his great strengths. He was able to evaluate his experiences in more realistic ways, understand his feelings and frustrations, and overcome the self-defeating aspects of his life that had plagued him.

Bryan’s story reiterates the importance of increased awareness and education about the impact ADD/ADHD can have in our lives. It emphasizes the dramatic improvement treatment can bring to a person’s quality of life. Many will relate to his experiences and be moved by his positive approach. A great book!

About Keath Low:

Keath Low is a psychologist and mother of four children. She holds a Clinical Scientist appointment with the Center for Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Medical School. Keath is also an expert panelist and contributing writer for iParenting. While Keath’s professional experience has mainly been with children, adolescents, and their families, she also has a great deal of interest in adult ADD/ADHD.

Thank you so very much Keath!

~Bryan

P.S. Some of you have asked me when will I get back to writing new articles for my blog. I will be writing new articles very soon, I have been so busy lately… thank you all so very much. I will also be opening a mirror blog which will also feature new and original articles.

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“Bryan’s book is not bogged down with research or statistics. He simply shares his personal story. The book reads like a conversation with a friend. After reading the book I feel like I know Bryan although we have never met. If you are feeling isolated and misunderstood regarding ADD, you will likely find solace in Bryan’s book.” Dr. Ragan of  psychologyofclutter.com 

My memoir was published in early January and it could have stopped there, well if you go to my Amazon page you will find some great reviews. Two well known doctors (Dr. Ragan and Dr. Lara Honos-Webb) have now read and put their stamp on it (no small thing that) and Keath Low, journalist from about.com not only wrote a beautiful article about my book, but went on Amazon and gave it a 5 star review! Now that is rare. A journalist enjoyed a book so much that not only did she write an article, but she posted a personal review too:   

Bryan Hutchinson’s life is inspiring and his message is one of hope, forgiveness, and of moving forward. In his book, One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir – Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD, Bryan takes us through the struggles he experienced as a child and adult living life with undiagnosed ADD. His story is raw and painful at times, yet it is also heartwarming and optimistic. Bryan spent a great deal of his life feeling less-than. He turned his frustrations inward – not understanding why he felt things differently, why so many aspects of his life seemed harder than those around him, why relationships were difficult, why he felt so isolated and self-critical. Once he was finally diagnosed and in treatment for his ADD, his life took a tremendous turn for the better.Finally, he began to understand and appreciate the way his mind worked. He became more aware of and grew to value his great strengths. He was able to evaluate his experiences in more realistic ways, understand his feelings and frustrations, and overcome the self-defeating aspects of his life that had plagued him.Bryan’s story reiterates the importance of increased awareness and education about the impact ADD/ADHD can have in our lives. It emphasizes the dramatic improvement treatment can bring to a person’s quality of life. Many will relate to his experiences and be moved by his positive approach. A great book!Keath Low of About.com   

A moment of Zen: 

Currently my book is the #3 bestselling on Amazon from my publisher Infinity. If you are a literary agent or know a reputable agent, please contact me.

~Bryan

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