Motivational and inspirational writer, Bryan Hutchinson is the author of several books about life with ADHD including the highly acclaimed, best selling "One Boy′s Struggle: A Memoir" and the author of the hilarious eBook that went viral "10 Things I Hate about ADHD"

ADHD

The Amazing Year of 2010 My Top Ten plus 1

The Amazing Year of 2010 My Top Ten plus 1
on: December 15, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 4 Comments , , , , ...

It’s nearing the end of the year and as I do {most} every year, I am going to take a moment to reflect a little. In the past when I reflected back on year’s gone by, I had a tendency to look at the negative things that affected me, but not this time, not this year! I am not going to write about how I survived a terrible bout of Mono, no, not going to do that. Not going to talk about strangely swollen glands or, wanting to sleep, but couldn’t. Nope, not going there, not going to talk about how I had a root removal and synthetic transplant and another tooth pulled, or how taking antibiotics temporarily covered me in a rash due to undiagnosed Mono. The rash was a gift as it helped discover the Mono (ha!). Did I mention when I rushed to the hospital no less than 3 times? […]

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Educating the Public about ADHD

Educating the Public about ADHD
on: December 12, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 11 Comments , , , , ...

Pick a disorder, any disorder, that you do not know much about. Find someone with that disorder and I’ll bet they wish you would understand the issues they are dealing with a little bit more. They may even wish that you would walk in their shoes for a day or two. The thing about educating the public about ADHD is that it can be so different for each and every one of us. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder with a spectrum of symptoms. Truly understanding ADHD can be mind boggling just for us, not to mention there’s so much disagreement in our community on how we should talk about it, perceive it and respond to it. Then we have the media that shouts out to the public the latest research and statistics about ADHD, but doesn’t really tell folks how people deal with it on an individual basis, each different […]

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Turning ADHD Disadvantages into Advantages

Turning ADHD Disadvantages into Advantages
on: December 7, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 8 Comments , , , , ...

If you’re tired of hearing about all the bad, negative things about ADHD then this post is for you! This post isn’t to downplay the serious consequences of living with ADHD, it’s to take another perspective and reframe it in a positive way which has worked for me. Of course, many of these on my list have serious consequences which I have had to work through. ADHD isn’t curable, but sometimes we let it kick us when we are down and like the boxing coach says, ‘stay down’. I’ve never been one to ‘stay down’, I’m stubburn like that! 1) Distraction. As I wrote in a recent blog post, I have learned to appreciate my distracted nature. It has taken me places I would never have gone, or much less dreamed of. It really has led me on some awesome adventures down alleyways, backwoods and vivid, spectacular places in my own imagination […]

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ADHD and the Gift of Being Distracted

ADHD and the Gift of Being Distracted
on: December 1, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 12 Comments , , , , ...

I have ADHD. I strive to reframe and rephrase my disadvantages and turn them into advantages. It’s something I try to do as much as possible. ADHD is a serious disorder that affects millions of people. The symptoms cause very serious challenges. Each person develops their own, personal coping skills in order to deal with their symptoms. Many of us, as I was, can easily become overwhelmed and will need very specific, specialized treatment, perhaps even medication. My point of view is part of my coping skills. It’s been working for me and I will tell you why. Over the years I have learned that I tend to get bored with certain tasks quickly and as a consequence I become easily distracted. To compensate, what I have learned to do is multi-task. That’s part of my answer to distraction. I spend short bursts of time on projects and quickly turn […]

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ADHD and Higher Standards

ADHD and Higher Standards
on: November 21, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 11 Comments , , , , ...

Think about it for a moment and consider that people, like you and me, with ADHD, we are seemingly held to higher standards. I don’t mean higher standards in that we are better than anyone else. I mean that if you have ADHD you are expected to do more to improve yourself. Our responsibility to ‘self-improvement’ is much higher than the average. First we must strive to attain what normal people attain, and then we must compete to be even better. Due to public opinion of ADHD we are constantly proving ourselves. Even so, it’s not the general public that concerns me, it’s the attitude and behavior of ‘a few’ who take it to the next level and are quite offensive towards anyone with labeled imperfections. Even with Michael Phelps’ success in swimming and achieving there are a few who say ‘oh you just wait his day of under achievement is […]

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ADHD and Brain Cancer and PMA

ADHD and Brain Cancer and PMA
on: September 27, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 3 Comments , , , , ...

Liza, this post is dedicated to you. Even if you have ADHD or worse, brain cancer, you too can be a role model, someone others look to and are inspired by, if you so choose. I know such a person and I am always incredibly impressed by her motivational, moving nature and most of all her resiliency under incredibly difficult circumstances, circumstances I can’t imagine living through, much less keeping a Positive Mental Attitude. I recently found out that I have been suffering from Mono for quite a while and although I knew I was constantly tired and rather drained, I feared the worse, but blood tests proved negative for just about everything until one doctor said my symptoms appeared similar to Mono and he tested for it. Bingo! Did you know you can suffer from Mono for several years even though the worst symptoms may never develop? I didn’t. […]

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Book Review: The ADHD Effect on Marriage

Book Review: The ADHD Effect on Marriage
on: September 19, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 0 Comments , , , , ...

If you are in a relationship, especially in a marriage and you have ADHD, or your spouse has ADHD, or even if both of you have ADHD, Melissa’s book is one of the best books I have read for solving and overcoming relationship issues which are caused by, or influenced by ADHD. ADHD isn’t going away, but it is manageable and it doesn’t have to be the end all, be all of any relationship. However, to deny ADHD or try to ignore it, that my friends and neighbors leads to a never ending spiral of confusion, disillusions and heartbreak. Melissa’s book The ADHD Effect on Marriage can and will help you. As I have written many times, one of the major problems with relationships involving a person with ADHD is that we all too often are in relationships we shouldn’t be in. I have been there and there isn’t a […]

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Book Review: The ADHD Effect on Marriage

Book Review: The ADHD Effect on Marriage
on: September 19, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 0 Comments , , , , ...

If you are in a relationship, especially in a marriage and you have ADHD, or your spouse has ADHD, or even if both of you have ADHD, Melissa’s book is one of the best books I have read for solving and overcoming relationship issues which are caused by, or influenced by ADHD. ADHD isn’t going away, but it is manageable and it doesn’t have to be the end all, be all of any relationship. However, to deny ADHD or try to ignore it, that my friends and neighbors leads to a never ending spiral of confusion, disillusions and heartbreak. Melissa’s book The ADHD Effect on Marriage can and will help you. As I have written many times, one of the major problems with relationships involving a person with ADHD is that we all too often are in relationships we shouldn’t be in. I have been there and there isn’t a […]

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ADHD is a fad again?! Shame and Guilt are back!

ADHD is a fad again?! Shame and Guilt are back!
on: August 28, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 19 Comments , , , , ...

Seems things are going to get worse before they get better. I just read another article about ‘the myth of ADHD’ by someone who raised my eyebrows. Mr. Herr, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies, Leadership and Counseling at Murray State University, wrote a recent article titled – ADHD: Has this diagnostic fad run its course? According to Mr. Herr, ADHD is a diagnostic fad! His article perfectly underscores my recent blog post about how a report in the media can be skewed by the headline (in this case the entire article). I am not going into detail about how accurate a report authored by an assistant professor of economics about ADHD children and misdiagnosis of ADHD at an early age might be (Youngest in class get ADHD label – another headline to go with my previous collection). However, people are paying attention to it and when someone who is an assistant […]

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ADD ADHD Treatment – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works!

ADD ADHD Treatment – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works!
on: August 25, 2010 by: Bryan Hutchinson 9 Comments , , , , ...

There’s a new study out that shows what I have known and has already been proven in my life already. And that is psychotherapy or, more specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with ADHD improve and cope. The study was conducted by: Steven A. Safren, PhD, ABPP; Susan Sprich, PhD; Matthew J. Mimiaga, ScD, MPH; Craig Surman, MD; Laura Knouse, PhD; Meghan Groves; Michael W. Otto, PhD and is published in Journal of the American Medical Assn. Author Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (Drs Safren, Sprich, Mimiaga, Surman, Knouse, and Otto and Ms Groves); Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Safren, Sprich, Mimiaga, Surman, and Knouse); and Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Otto). I was absolutely delighted when I received this new study today. If you have read my book One Boy’s Struggle: A memoir – Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD, […]

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