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"

Last Excerpt of “One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir”

Always Deep in Thought

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the final excerpt of “One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir” I will be posting. I have returned the Proofs to the publisher and my Memoir about Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD will be published in just a couple short weeks! This is a very exciting time for me and I believe it is fortuitous that it comes at the grandest time of the year!

…I was even cynical when I first started seeking professional help. I met with two therapists with whom I did not feel comfortable before I met Dr. Gary, the type of therapist I was looking for. He was easy to talk to on a personal level, non-judgmental, and believed in positive reinforcement. Still, I had no idea what therapy would do for me or how important it really was. I would soon find out though, and for the first time in my life, I faced my inner angst. Dr. Gary asked me questions that I never thought to ask myself, or was too fearful to face on my own. He encouraged me to discuss difficult issues which were holding me back from living a positive, more fulfilling life. He not only asked me what I thought about my life and myself, but he also had me examine the reality of those thoughts and beliefs. I did not realize I had such negative beliefs, and I know I would have never fully overcome them without Dr. Gary´s help. He helped me understand that I was not at fault for things which happened to me as a child, and that I could stop blaming myself for not being a good child. I had not considered the affects of my childhood on my adult emotions and mannerisms before I talked to him. I did not realize before that I had been holding on to resentments and shame from my past. Therapy helped me let go of some of my past issues and learn to think differently about them. It helped me identify some of my incessant negative thoughts and beliefs, examine them, and reconsider them from a new, more positive perspective. Dr. Gary helped me resolve many issues by having me talk about them aloud with him.

Having the therapy was like waking up to a brand new, sun-shiny day and being able to see clearly all of life´s opportunities ahead of me. I started to feel better about my future and myself, but I was stuck in a pattern of behavior that I had trouble improving, no matter how positive I tried to be. Dr. Gary believed I still had troubling beliefs and thoughts hidden deep within my subconscious, and recommended that I continue with the therapy sessions. At the time, he was treating me for depression and PTSD. Dr. Gary also believed that I was so used to my habits that it might take a long time to change them. What we didn´t realize is that my so-called habits were actually traits I had due to a neurobiological disorder which I have had since childhood. Most of my problems with distraction, day dreaming, and other typical ADD symptoms had been with me for as long as I can remember.
 
When I was diagnosed with ADD by another doctor, I finally had an answer for my persistent behaviors. I felt as though a locked gate in my mind suddenly opened…

There is so much more to my story than what I have posted here on my Blog Adder World, for the full story please read my Memoir. I go into much more detail about therapy, PTSD with consideration of ADD, why both disorders became intertwined and especially how and why I was finally diagnosed with ADD.

~Bryan