Authors: Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey
Topic: Attention disorders (ADHD, ADD) in children and adults
Review: An empathetic, humane, and practical book that helps better understand ADHD and learn to manage it.
What is the book about?
Driven to Distraction is one of the most essential books about attention disorders (ADHD, ADD) and their impact on life. The authors, both psychiatrists with personal experience of ADHD, combine scientific knowledge with real patient stories and offer readers tools to better manage this diagnosis.
The book shows that attention disorders are not just about someone “not paying attention” — it is a complex issue affecting relationships, work, self-esteem, and everyday life. However, it also brings a positive approach — ADHD does not have to be an obstacle to success if properly understood.
What personally interested me about the book?
I was especially touched by the deeply human tone of the book. I have a mild form of ADD (ADHD without hyperactivity), so the topic is personally relevant. Reading this book helped me better understand not only myself but also my son, who has an attention disorder.
Thanks to this book, I became more tolerant of my lapses in attention and a much more patient and accepting parent. I realized that attention disorders are not a “fault” but a different brain wiring that can be understood and respected.
Practical ideas from the book
- Recognizing symptoms: The book describes various ADHD/ADD symptoms in detail, aiding early diagnosis and understanding of personal signs.
- Management strategies: The authors offer practical advice for managing daily life with ADHD, including:
- Organizational skills
- Controlling impulsivity
- Building healthy relationships
- Real patient stories: The book contains many case studies that help readers understand they are not alone and that many people with ADHD/ADD have achieved success.
- Positive approach: The authors emphasize that with proper understanding and management, a full and successful life with ADHD is possible.
Why read this book?
Driven to Distraction not only explains ADHD/ADD from a scientific perspective but also offers practical tools and deep empathy. It helps parents, teachers, therapists, and people with attention disorders themselves.
If you seek understanding and acceptance, this book can change your view of attention disorders and show that different thinking is not a weakness, but a different form of strength.
Personal note
This book was one of my major turning points in fully understanding why I repeatedly experience overload in my life despite objectively managing more than most people. Through studying ADHD, high sensitivity, and neurodivergence, I realized that overload is not weakness or failure, but a logical result of how my nervous system perceives the world.
Driven to Distraction opened a path to a deeper understanding of my functioning, and from this point, the topic I focus on today was born: chronic overload as a state preceding collapse, but also offering potential for transformation.
Why chronically overloaded people should read this book
ADHD is one of the underlying causes of chronic overload, especially in people who have been capable, high-performing, or “different” all their lives but never knew exactly why.
The book helps distinguish between overload caused by circumstances and that caused by persistent internal pressure, from an overactive nervous system, hypersensitivity, impulsivity, or hidden chaos.
It offers relief to those who have thought all their lives they “can’t keep it together,” despite trying hard. As a result, they often blame themselves for their overload.
It helps to understand that not all exhaustion results from poor time management — it can stem from invisible overload of attention, emotions, relationships, or changes.
People with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed) often live in a state of internal overwhelm, invisible to the world — this book gives them the language to talk about it and a map to avoid getting lost.
Where to get the book: