1201 Alarm Press Titles

1201 Alarm Press

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paperback; 382 pages
ISBN-10: 0-9815487-0-9
$21.95

Winner - four national book awards!

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Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?

Stopping the Roller Coaster
When Someone You Love has
Attention Deficit Disorder

by Gina Pera
Foreword by Russell Barkley, Ph.D.

April 12, 2008 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – At least nine million American adults share a genetic condition that jeopardizes their health, employment, finances, and their closest relationships—but only one million know they have it.

What is this mysterious condition? Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD).

The science has been clear for more than a decade: Adult AD/HD was declared a medical diagnosis in 1994. Still, the public and even most mental-health professionals harbor misconceptions about it. Change comes slowly. Meanwhile, millions suffer needlessly, along with their loved ones. This groundbreaking book is poised to change all that.

Renowned couples-therapy expert Harville Hendrix, author of Getting the Love You Want, says of Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?: “I recommend it highly to all couples whose troubles seem incomprehensible, and for all couples therapists it should be required reading to help them distinguish between ordinary conflict and the ‘roller coaster’ effect of this syndrome.”

Everyone knows someone with adult AD/HD (diagnosed or not), but we often misattribute the symptoms to anxiety, depression, or even laziness, willfulness, flightiness, selfishness, moodiness, and worse. We describe people with it as having addictive, Type A, or even passive-aggressive personalities. In most ways, AD/HD symptoms do resemble the human condition —albeit in a highly exaggerated form—and so we don’t make the connection to a brain disorder.

It seems that almost everything about AD/HD creates confusion—until you get the facts, which are thoroughly and engagingly presented in this book.

For example, until recently, the official term was ADD, plus or minus Hyperactivity, and that’s how many people still refer to it (hence the title). The new official term, AD/HD, uses a slash mark to indicate that hyperactivity is not always present, but many people mistakenly assume that this term describes only people with hyperactivity.

In fact, hyperactivity is rarely present in adults, and that’s why we used to think that children outgrew the disorder. Now we know that the physical hyperactivity common to children goes “underground” as the person matures, resulting in a mentally restless state, and that 70 percent of children with this condition do not outgrow it. This is a lifespan disorder—with serious implications into old age.

These family members of adults with ADHD also face the “AD/HD Roller Coaster” of chaos at home: disorganization and clutter, forgotten tasks and obligations, unpaid bills and maxed-out credit cards, neglected home repairs and lost jobs, hot tempers and erratic parenting styles, traffic accidents and citations, and more.

Moreover, the very symptoms of their disorder (including poor working memory, difficulty linking cause with effect, and an impaired sense of empathy) mean that many adults fail to accurately perceive their role in the chaos, and so they place the blame everywhere else.

For these reasons, it typically falls to the partners of these adults to connect the problematic behaviors to AD/HD symptoms. That’s why author and award-winning journalist Gina Pera targets this group in particular. Yet everyone involved with AD/HD will find the information in this book invaluable, especially people with AD/HD and couples therapists, who often mistake AD/HD for “communication problems” or “personality differences.”

Meticulously researched and presented with empathy and humor, Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? offers the latest information from top experts, who explain the science and proven protocols for reducing AD/HD’s most challenging symptoms. Real-life details come from the partners themselves, who share their stories with touching candor yet plenty of humor.

The revolutionary message is one of hope for millions of people—and a joyous opportunity for a better life.

Titles scheduled for future release:

Driving While Distracted: The ADHD Roller Coaster Guide to Driving Safely
"It's Only Money, Honey!": The ADHD Roller Coaster Guide to Financial Management
Back to the Tunnel of Love: The ADHD Roller Coaster Guide to Sexual Intimacy
Talkin' Trash: The ADHD Roller Coaster Guide to Domestic Chores

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San Francisco, California