Summary & Take Aways from More Attention, Less Deficit by Ari Tuckman

Hi, everyone. This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today's video, I'll give my summary and take aways from the book More Attention, Less Deficit: Success Strategies for Adults with ADHD by psychologist Ari Tuckman.

I'm going to implement a little more structure to my book summary videos, so that I am more likely to make them.  My new structure is going to be a quick overview of what the book is about, who the author is, and who the book is for.  Then I'll review the structure of the book, talk about whether I recommend it and why (and let's be honest, I really only do summaries of books that I'm willing to recommend) and 5-10 take aways that stood out for me.  So, let's start with an

Overview

This, nearly 400 page book, is a comprehensive book on Adult ADHD.  It was written in 2009, which means that it lacks some up-to-date tech strategies (for one thing -- smart phones were not widely used back then), but it is a complete reference book for adults who may be struggling with ADHD.  As a therapist, I also found the content incredibly useful.  The treatment of ADHD is considered a specialization despite the fact that upwards of 20% of clients seeking mental health services present with ADHD symptoms.  Since I have mild ADHD myself, I know more than the typical therapist through my own reading and experience, but even so I learned quite a bit from this book.  Ari Tuckman is a psychologist who has a practice outside of Philadelphia and specializes in ADHD, Couples Therapy, and sex therapy.

Structure

Okay -- you can tell that Dr. Tuckman is familiar with ADHD reading preferences just in the way he structured the book.  It is made up of 1-2 page "articles" on different topics.  And although there IS an organized structure to the way they are ordered, you can easy dip in and out and read only the articles that are of interest or are relevant to you.  Brilliant.  I also like the way he has structured the information in the book -- it makes sense to me.  It's in sections.  First

• Understanding ADHD
• Definition & Executive Functions
• Diagnosing
• ADHD and the Brain
• Why ADHD affects your life
• Treatment
• Medication
• Therapy and Coaching
• Non-traditional Treatments
• Skills Building
• Self Esteem and Effectiveness
• Memory Management
• Time Management
• Organization
• Tools
• Goals
• Specific Areas of Life
• Household Chores
• Relationships
• College
• Work

So, if you already know about ADHD and are simply reading to learn some new skills, you can skip directly to that section.  Or you can read it from start to finish the way I did.

Recommend?

I would definitely recommend this book if you have ADHD -- particularly if you were diagnosed later in life -- or if someone you love has it.  In addition, I think it's a great primer for therapists since we are on the front lines of diagnosis and can help ease some of the suffering around the struggles that having ADHD can inject into modern life.  I love the author's tone -- he is chatty and casual.  His metaphors and sayings are memorable and make sense to me.  Again, it could use an update since it was written in 2009, which makes some of his tools and recommendations obsolete (think Palm Pilots and wall calendars), but it is easy to read and is chock full of great information. 

Take Aways

This is the part of the video where I pick out 5-10 things that stood out for me.  Either because it was new information, or because it was an interesting way of thinking about or presenting something. 

• Four-part integrative treatment model - I have plenty of clients with ADHD and embrace all of these treatment steps, but I liked hearing them spelled out.  The 4 step treatment process is: Education, Medication (he has a strong preference for stimulant medication - as do I), coaching and therapy.  Which leads me to my next big take away which is
• The difference between coaching and therapy - again, this was a bit murky for me since I happen to do both of these things in my practice, but coaching is about skills building, strategies, and effectively handing the daily demands of life.  ADHD coaches tend to meet by phone and can have regular email check-ins between calls.  In contrast, therapy can help to address some of the negative core beliefs that can come from a lifetime of undiagnosed ADHD.  Which brings us to the next take away
• The five common core beliefs held by people with ADHD: Here they are: I can't trust myself, I'm a failure, I'm inadequate, I'm incompetent, and I'm unstable.  Again, working through these negative core beliefs is best done with a licensed therapist.
• Mourning - Perhaps this goes without saying, but if you are diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, it can be emotional.  It can be such a relief to hear that there is an explanation for the issues that you have had that doesn't point to a massive character flaw like laziness or stupidity.  But also, it can be sad to think back on how difficult things have been for you and how things could have been if you had figured this out earlier in life.  Mourning both past losses and loss of potential for the future is a big part of the process.
• Change - To change things - first you must resist the immediate temptation, then make a better choice.  So there is a stop doing piece and a start doing piece.
• Big emotions - Adults with ADHD may be more likely to struggle with strong emotional reactions because a) they have brain-based impulsivity that doesn't allow for a pause between feelings and actions and b) they are reacting to a lifetime of bad experiences and are primed to get upset.
• Maximizing and Minimizing - Dr. Tuckman has a general theory on how to overcome typical ADHD challenges, which is based on maximizing or minimizing.  So for
• Inattention: you minimize extraneous stimuli (like social media or distractions) & maximize relevant stimuli (like the things you want to get done).  For
• Hyperactivity: you maximize situations where you can move and be restless & minimize situations that require more restraint.  And for
• Impulsivity: you maximize or create barriers to problematic impulsive actions & minimize the potential damage or costs of impulsive behavior
• Pithy sayings - I love Dr. Tuckman's memorable sayings.  Here are a couple of examples:
• If ADHD is a gift, then why does my present suck so much?
• You can't leave the past in the past if it's still happening in the present.
• ​​Russel Barker “ADHD is not a problem of knowing what to do, it’s a problem of doing what you know.“
• For ADHD, there is too much now, not enough past or future.
• Medication closes the gap between intentions and actualization.
• Great metaphors - I also really like some of his metaphors.  They help to better understand and also explain to others difficult concepts.  Here are a couple of examples:
• Locus of Control - He talks about problems with a BBQ.  You can control whether you buy enough hot dog buns (internal locus of control), but can't blame yourself for the rain (external locus of control). 
• ADHD Medication -  He says "I have bad eyes, so I have to wear glasses. It's a hassle, but I do it because it's better than driving into other cars. But I don't feel bad about myself for having bad eyes, and I certainly don't blame myself for it. No one asks me to try harder to see well. So how are bad eyes any different from ADHD brain wiring?"  And finally, he gives a TON of
• Specific strategies - for dealing with the executive functioning problems that characterize ADHD.  These are all grouped according to issue, but include reducing distractions, using timers, writing things down, having a calendar, making a plan, pushing through boredom, using lots of clocks, putting objects in sight, developing routines, body doubling, active processing, building in down time, using self-talk, and chunking projects -- and that is just a sample of the strategies he suggests.

Conclusion

If you are an adult with ADHD, you will benefit from reading this book.  You will feel better about yourself, understand the process more, and have some specific strategies to try that may help make life easier.

Let me know what you think.  Comments are always appreciated and thanks for watching!