A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD

Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldly, and Break Through Barriers

By: Sari Solden MS, Michelle Frank PsyD, Ellen Littman PhD - foreword

Narrated by: Marni Penning

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

If you are a woman with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you've probably known - all your life - that you're different. As girls, we learn which behaviors, thinking, learning, and working styles are preferred, which are accepted and tolerated, and which are frowned upon. These preferences are communicated in innumerable ways-from media and books to our first-grade classroom to conversations with our classmates and parents.

Over the course of a lifetime, women with ADHD learn through various channels that the way they think, work, speak, relate, and act does not match up with the preferred way of being in the world. In short, they learn that difference is bad. And, since these women know that they are different, they learn that they are bad. It's time for a change.

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD is the first guided workbook for women with ADHD designed to break the cycle of negative self-talk and shame-based narratives that stem from the common and limiting belief that brain differences are character flaws. In this unique guide, you'll find a groundbreaking approach that blends traditional ADHD treatment with contemporary treatment methods, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), to help you untangle yourself from the beliefs that have kept you from reaching your potential in life.

©2019 Sari Solden and Michelle Frank (P)2021 Tantor

Radical is very fitting for this book.

I had a really good vibe when I came across this book. The name is very fitting, as the author's intentions becomes more and more comforting and reassuring with each chapter. I was diagnosed in February and I'm being treated for this disorder of hell. I have always known that I had so many great qualities about myself, and I really enjoy learning, however, with ADHD, I would feel like I would get to take steps forward and just as soon as I get my flow of getting the hang of whatever it is I attempt to do, it's like I hit wall.

People definitely do not really know the real me because the core of who I am, has been buried under this horrible disability. Disability.... I am not ever going to embrace this term for my brain, because living undiagnosed all these years have truly kept me from growing and I have already missed out so much. Normal changes of life that humans go through with growth, passed me by a many of times. I was beginning to think I was cursed! But, being diagnosed later in life has granted me a more appreciation for myself.

What I mean is, with all my short comings, (and there are a lot of them) I have made some decisions that were for the best for my daughter. I have always been teachable, because of my attitude. I was always listening to words of others, who tried to help me. And although, some friendships fizzled out , due to my inability to do or to think the way most people do in my age group. Even though I really wanted the mentorship, and I was looking for some others ways to help come out of a deep hole I was born in, I had to be loved from a distance.

I don't remember anyone speaking about ADHD in girls let alone grown adults. For the longest time, I thought ADHD was a male child disease, that they would one day out grow. I am so glad that further research had been done in this neurological, debilitating, depressing, illness. Listening/reading this book, gave even more clarity, and strength to live my life the way I was designed to live. I finally feel like my true propose in life is going to be accomplished. Radical, is a word that fits perfectly for my personality, and how I approach life now.

I don't want anybody to feel sorry for, but to understand. Empathy and sympathy are two total different things, and I can tell you that sympathy is an emotion that I don't want anybody to have for me. Listening to the different stories in this book, was therapeutic for me. It let see that there are other women out there with similar situations that I have been through, and it help me to understand my mind and how it works with having ADHD. This book is very comforting and it has added the fuel I need to keep on going. I thank the author's /therapist who wrote this book from the bottom of my heart. Although I had began to feel better once I started treatment, this book has made me even more understanding and forgiving of myself. This book is my therapy and my self love guide.

The questions that this books ask of for the outcome I am looking for, will help me even more once I began to write in my journal. All I want to do is heal, so that I can have a meaningful, wonder life, with no regrets or lack of information regarding my own brain. This book is definitely part of my healing and growth.

Thank you all who contributed to to this medicine in a book from the Preface, Foreword, the stories of people with ADHD that contributed their life story and the therapist who spoke life, new life to me. I have been trying to get on the other side of depression and stagnation, forever. But because I had no idea that I was operating on a ADHD brain, I truly did not have the ability to do what I wanted to or be my natural self, I didn't know how to get out of my own way.

Life is looking so much brighter, and I can finally see the light at the end of tunnel. Thank you all for this book. Thank you so much!

Great book, loving and enlightening for whoever that has ADHD

I like how compassionate and encouraging this book guided. It made me feel related to many of the experiences and is well structured in that it does not repeat itself.

Im not alone!

I feel seen by this author. It’s as if she watched me grow up. I am so thankful for the author taking the time to fill the gap in awareness for ADHD in women. I will be listening a second time. There is hope!

Excellent resource for women with ADHD!

There’s a lot of information in here. As a life coach and a woman with ADHD, I had already learned a lot about best practices to navigate through being neurodiverse. Yet, there was still some new and helpful information in here for me and my clients. The authors also made it relevant by sharing parts of their stories in the book. Loved the resources towards the end!

Loved it!

It was so validating! I finally felt like I was not crazy and someone knew how I felt! I realized that some things that I do were related to being ADHD and I never knew it. Loved the book!

I have already started recommending to clients!

As a female clinician who has experienced a late ADHD diagnosis, I found this book relatable, informative, and helpful. I have already recommended it to several of my clients and a friend. I had been considering starting an ADHD group for women, and this book helped me to decide to set this as a goal to develop over the next few months.

Relatable

This was incredibly eye opening and so many things to consider going forth. Thank you!

Lays an excellent emotional foundation

As a mental health professional, I treat many adult men & women who have ADHD & have often referred patients to Sari Solden’s work based on articles & talks I’ve heard her give.

I finally had the chance to listen to the book. I also glanced at some negative reviews prior to purchasing. Some readers may have missed that the authors’ intention was not to write a skills book. They felt there were already great resources out there already. Why reinvent the wheel?

Rather, the goal was described in terms of helping women lay a solid foundation in their acceptance of adhd as they invite women to explore beliefs about life with it.

Many adhd brains will think “I don’t have the patience for that! Just get to the good stuff!” The truth is- there’s no way around it. If you feel like you were handed a life sentence with ADHD, then the positivity of the book will be hard to absorb.

For those who’ve done their therapy,homework in general, but are ready to get to their next level, this is a wonderful invitation to do so. Even if you haven’t done therapy, but wish to live differently, this can help.

I strongly recommend this for women with ADHD. Whatever the severity. It will - also help those who love them. For those with prominent co-existing trauma, anxiety or depression- this book may not be as helpful. There’s more nuance to managing adhd in those contexts.

The narrator was my least favorite part of the book unfortunately. She was clear. But just not the voice I’d like to hear as a narrator.

Good Questions

Lots of really good questions, and working around the pain points that might block a lot of people from pursuing whatever help they need. I enjoyed it, not exactly what I expected, still very helpful!

absolutely helpful

I have been recently diagnosed, and this book had been really helpful to understand and project my adhd aware future self