The Best Thing About You is Also the Worst Thing

If you or someone you love has ADD, you know what a severe impact it can have on your quality of life—and you probably also know that it can be a huge strength. In Driven to Distraction, Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey explore what we know about attention deficit disorder through the lens of real people who have it. Hallowell, a psychiatrist, and Ratey, a professor of psychology, both specialize in and have ADD.

In our guide, we’ll discuss what ADD is and its symptoms, theories on the possible causes of ADD, and potential treatments. We’ll also examine how our knowledge of ADD has changed since the book’s republication in 2011, as well as tips for how to minimize your negative symptoms and make the most of your strengths.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) isn’t a diagnosis that’s restricted to childhood. Many adults with ADHD struggle with schedules, fulfilling commitments, and maintaining enough focus to achieve their goals. If you’re an adult with ADHD, you may fear that you’ll continually disappoint yourself and others by not living up to society’s expectations.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, neuropsychologist Russell A. Barkley draws on nearly 50 years of experience researching and treating ADHD to explain what it is, how it affects adults, and how to effectively manage it through medication and lifestyle strategies. This guide explores how ADHD might affect you personally and describes the various treatment options that can help you curb its symptoms. In addition, we’ll expand on each of Barkley’s key ideas with research, advice, and actionable ideas from other health care practitioners and psychologists.

Do you often feel distracted, tired, or bored—or do you know someone who does? If so, you or that person may be struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In ADHD 2.0, psychiatrist Edward Hallowell and professor of psychiatry John Ratey explain what causes this condition and what it’s like to live with it. They argue that people can succeed and thrive because of—not in spite of—having ADHD.

In this guide, we’ll begin by describing ADHD’s biological causes and its most prominent symptoms. From there, we’ll explore ways to minimize ADHD’s downsides and maximize its benefits, such as finding the right kind of challenge to stay engaged and building a strong support network. Our commentary will provide further insight into what causes ADHD as well as what it’s like to live with the condition.

In The Myth of Normal, physician and trauma expert Gabor Maté writes that much of what society labels as abnormal behavior, mental illness, or dysfunction actually represents normal responses to adverse life experiences. He contends that the conventional medical model pathologizes normal coping mechanisms like emotional numbing as “diseases” requiring pharmaceutical treatment. He instead advocates a trauma-informed perspective that addresses the root psychological and social causes of what we label as illness.

In this guide, we’ll explore Maté’s argument, focusing on:

• How what we define as “normal” health and behaviors are determined by social, economic, and cultural systems
• The role of trauma in determining our health
• How racism, misogyny, and capitalism instill and reinforce that trauma
• How the biopsychosocial model of health and nontraditional healing practices like yoga, meditation, and psychedelics can improve health outcomes

We’ll also supplement his analysis with insights from other experts on trauma, early childhood development, addiction, and more.

Most people believe their personality is fixed—that being anxious, introverted, or disorganized is simply “who they are.” But Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan discovered otherwise. Through a year-long experiment backed by psychology research, she changed her personality from neurotic and introverted to emotionally stable and socially engaged. Her secret? “Fake it till you make it”—she consistently practiced behaviors associated with the traits she desired until they became natural.

In Me, But Better, Khazan explains how personality change can lead to greater happiness, stronger relationships, and career success. But she also notes that the process isn’t easy—it requires deliberately doing things that make you uncomfortable and acting against your natural tendencies. This guide unpacks Khazan’s insights into what personality really is, why certain traits predict life outcomes, and how to systematically change your patterns through targeted behavioral practice. We’ll also explore the basics of personality research, examine the neuroscience underlying behavioral change, and consider how personality ideals reflect specific cultural and social expectations.

In his 1999 book Scattered Minds, physician Gabor Maté argues that if you have ADHD, it’s because early childhood stress prevented you from developing the emotional-cognitive capacities you need to thrive in our world. Further, since ADHD isn’t just a biological disorder but one with social and psychological roots, he argues that medication isn’t the best or only way to treat your ADHD. Based on this perspective, he prescribes non-pharmaceutical treatments for both adults and children with ADHD and explains how society can prevent ADHD in future generations.

In this guide, you’ll learn about what makes your ADHD brain different and how it got to be that way. You’ll also learn about how to manage your symptoms, how to help your child with ADHD flourish, and how society may be able to prevent ADHD in future generations. We’ll supplement Maté’s ideas with up-to-date research about ADHD, other experts’ advice for parenting children with ADHD, and concrete suggestions for coping with your ADHD-related difficulties.