69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ignore the skeptics...read this book, May 7, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us (Paperback)
What some cynics will have you believe is that everyone is a little quirky, and that you should just accept that. Personally, I think that's a laugh. It's true ignorance shining through. The unwillingness to have an open mind and truly accept that there just might be biological reasons for behavior.
I began reading about anxiety disorders years ago, because my wife was having true panic attacks. When my son was born 7 years ago, we knew we would have to keep an eye on him. Now, as a first grader, we're seeing signs of behavior that don't make sense. They aren't just as simple to brush off as saying "he's just being a boy". So I've been reading more about bipolar, ADHD, ADD, and other conditions.
In reading about some of the mental disorders, I was intrigued by the recent acknowledgement of adult ADD. I read the symptoms, and had to face the cold reality that they really fit me. I'm 41 years old with a BA, MS and I'm halfway through my MBA. I've done well in my career and I've been married for 13 years to the same person. By all rights, I'm pretty normal. But I have always been a terrible procrastinator. I've read books on the subject and tried...REALLY tried...to help myself get organized and on track. Nothing I've ever done has helped. As an example, I had a report to write for work last fall. The CEO wanted me to do this. I knew what needed to be done. I knew how to get the research. I knew what the final presentation should look like. I had 5 weeks to prepare. I would sit at my desk, tell myself I wasn't going to get up until I had a good chunk of it done...and then surf the internet. Or work on another project. Or enter addresses in my Palm Pilot. I was distracted by every noise, every conversation in the hallway...even though I had a financial stake in the outcome (my job!).
These things happen all the time, and they have for over 25 years. I've always said they're just part of my personality. A reviewer below wants you to believe that this book is worthless. I can tell you from first hand experience, this book has helped me understand that there may be a biological answer to what I thought was "just my personality". I believe, as one of the authors states, that it is my duty as a husband and father to explore the possibility that I have ADD in a mild form, and seek treatment. If that means I take a pill, so be it. I take a pill for my cholesterol, wear contacts for my eyes, so why wouldn't I treat this as I treat those other bio-conditions?
If you think, just maybe, that you have a hint of one of these conditions, spend the bucks and the hours and read this book. Those of us with "shadow symptoms" are less likely to get diagnosed, because we're not as obvious. We need to help ourselves a little. Ignore the skeptics and cynics...make the decision yourself.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shadow Syndromes explains so much!, March 28, 1998
This review is from: Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us (Paperback)
I read this book because our child had just been diagnosed with one of the "Shadow Syndromes," Asperger Disorder. As so often happens with childhood-onset brain disorders, he has symptoms that are a mixture of various disorders -- major depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder. (These are hereditary disorders when appearing in one so young.) After reading this book, so many elements of our son's puzzling behavior, and the milder symptoms present in my husband and myself are more understandable. If you or your loved ones have mild forms of more serious brain disorders, this book is for you. I had an "aha" experience at every chapter. Our policy is not to buy any book unless we have already read a copy from the library and know that we will refer to it again and again -- that it is truly useful. This book fits that criterion. Read it.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This book has been an incredible encouragement to me, October 24, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage Us (Paperback)
I was diagnosed with one of the disorders discussed in this book. "Shadow Syndromes" has helped me realize that there ARE good things about these "disorders". There IS a purpose to all the suffering I and my family experienced before my diagnosis as well as the hard work that has been required since diagnosis.
I accept that my out of control biochemistry will require medication so long as I live in a modern world that has little ability to tolerate someone who lives out of step with the current drum. The need to be able to provide for my family in a time-clock world means I must conform to some degree. However, the knowledge that I have my own contributions to make helps me to hold on to those parts of me that have been enhanced by my "disorder".
I have much work ahead of me. While meds are not the only answer, they seem to buy me the time I need to work with a therapist on other strategies for coping.
This book has been an incredible ecouragement to my loved ones and to me.
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