Customer Reviews

Understanding And Treating Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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BRAVO!! Dr. Doyle's style of writing is enormously engaging and a quick read, despite the comprehensive and scholarly nature of the book. When I first picked it up, I actually found that I couldn't put the book down, as if it was a well-written novel.

He doesn't JUST describe the issues. He usually gives GREAT vignettes or examples of actual people or composites of those he's known who are dealing with difficulties and under certain situations (work, home, etc.). So, the images of people and their issues are very vividly portrayed.

I highly recommend the book to my psychology graduate students who will be treating adults with ADHD. In fact when students ask me, "How does ADD manifest itself" (like in young women who aren't necessarily hyper), I refer them to this book. As well, I think the book is appropriate for many patients and their loved ones. They can be helped to understand so many of the complexities related to living with the challenge of ADHD.

Although this book appears to be aimed at psychiatrists and mental health professionals, most of it is quite accessible to the lay person like myself. I like professional journals and books because I want details and depth, but they are usually crammed with overly technical terms and very dry.

Dr. Doyle's book is the rare exception: a comprehensive, professional-level work that is actually enjoyable to read. His style is almost conversational, and although he presents a lot of technical information, I never felt like I was slogging through a textbook. Unfamiliar terms are clearly explained, and every chapter is sprinkled with specific references to groups, associations, websites and other books where you can get more information.

The chapters on medications provide the best review of currently prescribed ADHD drugs I've ever seen, in print or online. Doyle clearly explains each class of drug and how it works, and discusses critical issues like side effects, interactions, and precautions. Again, though written for doctors, this material will be very helpful for patients and families.

Doyle's approach to ADHD is sensibly holistic: he emphasizes the importance of each patient's uniqueness, and discusses the impact of factors like age, gender, ethnicity etc. And his survey of treatment options goes beyond traditional psychotherapy and medication to include ADHD "coaching," cognitive-behavioral therapy, and what he calls "environmental interventions" (making changes in one's social or work settings).

Doyle suggests that, once you've found a way to manage disruptive symptoms, it's wise to consider lifestyle and career choices that are compatible with adult ADHD. In this area (and throughout the book) he offers relevant examples drawn from his years of psychiatric practice. I found these stories fascinating, and they're a big part of what makes this book so engaging.

Highly recommended!

A thousand thanks for this excellent text, Dr Doyle!

It is rare indeed to find a book that provides vital, up-to-date information for the busy practitioner AND is so clearly written that it is easily understandable for the lay-reader. Tis book accomplishes both with a crisp writing style that is consistently clear, informative and engaging throughout.

Well-referenced chapters review the diagnosis, biological basis and comprehensive treatment of this increasingly identified disorder.

Dr Doyle even-handedly covers the many controversies that still surround ADHD in Adults. Especially helpful to the clinician is the chapter on managing Co morbid and Treatment Refractory ADHD. The section on "Work, Women and Family" even includes a very informative evaluation of "ADHD-Friendly Work"

Dr Doyle has masterfully written a handy and helpful reference for busy clinicians treating Adults with ADHD. Impressively, this text is also easily accessible to the non-professional or family member who is trying to understand and cope with the complexities and consequences of this challenging disorder.

I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with ADHD!

Dr. Doyle's book is "just what the doctor ordered" for those of us who may be confused by the debate over whether Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is overdiagnosed. This book clearly defines ADHD from the disorder's biological basis and behavioral manifestations to an analysis of the medications in terms of what does and does not work in given instances, to the various pychological interventions, and even to a celebration of some of the unique talents of the ADHD-affected individual. While the book is addressed to adult ADHD, it is so comprehensive that the reader can understand ADHD on all levels--both juvenile and adult.

Perhaps more importantly, the book is a good read. Dr. Doyle uses vivid patient stories to illustrate his points. These stories are so engrossing that the person who recommended this book to me confessed that she had skipped the scientific analysis on more more than one occasion to get to the end of one of the stories.

I found myself in the opposite quandry when, for my next book, I chose Mark Haddon's novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," about an autistic boy. I loved the novel, but found myself longing for it to have an in-depth appendix by Dr. Doyle to give me the same careful understanding of autism that I now have of ADHD.