ADHD is Awesome - Penn and Kim Holderness (2024)
http://sachachua.com/2025-03-20-01
Notes:
- Ch 1: ADHD 101
- Ch 2: Diagnosis
- Ch 3: Inside the ADHD brain
- all-in or completely off
- dopamine
- Great at paying attention, terrible at choosing what pay attention to
- Ch 4: The ADHD experience
- checklist
- reorder if needed
- immediate; set a time to discuss long-term
- Ch 5: The emotional side of ADHD
- full-body experiences
- overwhelmed: flooded
- don't want to flip out
- Ch 6: You're going to be okay
- Benefits: Creativity, hyperfocus, bold vision, intuition, determination
- Downsides (manageable!): Inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity
- Ch 7: Facing your ADHD
- Strategies to stay regulated
- Ch 8: Operation Mindset Shift
- This is the brain I've got. I can work with it. Maybe it's actually cool.
- Impulsive -> Creative
- Distractible -> Curious
- Noncompliant -> Independent Thinker
- Ch 9: The ADHD upsides for you
- chocolate + peanut butter
- hyperfocus
- designing your own life
- Ch 10: The ADHD Upsides for others
- Ch 11: The Right Stuff
- Meds help 80-90% of kids, 70% of adults.
- Behavioral therapy helps too.
- solve upstream problems
- carrots, not sticks
- Ch 12: Charge your battery
- exercise, sleep, nutrition, connection, medication, meditation (try eyes open)
- Ch 13: Master your daily routine
- stash extras
- 15-min reset
- cargo pants/clothes
- songs
- follow the food
- Ch 14: Control your environment
- secure the perimeter from distractions
- edit your space
- get comfy
- right-size stimulation
- use visual stimulation
- Ch 15: Get it done
- meaning
- checklist
- breaks, timers
- reward yourself
- when it's hard, acknowledge and ask for help
- Ch 16: How to be an ADHD whisperer
- connect, don't correct
- Ch 17: Parents and Caretakers
- Strengths-based
- slow down, reduce demands
- parent-training class
- Ch 18: Taking care of caretakers
- ADHD: explanation, not excuse
- useful scripts
- Ch 19: Listening
- mine for gold
- gamify