Terry Matlen MSW

From the moment I heard about this book on Talk of the Nation, I knew I had to have it. I was listening while driving, and, as soon as I got to my destination, I ordered it for my Kindle before I even got out of the car!

I have two daughters with autism and a son with ADHD (among other diagnoses), but I didn’t really think any of that applied to me — until I heard author Terry Matlen on the radio. I had always been an A student and an excellent reader, but I have been untidy and show more disorganized in anything that didn’t have to do with schoolwork. Since I had an excellent attention span for school, lectures, and the like, how could I possibly had AD/HD? Yet, why was my house and car always a mess? Why did I misplace so many things? Why was my laundry always piled up? Why did I never know how to tidy up my linen closet? Like so many of the callers to Talk of the Nation, I thought it was a personality flaw or a moral failing? Why wasn’t I more persistent? Why wasn’t I more clever about organizing my kitchen, or bathroom, or bedroom, or …? Why would I begin a task with gusto and then lose steam halfway? Why, why, why? What’s wrong with me?

Thanks to this book, at least now I know what’s wrong with me. However, I was expecting more of an analysis of my condition with more generalized advice, such as how to know for sure whether you have AD/HD or when to reach for Adderall and when not or how to calm one’s racing thoughts or ways to compensate at work that would help one become more organized at work. Instead, Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-Its doesn’t really go “beyond piles, Palms and Post-Its”; it’s more of a Hints for Heloise for the AD/HD set, although with tips that aren’t as useful or efficient as those of the original. Most of the advice would be suitable for any woman. For example, any woman of average height would benefit from having a stepstool in the kitchen and the advice to bring lemons to room temperature before juicing them isn’t just for the chronically disorganized and/or forgetful. Matlen ends the book with some recipes for women who have trouble getting dinner on the table; however, again, while easy and excellent, these recipes would prove serviceable to any new cook, whether beset with AD/HD or not.

In fairness, while a lot of the advice I’ve gotten before, I did pick up some decent tips. The recipes are first rate, too. Still, this book wasn’t what I was looking for. show less

I started reading this, since it was one of the recommended books for women with ADHD. It was very practical and if that's what you want, it might be great. I got sick of reading about meal planning and prep. I don't have children and where I come from the meals are the responsibility of both parents in any case. So, this book just wasn't for me and I won't push it to the end...

This is a really great book. I learned some things about ADHD that I was not aware of before reading this book. I can now see how having ADHD can be extremely frustrating as an adult as well as a child. There are some great tips to help someone with ADHD become more organized. Some of the tips are useful whether you have ADHD or not. Great read.