When an adult you love has ADHD Professional advice for parents, partners, and siblings

Barkley (psychiatry, Medical Univ. of South Carolina) indicates that detrimental effects of ADHD may reverberate "like tapping a spider web or tossing a stone into a pond." The maelstrom of adversities that frequently visit those affected by this disorder do not leave parents, partners, and siblings unscathed. Barkley, a renowned authority, addresses the need for loved ones to reframe their view of the classic symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity so they can take steps to manage symptoms' impact. This is no "sugar-coated" self-help inventory offering "pie in the sky" clichés to eliminate future risk factors. Effective treatment strategies to mediate the impact of this highly treatable psychiatric condition are presented. The author highlights the struggles of athletes and celebrities who have navigated the disorder to illustrate his formula for keeping the disorder from impeding sufferers' trajectory toward success. The current DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing ADHD are included in the appendix. Acknowledging the anguish that friends and family members experience in the potentially destructive path of the disorder is a significant contribution to the field: words of hope ring like a breath of fresh air to inform and encourage those gasping to survive the aftermath of ADHD. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Susan Durr, Middle Georgia State University