Women With Attention Deficit Disorder Insights

The must-read analysis of the key insights from "Women With Attention Deficit Disorder" by Sari Solden — presented by Athena.

ADD is typically associated with men, meaning that women with the disorder often go undiagnosed. A therapist with ADD who works with female clients with ADD presents a road map for women with the condition, and those around them, to take control of their lives.

“I view women with AD/HD as diamonds in the rough,” Sari Solden writes. “Their disorganization on the surface can hide the beauty underneath, even from themselves.” ADD is stereotypically a male disorder, but girls and women suffer too, with symptoms that present differently and a predisposition to hide and compensate for their struggles.

Solden is a psychotherapist who works with clients with ADD and their partners. She also understands their struggles as a woman with ADD herself. Her book, first published in 1995 and updated in 2005, shares the case histories of many women with ADD she’s spoken with, as well as the insights of fellow clinicians and researchers. Her advice ranges from the nuts and bolts of time management and organization to redefining one’s identity. And if you don’t have the disorder but know someone who might, she offers plenty of guidance for how to make life easier for both of you.