You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy Insights

The must-read analysis of the key insights from "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy" by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo — presented by Athena.

A therapist and a teacher who each have ADD provide methods to avoid harmful self-talk and fix the real problems causing stress and disorganization.

Attention deficit disorder is commonly associated with children, and there are any number of books designed to help those kids, and their parents, navigate treatment options and life with ADD. But what happens when those ADD children grow up? Adults with the disorder can subject themselves to a lot of negative self-talk, particularly before they’re diagnosed and they understand the reasons for their difficulties.

This book, one of the first on the disorder in adults (it came out in 1993), explains ADD and discusses various management strategies for work life and interpersonal relationships while suggesting various approaches to treatment. And for ADD adults inclined to suffer from low self-esteem, the authors note that the condition can come with certain advantages. You’re not only not lazy, stupid or crazy—you may have special gifts.

Kelly is trained as a therapist and psychiatric nurse, and she founded an ADD support group in Cincinnati. Ramundo is trained as a teacher of children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems, and acts as an educational consultant. She has founded organizations to support those with ADD. Both authors have ADD themselves, as do their children, and they share insights of their experiences with the disorder.