Today’s Pet Peeve is about the fact that I’m completely frustrated with myself for not having written a book review.

I’ve had a copy of Dr. Russell A. Barkley’s latest book, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, published in 2010, for a few months now. I’m such a slow reader! And every time I pick up the book, I’m blown away by how he’s presented the material, and the material that he presents.

Barkley’s latest a must-read

I’ve been chomping at the bit to share this book with you through a book review, but honestly, to do the book justice, it’s going to be a while yet.

Please consider this an interim report to tide you over until I can do the job properly. in short, you NEED to know about this book.

I love reading, but it’s an unrequited love

As I’ve been doing book reviews here at Psych Central, I’ve come to realize just how slowly I read; something I was never before aware of.  I always knew it took me much longer than others to complete my university studies, but I’ve always loved reading regardless.

A lot of us have felt our lives irrevocably changed for the better from discovering books like the classic Driven to Distraction (written by Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey).  As our understanding of ADHD evolves, new books are released. this one definitely stands out.

If only I could download this book directly into my head…

Taking Charge of Adult ADHD is so densely packed with updated, practical and brilliantly presented information, that I found myself wishing I were Data from Star Trek (even though I don’t look particularly good in yellow).

Do you remember the episode where they opened a panel at the back Data’s head, and downloaded the data directly from his “brain”  into his brother’s brain?

I wish I could do that with this book.

One thing that makes it so great, is that while Barkley covers the symptoms of ADHD, they aren’t presented as just another dry list of traits.

Introducing the filmic mind of director Dr. Barkley

The difference between Barkley’s treatment of symptoms and others’ is like the difference between seeing the screenplay of your favorite movie lying on a coffee table, and watching the movie.

Barkley contextualizes ADHD symptoms in a way that brings them to life. like any Oscar-winning director, he’s (metaphorically speaking) lifted the symptoms off the page and given them a character, sets, dialogue, action, situations, and other characters to collide with. He shows how dramatic our lives can be when we’re driven by our ADHD symptoms. the result is stunning.

What a tangled web our ADHD symptoms weave…

For example, in chapter 9, Executive Functions, one section is called, How ADHD Interferes with Nonverbal Working Memory.

Barkley lists a number of ways that our poor nonverbal working memories can mess us up.  One way is when we encounter complex situations.

Barkley’s explanation of this serious challenge is:

“Knowing how to behave in delicate social situations, sticking with the rules of a complex game, completing a multistep task like filing a tax return – all of these typical adult situations may leave you with no clue because your brain has difficulty holding all those mental images.”  p. 76

The ADHD plot thickens…

Like any good plot-builder, Barkley weaves the various impacts of our symptoms together, showing us how they relate to, and impact upon, each other. the plot, indeed, thickens, as we see one area of impairment building upon another, creating a multi-textured array of possible screw-ups and misadventures for the main character: us.

Here’s an example of the interrelatedness of symptoms. After the foul-up opportunities listed above, Barkley follows with another possible nonverbal working memory impairment, that we have little foresight. Doesn’t this sound like the perfect trait for a really interesting character in a great movie?

Barkley says:

“If you can’t hold past images in memory long enough – or hold enough of them – to see patterns developing, you won’t be able to predict what’s likely to happen next and get ready for it.”  p. 75

Directing us to a happy ending

Just as circumstances collude to bring a movie character to a specific dilemma, through Barkley’s book, we see how our  own symptoms collude to bring us to an assortment of dramas and plot points; how our own dramatic arc leads us into crisis after crisis. Fortunately, he also shows us how we can have a happy ending in our own life movie.

I must be a method actor. As an ADHDer, I am deeply in touch with how frustrated, overwhelmed, and confused I can feel a lot of the time (no wonder I’m a bona fide Drama Queen).  Barkley is more like the director who sees the whole picture, and thus pulls all the elements together to make sense.

Sometimes I wish I could have Barkley with me to explain the illusive world that is ADHD.  If only he’d make a movie!

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    Last reviewed: 13 Nov 2010

The pets thing is weird but as to stuff, yes it is about control. it has to do with not being able to do what you want with specific items at a given time whether due to illness, money, other priorities at the time or even other people. The other people one is the most troublesome as less than optimal conditions at a given time leads some to believe that gives them free rein to completely take over someone’s life to “save them”. this is usually in the form harassing the individual physically and mentally with the aim being total control over this other person’s living environment, and afterwards the person is supposed to be grateful for being saved from what the OTHER person found distasteful. Personally I’ve made money selling antiques and collector’s items, a decent amount with little invested. They ebb and flow like the tide as sets get assembled, objects repaired or restored and proper selling forum to get good prices for the specific items are found. I ended up acquiring one of THOSE people in my life, and things began accumulating. I think that there are people with hoarding problems, but I also know for certain that those issues can be created in people through constant pressure, demeaning comments and the like. Now that that person has less influence in my life the great orderly liquidation is starting, though it probably would have been a lot better had it been earlier, before the economy went.

Saw the question about laws against animal hoarding. maybe not in those exact words, but certainly there are. too many animals can cause health problems for the owner and the pets. Keeping too many animals would also be covered under animal cruelty laws too.

I’ve always wondered about the psychology at work for those who hoard children. and why they usually get huge rounds of applause from people for their behavior.

Hoarding animalsI am sorry but it makes me think of women that want to have many children. Angelina Jolie recently said that she is tired of raisin her kids. How many she has and can handle? I am sure she has maids to look after her kids but she is tired? can you see a regular living person with the same preocupation? Children lovers ,Animals lovers shoe lovers hoarders in general belong to the same pack . I f you ask a person why do you have so many animals in their home the answer is” I love animals.”. Do your pets get alone ”yes they love each other” this pets have no other choice than to tolerate each other. Some of this pet owners pet’s look mal nourished, dirty, sad. sometimes because of the crowding conditions these pets live in an enviroment of competion even to get their owners love.I wish we could asked a pet how he feels about living with other pets?

Sha, I noticed your blog this morning and I totally understand your sitution. I have 5 dogs, breeding pair of pekinese which I now have 5 sweet peke pups. Two blue heelers(Sadie is 15) and held her at 5 weeks. I also have a beautiful tri-colored colliie named Missy, 4 companion horses and 2 sweet cats. Would I be a hoarder. They are my family. No human kidos so they all make me happy.

As much as I love animals, and have several acres of land thet can handle say 10 dogs & cats,there is the great responsability of loving & caring all those animals,as well as dealing with health issues & required vactionations that along with nutritional needs can get expensive. having 2 dogs ,I can understand why someone would be tempted to hoard animals,these people think they are doing the animals a great service when in fact causing them great harm,& should be considered people who need a bit of compession help & understanding.

If you’re going to feature and article write the whole story. an occasional link is expected but when all the important information are linked to other sites, you’ve lost me

I think the term “hoarder” is wrong, I would rather use theword collector. The number of animals a person has is not the issue. Some people can have one animal and not be able or willing to care for it, while others may have 10 or 15 and have the time, money and space to properly care for them. Myself, I’m retired have an above adverage income, and have 5 dogs and 2 cats, does that make me a hoarder?

HOARDING IS CONSIDERED a BAD THING WHEN IT IS NEEDED MOST, AS IN TIMES OF SHORTAGES AND RATIONING, YOU’LL SEE GOVERNMENTS SUCH AS LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL COME OUT AGAINST PEOPLE STOCKING UP ON WATER, FOODSTUFFS, FUEL ETC.. WERE ABOUT TO HAVE FORCED RATIONING HERE IN AMERICA SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE FAILED SOCIALIST POLICIES BY OUR FASCIST ADMINISTRATION. HOW ABOUT THE MAYOR OF NEWARK, N.J., HE JUST CAME OUT WITH BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER TO WORK DUE TO CUTBACKS. IT’S STARTING FOLKS, SO START HOARDING, ER NOT PETS BUT ESSENTIALS AND BE PREPARED TO BE MADE AN OUTCAST BY YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT FOR DOING SO.

Who is to judge how many animals is too many? That number is not the same for everybody. I know people I wouldn’t trust with ONE animal…and I know others who could take care of MANY. I currently have 9 dogs, 2 cats, a parrot, and a cockatoo…AND I want more animals. I won’t get them right now, because I don’t have the space. BUT, we bought 20 acres in W. Texas, and when we get moved there we will have farm animals and start trying to rescue some birds and a few other animals as well. only you can determine how many is too many…just be realistic about your abilities (financial, physical, and emotional), have a plan in case something happens to you, and LOVE whatever animal/s you have.

I work as a volunteer at a local animal shelter. Several months ago we received 70 dogs from a hoarding situation in Mississippi. The dogs were in terrible shape, scarcoptic mange, heart worm, behavior problems to mention a few.Sadly not all the dogs could be saved. these dogs might have had chance had the person taken them to a local shelter rather than hoarding them in the most unimaginable filthy conditions.

Horder’s are also known as pack rats too. Hanging onto just about everything and collecting things they really don’t need. My mother is such a person, as well as my husband. and yes, both of them seem to have control issues. but I think it’s a form of insecurity. As for me having less is best, less to keep up with. I can’t imagine having more than one or two pets, and at times that seems to be a bit much. what ceases to amaze me are those out there who can’t afford to feed themselves, living off of the government, but yet they can afford to have pets? this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

I have 12 cats-I started with 4, but people kept dropping them off at my home, and I will not take them to the pound, to be killed. I have had them all spade or neutered, they are too well fed, and shots are up to date. They are indoor/outdoor cats, and my home is clean as well as the cats. When our no-kill shelter opens I shall take the “poor little drop offs” there, again costing me 100′s of $$ that I can not afford. So watch who you are calling a “hoarder”, some of us just can not live with having innocent animals killed.

I got 8 cats and one found out side all the time with no found and no water so i brought her into my home and they 3 that the mother died and left they when they where kittens so i brought them in to my home too because i can’t see them out side all winter long eighter