12 ADHD Books for Adults
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If you’re reading this it’s likely that you might either have, or know someone who has, ADHD. As awareness around neurodiversity has gained momentum over the last few years, many more books have been authored on the topic - in particular those written with lived experience in mind.
Here are 12 of the most popular books that have been written about ADHD for adults.
Written by the creators of TikTok’s @ADHD_Love, Richard and Roxanne share their tips and tricks for living and thriving with ADHD.
Synopsis:
“DIRTY LAUNDRY is an unfiltered look into the chaos of real life with ADHD. It will transform your self-hatred into self-acceptance, with simple tips that actually work for your brain. It will also help to educate partners, parents and friends, to help them move from frustration to patience, understanding—and love.
Learn how to: stop believing you are fundamentally broken, stop judging yourself by the standards of a neurotypical world, communicate your struggles to those who love you, support someone with ADHD in ways that work for them, be compassionate rather than judgemental and much more.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
It’s Not a Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult by Kat Brown
Kat Brown is an arts journalist who also writes about mental health. This book is based on her own experiences, including interviews with other ADHDers and experts.
Synopsis:
“Nobody should spend their life feeling defective. Everyone deserves to have a user manual to their brain - welcome to yours.
Once associated more with hyper boys than adults, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is now recognised as a condition in need of a rebrand which affects people of all genders and ages in a multitude of ways.
In this enlightening and definitive layman's guide, Kat Brown cheerfully smashes the stereotypes with scientific evidence, historical context, and practical support for ADHD minds across areas that can cause problems, from finances and work to self-medicating, relationships, hormones and self-esteem.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
Unmasked: the Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence by Ellie Middleton
This title celebrates neurodivergence, with advice that relates to Autism and ADHD, written by someone who has both.
Synopsis:
“Ellie was 24 when she learned she wasn't broken. She wasn't a bad person, she was neurodivergent. Her late diagnosis of ADHD and autism was like a lightbulb being switched on and she could finally start to heal from the trauma of being undiagnosed and misunderstood for so long.
Since getting her diagnosis, Ellie has made it her mission to change the way we think about autism, ADHD and neurodivergence and in UNMASKED she shares what she has learned along her journey.
Written in a bite-sized style for whizzy brains like hers, Ellie shares chapters on mental health, pretty privilege, how to navigate the workplace and the importance of self-diagnosis so that we can all better understand and celebrate neurodivergence, and ultimately make the world a more inclusive place.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
How to ADHD: an Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe
Another skills based book, Jessica McCabe is the creator of the How to ADHD YouTube channel.
Synopsis:
“In How to ADHD, Jessica McCabe reveals the insights and tools that have changed her life, while offering an unflinching look at the realities of every day with ADHD. Sharing stories of her struggles with the condition, which spiralled as she approached adulthood, Jessica offers expert-backed guidance for adapting your environment, routines and systems to work with the ADHD brain, including how to: boost your organisational skills and learn why doing more starts with doing less, facilitate your focus and fight distractions by decreasing the noise and build your time wisdom by planning backwards to prioritise more effectively.
Presented in an ADHD-friendly design and packed with practical advice and tools, How to ADHD is an affirming, warm and helpful guide that will help you recognise your challenges, tackle 'bad brain days', and to ultimately be kinder to yourself.”
Scattered Minds takes an alternative perspective and looks at the science behind ADD.
Synopsis:
“Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology, psychiatry and psychology – and himself has ADD. With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research, Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents – and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain.
Scattered Minds demonstrates that ADD is not an inherited illness, but a reversible impairment and developmental delay, explains that in ADD, circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy – and why, shows how ‘distractibility’ is the psychological product of life experience, allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick, and adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviours, expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood, presents a programme of how to promote this development in both children and adults.”
Author and comedian Shappi Khorsandi looks back on her life with undiagnosed ADHD, after recieving a diagnosis in her 40s.
Synopsis:
“Some brains, through no fault of their own, pack a bag, turn the lights off and run away to the seaside the moment they are meant to be doing homework, paying bills or not putting the cat in the fridge. These are ADHD brains. I have one and believe they are as common as being left-handed, flat footed or genuinely enjoying anchovies on a pizza.
Undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder made my life a frustrating, maddening rollercoaster. I had very little focus except when I was hyper-focusing (and then it would always be on the wrong things), I made the same mistakes over and over again, regularly burning myself out until I was sobbing. When I finally was diagnosed in my 40s it felt like the lights had been turned on after a lifetime in the dark.
Join much-loved comedian Shappi Khorsandi as she looks back on her life through the lens of ADHD and finally makes sense of the chaos. From discovering the joys of shoplifting through to finally understanding her attraction to toxic men, Scatter Brain will have you laughing (and crying) as you find out what it's really like to live a life out of control. Whether you suspect you might have ADHD or you're here to enjoy the ride, let Shappi take you on her hilarious journey of self-discovery where you just might learn something useful about yourself too!”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
I’ll Just Be Five More Minutes: And Other Tales from My ADHD Brain by Emily Farris
Another autobiographical title, Emily Farris explores tales from her life as she grew up with undiagnosed ADHD.
Synopsis:
“Despite being a published writer with a family, a gaggle of internet fans, and (most shockingly) a mortgage, Emily Farris could never get her sh*t together. As she saw it, disorganization was one of her countless character flaws-that is until she was diagnosed with ADHD at age 35. Like many girls who go undiagnosed, Emily grew up internalizing criticisms about her impulsivity and lack of follow-through. She held onto that shame as she tried (and often failed) to fit into a world designed for neurotypical brains.
I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is a personal essay collection of laugh-out-loud-funny, tear-jerking, and at times cringey true stories of Emily's experiences as a neurodivergent woman. With the newfound knowledge of her ADHD, Emily candidly reexamines her complicated relationships (including one with a celebrity stalker), her money problems, the years she spent unknowingly self-medicating, and her hyperfixations (two words: decorative baskets).
A memoir-in-essays both entertaining and enlightening, I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is for people with ADHD, as well as those who know and love them. This a powerful collection of deeply relatable, wide-ranging stories about a woman's right to control her own body, about overwhelm and oversharing, about drinking too much and sleeping too little, and about being misunderstood by the people closest to you. At its heart, I'll Just Be Five More Minutes is about not quite fitting in and not really understanding why-something we've all felt whether we're neurodivergent or not.”
Matilda Boseley’s book covers coping strategies for a wide variety of symptoms, with a focus on the female experience of ADHD.
Synopsis:
“Matilda Boseley’s adult ADHD diagnosis was a massive, earth-shattering event. She was given a prescription but had no idea what ADHD meant for her identity, her relationships or her future.
Twelve months of confusion later, journalist Matilda embarked on an epic voyage to figure out what’s really happening in the stormy seas of the ADHD brain and write the guide she wished she’d had.
The Year I Met My Brain is the ultimate travel companion for navigating and enjoying life as an ADHD adult, covering: what adult ADHD symptoms look like, why so many ADHDers (especially females) are missed as kids, how the disorder impacts our relationships, careers and self-esteem, why we unfairly treat ourselves like failures – and how to find self-forgiveness and healing, practical tips for social and organisational wins, and, most importantly, how to make our lives work to fit our brains rather than trying to force our brains to fit our lives.
Uplifting, empowering, deeply researched and sparkling with 'a-ha' moments, The Year I Met My Brain is an invaluable resource for ADHDers and those who love them.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
How Not to Fit In: An Unapologetic Guide to Navigating Autism and ADHD by Jess Joy and Charlotte Mia
This co-authored title discusses living well with Autism and ADHD, written by the founders of the @IAmPayingAttention community.
Synopsis:
“Foregrounding real experiences with autism and ADHD, this book explores the journey of discovering, accepting and flourishing with your neurodivergent brain. It explores why getting diagnosis can be so fraught and gendered, and how to navigate a world which centres neurotypical brains in the realms of relationships, careers, friendships and finances.
By reading this book, you’ll: start to understand why so many people are being diagnosed with ADHD and autism right now, learn the impact that not knowing your own brain can have on your mental health, find the confidence to ask for accommodations and adjustments at work – without apologising, have the chance to note down how this journey is evolving for you in chapter-by-chapter workbook sections and, most importantly, get to know yourself and your needs better.
Featuring the latest research and thinking on neurodivergence, contributions from dozens of experts and the real stories of people just like you, this innovative book – which has been written and designed especially for *spicy* brains – is essential reading for anyone whose brain seems to see the world in a different way.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
Small Talk: 10 ADHD lies and how to stop believing them by Richard and Roxanne Pink
The second book by @ADHD_love’s Richard and Roxanne Pink, Small Talk focuses on compassionate thinking in response to feedback from their online community.
Synopsis:
“When ‘ADHD wife’ Rox and neurotypical husband Rich asked their community of 2.5 million what the biggest ADHD struggle is, the thousands of replies changed everything. As they learned, the real enemy isn’t productivity or focus, but the toxic ADHD core beliefs we’ve internalised.
With candour and kindness, they share personal stories to highlight and reframe the 10 big lies that ADHD people believe about themselves. From ‘I am lazy’ to ‘Everybody hates me’ and ‘I quit everything I start’, Small Talk will empower ADHDers and those who love them to navigate life with compassion, humour and hope. Whether you were diagnosed early or are new to the neurospicy community, Small Talk will change your relationship with yourself and others. It will help you to stop being your worst fear-leader, start bigging yourself up, and live your best neurodivergent life.”
Maskell’s unique book is structured in an A - Z format, covering everything you need to know about ADHD.
Synopsis:
“Navigating the world with an ADHD brain can be exhausting. The rollercoaster ride from clinical assessments through diagnosis to treatment can leave you feeling anxious and isolated, worried about failing or feeling different.
This handy guide is here to change all that. If you have (or suspect you have) ADHD, you'll know the frustration of being given neurotypical or clinical advice - but this is straight from an ADHD brain to you.
The accessible A-Z format, covering everything from burnout and finances to time management and relationships, gives you the tips and confidence you need to reach your full potential. It empowers you to understand why ADHD brains work the way they do and how to harness your unique mind to think creatively and overcome any hurdle life throws at you.
Easy to digest and full to the brim with practical life advice including budgeting plans for impulsive spending, advice on rejection sensitive dysphoria and ways to relax, this book provides everything you need to feel confident and supported through your ADHD diagnosis and beyond.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
Your Brain’s Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD by Tamara Rosier
The final book on this list, You Brain’s Not Broken is written by an ADHD coach.
Synopsis:
“If you have ADHD, your brain doesn't work in the same way as a "normal" or neurotypical brain does because it's wired differently. You and others may see this difference in circuitry as somehow wrong or incomplete. It isn't. It does present you with significant challenges like time management, organization skills, forgetfulness, trouble completing tasks, mood swings, and relationship problems.
In Your Brain's Not Broken, Dr. Tamara Rosier explains how ADHD affects every aspect of your life. You'll finally understand why you think, feel, and act the way you do. Dr. Rosier applies her years of coaching others to offer you the critical practical tools that can dramatically improve your life and relationships.
Anyone with ADHD - as well as anyone who lives with or loves someone with ADHD - will find here a compassionate, encouraging guide to living well and with hope.”
You can buy a copy on Amazon here.
I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these books, and if you have any recommendations for this list.
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