Book Review: Out of the Fog, Treatment Options and Coping Strategies for Adult Attention Deficit Disorder

So much of what’s written about ADHD is aimed at parents. But the disorder doesn’t just disappear when these kids grow up. Based on information published on Russell Barkley’s website, 65 to 80% of children with the disorder continue to have impairments as adults. This can range from school, employment, and interpersonal issues to conditions as severe as mental illness, substance abuse and legal problems.

I’ve published several good reviews on coping with ADHD in this blog. Smart But Scattered and Late, Lost and Unprepared are two favorites. Although they tend to focus on children’s issues, many of the technique can be adapted to adults.

But it’s always best to be able to find something uniquely adapted to your own situation, which is why I was to pleased to find Out of the Fog, Treatment Options and Coping Strategies for Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, by Kevin R, Murphy, Ph.D. and Suzanne LeVert. Dr. Murphy was a researcher at the Adult ADHD Clinic at the University of Massachusetts, and is now in private practice. Out of the Fog is a book that really attempts to do it all: explain the condition of Adult ADHD, discuss treatments and strategies, and cover practical aspects such as organization and communication. With a lesser author, this approach might be too much at cover, but Murphy is so knowledgeable, he’s got good advice for all these varied aspects. Because the book was written in 1995, it doesn’t use some of the newer terminology, such as “Executive Function”, and the specific medication information is showing its age. In general though, the information in this practical guide is still useful and timely.