Loving Thy ADHD Self and Reading for Enjoyment w/ Author Alyson Gerber

03/20/19 • 16 min

1 Listener

The Faster Than Normal Podcast: ADD | ADHD | Health

My guest today had undiagnosed ADHD until she was twenty-one, and she wore a back brace for scoliosis from the age of eleven to thirteen, an experience that led directly to her debut novel Braced from Scholastic. It received three starred reviews, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and has been nominated for several awards. Her new middle grade novel Focused, about a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD, will be in stores on March 26. Focused has received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and the American Library Association’s Booklist and is a Junior Library Library Guild Selection. We talk about her struggles in learning to read, how things felt for her growing up, and how she ultimately found her voice. Enjoy!

In this episode Peter and Alyson discuss:

1:24- Intro & welcome Aylson! ref: books “Braced” and “Focused”

2:20- Between your back brace and ADHD, growing up must’ve been a blast! Tell us your story?

3:48- Were you getting a ‘you're not smart’ vibe from you teachers?

6:16- We’re seeing more & more middle aged parents get diagnosed, because they’re kids are getting diagnosed! i.e. Richard Titus interview here

7:00- Have you always retreated into writing like me and many of our guests? What was YOUR thing?

9:40- On Alyson’s first creative writing class

11:00- On reading for enjoyment! ref: Encyclopedia Brown Archie Comics Choose Your Own Adventure Books

11:38- So tell us about your latest work, “Focused”

14:54- How can people find you? AlysonGerber.com @AlysonGerber: Twitter INSTA FB: AlysonGerberBooks

15:28- Thank you Alyson and Thank YOU for subscribing, reviewing and listening! You can always reach me at [email protected] or @petershankman on all of the socials. Also at @FasterThanNormal on all of the socials.

15:50- Faster Than Normal Podcast info & credits

Please check out my new ADHD Coaching! www.shankminds.com/ADHDCoaching

As always, leave us a comment below and PLEASE drop us a review on iTunes and of course, subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t already! The more reviews we get, the more people we can reach. Help us to show the world that ADHD is a gift, not a curse! Know of anyone you think should be on the FTN podcast? Shoot us a note, we’d love to hear!

In this episode Peter and Alyson discuss:

1:24- Intro & welcome Aylson! ref: books “Braced” and “Focused”

2:20- Between your back brace and ADHD, growing up must’ve been a blast! Tell us your story?

3:48- Were you getting a ‘you're not smart’ vibe from you teachers?

6:16- We’re seeing more & more middle aged parents get diagnosed, because they’re kids are getting diagnosed! i.e. Richard Titus interview here

7:00- Have you always retreated into writing like me and many of our guests? What was YOUR thing?

9:40- On Alyson’s first creative writing class

11:00- On reading for enjoyment! ref: Encyclopedia Brown Archie Comics Choose Your Own Adventure Books

11:38- So tell us about your latest work, “Focused”

14:54- How can people find you? AlysonGerber.com @AlysonGerber: Twitter INSTA FB: AlysonGerberBooks

15:50- Faster Than Normal Podcast info & credits

Please check out my new ADHD Coaching! www.shankminds.com/ADHDCoaching

Previous Episode

Serial Entrepreneur, Tech Exec, CEO, Filmmaker & ADHD Late Bloomer Richard Titus

So as it turns out, Titus and I have like thousands of contacts in common. Like me, he was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, after he was named to the Wired 100 list in 2010.. his resume is super extensive & impressive! We talk today about how he first discovered that he had ADHD & Dyslexia, and what he’s implemented that is making his super powers even stronger! (Oh and my voice is better now by the way- thanks for suffering though my rasp the last couple of weeks). Enjoy!

In this episode Peter and Titus discuss:

1:46- Intro & welcome Richard Titus! ref: Wired Razorfish Breezeworks Shenzen BBC Samsung

3:20- Tell us your story. You didn’t realize you had ADHD until you had a daughter and she was diagnosed? ref: Dr. Roz Wright

7:05- On realizing you're not alone

8:06- On indicators of having ADHD

9:54- What’s working for you; what’s your daily routine?

11:20- On isolating yourself in order to focus/flow/deep-work

11:49- On the importance of being punctual

12:43- At what point did you realize your ADHD was benefiting you?

14:00- On seeming forgetful, or even disrespectful on the daily

16:18- How are you getting your dopamine fix these days?

17:32- On switching gears form ‘Work mode’ to ‘Daddy mode’

19:06- On blasting music to help focus. ref: Daniel Clark interview, Brain.FM

19:47- Tell me what you’ve learned over the past several years, understanding your diagnosis, that makes you a better person.

21:31- How can people find you? @Richard Titus Twitter, INSTA, FB about.me/richardtitus

21:55- Thank you Richard Titus and Thank YOU for subscribing, reviewing and listening! You can always reach me at [email protected] or @petershankman on all of the socials. Also at @FasterThanNormal on all of the socials.

22:15- Faster Than Normal Podcast info & credits

Please check out my new ADHD Coaching! www.shankminds.com/ADHDCoaching

Next Episode

A Men’s ADHD Support Group w/ Author & Life Coach Marc Almodovar

A lot of people I meet in the ADHD world are thrown into “all things ADHD” because they simply have no choice. What’s interesting is that my guest today has decided to make educating and helping folks with ADHD his profession! He coaches, he blogs, and he has started an ADHD support group for men- which is how I found him. There aren’t just loads of places to go, especially outside of the medical community, where you can have open and frank discussions with others who are similarly gifted. Marc has recently co-authored a book that will be out soon. We talk about how he chose this path, and some about what it’s like to be a guy who’s grown up with ADHD. Enjoy!

In this episode Peter and Marc discuss:

1:00- Intro & welcome Marc!

1:57- You struggled in school like most all of us, but you got diagnosed at age 16; tell us your story.

4:40- On receiving the diagnosis

5:25- After you were diagnosed, what were the most noticeable changes in your life?

6:25- What made you want to become an ADHD life coach/wellbeing instructor?

7:56- Tell us a little more about your “awakening moment”, how you got into the concepts of wellbeing- and how all of that mattered. ref: Our Transformative Journey book

9:00- What’s next for you? ref: ADHD Men’s Support Group

10:48- On how men are conditioned from a young age to ‘just shake it off’; breaking that mold

12:28- What do you say to the 16 year-old boy who has realized that he has a problem?

13:40- On realizing you’re not broken, but instead have an incredible gift once you learn how to use it.

14:20- How can people find you? www.WellnessWithMarc.com @wellnesswithMarc on INTSA @wellnesswmarc on Twitter FB YouTube

14:45- Thank you Marc and Thank YOU for subscribing, reviewing and listening. PLEASE.. stop right now and write us a review so that we will all be able help more people! You can always reach me at [email protected] or @petershankman on all of the socials. Also at @FasterThanNormal on all of the socials.

15:27- Faster Than Normal Podcast info & credits