The Little Monster: Growing Up With ADHD

This book has made it to my list of favorites! Robert Jergen's recollections of growing up as a child with undiagnosed ADHD is both hilarious, touching and educational. As the sibling of a child with ADHD, I can attest to the reality of which Jergen writes, a reality that probably seems unbelievable to those with no experience with ADHD. Although Jergen experienced more sadness and loneliness than most of us by adulthood, his self-diagnosis of ADHD as a young adult brought his entire life into focus and inspired him to see his "disorder" as a gift, rather than an affliction. His account of the complexities of his journey is both easy-to-read and hard-to-put-down. I highly recommend it to anyone living with or working with children with ADHD, or to anyone who just enjoys an entertaining story!

I found this book easy to read, entertaining and very helpful to learn about ADHD. I know I would like to read more on the topic but having the story told firsthand from a person with ADHD made me change my mind about children like the author. I'm very happy I had the opportunity to read this book!!!

I was one of hopefully many individuals who got to read the book "The Little Monster" By Robert Jergen. Let me first say that I myself suffer from a very extreme case of ADHD as my parents and teachers have so thoughtfully pointed out. I first read an article in the newspaper telling me about this new book about ADHD, by the time I finished I knew I HAD to get this book. Even though I wasn't much of a reader and usually when I get excited about something it ends up in disappointment, this I just had to take a chance. I started to read the book and it was like learning I had ADHD all over again. I felt like I was reading a biography of an alternative me. I'm starting to wonder if this is the normal life of someone with ADHD. The entire book was a roller coaster ride of emotions and feelings. From the constant reminders of how my own life was like. To kinda funny things that I am surprised I didn't do myself. For the first time in nearly 3 years I cried, it did something I never had expected, expesaly out of a book. If my life's memories were a pool of liquid this book was like a sieve and the stuff it brought up was intense. All my old memories, stuff I had buried without realizing it. (Even my ADHD itself I buried. I had totally forgotten I had ADHD over the years. Every day I'd be taking these pills and never think of WHY I was taking them.) It wasn't until I saw the article and began reading the book that these thoughts came zooming back into my head like an army of angry flies. Stuff that was too painful to reflect on and only popped in my mind now and then sending me into an automatic "mmmMm" A grumble much like Marge on The Simpsons. This book very much reminded me of my own life. It made me face age old memories that have haunted me from the day I could crawl. And with reading more and more of the book I learned that not everything that I caused was entirely my fault. Years of blaming myself for what I did or how I acted gone with a turn of the page. Who would of thought... I wasn't some lazy kid who had no future. Who was smart, but decided to throw his life away. No, in many cases, I was a victim, like many other people who suffer from ADHD. Course my parents as well as myself knew I had ADHD, (granted it took 6 years, but I can't really complain too much after hearing this story) but I never realized that ADHD caused such havoc, that made people do such things. I always thought ADHD just caused restlessness and made it hard to concentrate. The rest was my own fault and I had only myself to blame. This book has changed that perspective, it has taken TONS of weight off me. Things I've been carrying all my life are gone. The book also gave me some insight on to control impulses that have plagued me all my life. Not only did it stun me with how similar my life was to the book, but it gave me help to control many things that have made me suffer over the years. It taught me a few study habits which I plan on using in my senior ye

I am always looking for a way to better understand my ADHD child. I am also looking for ways to explain it to others--teachers, other parents, my family. This book is a fantastic tool to that end! It is personal, emotional, scarey, moving. It just may be the best way I have seen in a while to get past denial and the thought that ADHD is something we can dismiss as bad parenting or deliberate bad behavior. It is great to see the postive aspects of ADHD highlighted. Any story that give my child a postive way to look at himself is helpful. We all need that. But finding it for an ADHD kid has not always been easy. Robert Jergen has just made it easier and has lightened my load. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I found this book very informative and helpful in understanding how ADHD affects every aspect of one's life. I specifically recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one with ADHD.