PlayDHD: Permission to Play; A Prescription for Adults with ADHD

When psychologist Milliken realized that she had ADHD, she set out to improve her personal and professional life by observing how play affected her attention. She incorporated what she learned into her work with ADHD clients and now shares these discoveries in this entertaining guide. She examines studies that indicate symptoms of ADHD may result from low, premature, or inefficient dopamine transmission in the brain, resulting in lower engagement in unrewarding activities. While acknowledging that multiple approaches to alleviating ADHD’s symptoms exist, she favors increasing the space for play in one’s life, on the basis that it activates reward pathways in the brain, enabling people with ADHD to pay attention for longer periods of time. Milliken begins by comprehensively addressing what ADHD is, giving detailed explanations of its possible causes and known symptoms, before delving deep into the origins of play and why it is beneficial. She then breaks down the remaining chapters into stages of approaching play: cultivating a playful mindset, looking back at key “fun” memories from childhood and beyond, understanding what “play personality” type you are, and generating a prolific and sustainable “playlist” for all realms of life. This book is a must for those with ADHD and their loved ones. (BookLife)