10 Life-Changing Books every ADHD Adult should read
- Nat Harrison
- Jun 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Coming to terms with an adult ADHD diagnosis or accepting you have ADHD, is an important milestone and the start of a new journey - one that allows you to rewrite the story of your life and experiences as an ADHD child.
Whilst there is a wealth of information online, lots of social media and with a diagnosis, there are ways to get medical support, but for in depth self-help and healing, it can be difficult to know where to look first, so I am sharing which books have really helped me.
Here are my top 10 life-changing books for ADHDers - books that have really helped me turn into a positive and proud ADHDer, and that I believe every ADHD adult should read.
Books really help ADHDers with self-acceptance and self-compassion
I found books incredibly powerful, not as a quick fix, but as a way to deeply understand yourself, learn new strategies and feel a little less alone with your ADHD experiences.
This list offers a mix of recommendations, from ADHD-specific support to broader books on mindset, healing, emotional wellbeing and self-love.
To make it easier to know where to start, I have divided it into three key areas:
Part 1 - Building a foundational understanding of ADHD and learning to be self-compassionate
Part 2 - Exploring the link between trauma, healing and ADHD
Part 3 - Harnessing your ADHD, leaning into your ADHD strengths and getting ongoing support with executive function and emotional regulation.
NOTE: to normalise ADHD challenges here - I haven't read all of these cover to cover (I am a very slow reader and for months at a time, I just don't have the focus to do much reading), but I have bought the ones, I want to dip in and out of (see picture above), have listened to many of them as audiobooks and even listened and read at the same time to increase the chances of the information being stored in my memory.
Part 1: Best books to help you understand ADHD
The first three books give you a good understanding of ADHD from different perspectives, helping you step back, and see it more clearly and widely.
ADHD: A Hunter in a Farmer's World - Thom Hartmann
Why I recommend It:
It's the OG!!
One of the oldest books written about ADHD (1993) - it explores ADHD traits through a hunter-gatherer lens.
Best for:
Those who look at ADHD wholly negatively
It reframes ADHD as something that was useful in a different age of humanity (when threat-scanning really was needed). It gives meaning to why being able to shift attention quickly, having boundless energy, and a different experience of time (it's now or never), all made sense.
Key takeaway:
Purpose and belonging
This perspective on ADHD helped me believe that ADHD is a neurotype that evolved for a reason, and it's the modern world that is the issue not us!
Why I recommend it:
Explains ADHD and brain development.
Scattered Minds offers a trauma perspective on ADHD, from a psychiatrist who was diagnosed with ADHD in his 50s.
Best for:
Those with trauma and children with ADHD.
An explanation of how ADHD and Trauma affect the brain and how you can help harness ADHD traits from the perspective of ADHD in the family. Great parenting techniques, and re-parenting methods can help adults alleviate their symptoms.
Key takeaway: Compassion and connection are the secret
Unconditional 'positive kind regard' and connection are at the heart of helping alleviate ADHD symptoms.
Why I recommend it:
Russell Barkley is an ADHD authority.
He was a professor of psychiatry and ADHD Researcher, for over 35 years and has written over 10 books on ADHD.
Best for:
Those who want to reflect on their childhood
This book helps you understand the recent science behind ADHD and provides a more structured, evidence-based approach to reflecting on your ADHD.
Key takeaway:
Practical strategies
A wealth of techniques to support an ADHD Adult with emotional self-control, time management and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Part 2: Books to help you understand the relationship between ADHD, trauma, and healing
This section looks at the link between ADHD and trauma, and explains how self-healing can help to bring your brain back online, and manage nervous system dysregulation, which makes ADHD symptoms worse.
Why I recommend it:
Makes you feel special and loved
ADHD and trauma often go hand in hand - this could be because we experience complex-PTSD as a child living with undiagnosed ADHD but also we are more likely to experience adverse childhood experiences. Vex King's book has many exercises to help you self-reflect and heal.
Best for:
Spiritual souls who love self-reflection and growth
This book draws from Eastern Spirituality and whilst having many practical exercises, may be a little woo for some.
Key takeaway:
Trauma exacerbates ADHD
When you heal, you will have more control over your nervous system and will experience new highs!
How To Do The Work - Dr Nicole LePera
Why I recommend it:
Therapy in an easy-to-read book!
This book is extremely useful for understanding how adverse childhood experiences affect secure attachment, which impacts our nervous system and executive function.
Best for:
Those who are interested in psychotherapy
The reparenting chapter (ch11) is especially helpful for ADHDers - it explains how to understand and meet our own needs, something many people wtih ADHD find tricky.
Key takeaway:
Loving discipline and self-care go a long way
Reparenting healing helps us let go of our inner critic, which plays a part in a shame spirals and ADHD paralysis.
Why I recommend it:
Because it does begin with you!
Although not specifically about ADHD (it's about love), this book is about learning how to love yourself. Jillian Turecki is a relationship coach and she says it how it is, whilst giving you very practical advice that is easy to apply.
Best for:
ADHDers who struggle with relationships
The premise is that the most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself, and if that isn’t strong, it’s harder to build meaningful relationships with others.
Key takeaway:
Love is the key!
Self-love and self-compassion help ADHDers move through ADHD paralysis and overwhelm (freeze states).
The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der Kolk
Why I recommend It:
Healing trauma alleviates ADHD symptoms
Whilst this book is incredibly compelling in its explanation of how trauma remains in the body and can create illness. The benefit for ADHDers, is the studies about what helps heal.
Best for:
People interested in how trauma lives in the body
It makes a very strong case for somatic practises for ADHDers. It has many chapters on nervous system regulation, and give you an overview of which techniques can have a massive impact on trauma processing.
Key takeaway:
How important self-connection is
Connecting mind and body because ADHDers can often live in their heads and struggle with interoception in the body.
.
Part 3: Books that help ADHDers with career success
These last 3 books focus on self mastery - how we manage stress, develop a successful mindset and focus on our ADHD strengths all lead to better performance at work.
Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living - Mo Gawdat and Alice Law
Why I recommend It:
Effective hacks for ADHD anxiety
Unstressable explains why ADHD and anxiety often go hand in hand, and how anxiety can be maladaptive, often used as a motivator for ADHDers to start and finish tasks.
Best for:
ADHD adults who suffer with stress and anxiety
This book has effective stress management techniques to tackle your anxiety and bring your creative brain online.
Key takeaway:
We have control over what we think and feel
We can choose how we respond to situations, manage the impact of our feelings and how much stress we experience.
Why I recommend it:
It gives ADHDers hope!
Mindset really helps you to understand what a Growth mindset is - we can develop most skills over time, through effort, and perseverance, and how, by applying this to your ADHD, can give you a sense of agency and hope.
Best for:
Leaders and ambitious types
This isn't saying ADHD can be overcome or fixed, but it is saying you can always learn new things in new ways of doing things, like resting more often to prevent burnout.
Key takeaway:
There is no such thing as perfect!
We are all works in progress! We will never be "finished". Having a growth mindset helps you move past roadblocks.
Why I recommend it:
Because ADHD 2.0 is a brilliant book!!
First published in 2021, it includes more recent research on ADHD. From a top 10-tip list on how to create stellar environments for ADHD brains, to how to calm the brain with vestibular exercises (which help improve the cerebellum's processing) - balancing practise basically.
Best for:
Anyone with ADHD!
Chapter 1 has an extensive spectrum of ADHD traits, clearly demonstrating how they can be expressed in a positive and negative manner - great reframing Ed!
Key takeaway:
Inspiring and compassionate for ADHDers
Ed is a very successful doctor and author, who has harnessed his ADHD and you can too!
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for managing ADHD but learning to understand yourself helps!
There isn’t a single approach that works for everyone when it comes to managing ADHD, and that’s why having access to different ideas and perspectives can be so valuable. Some of these books might resonate straight away, others might not, and that’s okay. It’s all about finding what fits you.
If you prefer to listen to your books, you can find most of these on Audible or Spotify too. But if you prefer podcasts and conversations, check out my 8 Best ADHD Podcasts For UK Audiences.
For more great resources, check out the rest of my blog articles. I also have free resources you can download: my Morning Routine Journal, the ADHD Self-Assessment Tool, and an Executive Functions Quiz to see where your strengths and struggles lie and how you can better support yourself. If you would like to find out how ADHD Career or ADHD Small Business coaching could help you - find out more below.
Happy Reading
Best wishes
About Nat Harrison, Specialist ADHD Career Coach, Ayama Coaching
Hi, I am Nathalina (everyone calls me Nat). I help people become more fulfilled and happy in their working lives by aligning their careers or businesses with their skills, values, and interests, and by helping them overcome barriers to success at work.
I am a Certified Specialist ADHD coach, and I work with neurodivergent people who want to harness their brains for the better, improve their relationships with themselves and manage their symptoms.
Book a consultation below if you would benefit from some coaching on your ADHD and working life.
Comments