Hudson Author Helps Adults with ADHD to Find Success
HUDSON — David A. Greenwood, owner of a Hudson public relations firm, says he was a “Ritalin kid.”
Growing up in Arlington, he was in constant motion as a child and had characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. It was often difficult for him to focus on schoolwork, and his grades suffered. But when he was in middle school, he decided to stop taking his medication, a central nervous system stimulant often prescribed for children with ADHD that can help with hyperactivity and impulse control.
Jump ahead several years. As an adult, he now owns a business, embraces his ADHD and has a productive and happy life. Many other people have found success, despite having ADD or ADHD.
Greenwood’s recently published book, “Overcoming Distractions: Thriving with Adult ADD/ADHD,” tells the stories of people who have found success while dealing with ADD or ADHD. The well-organized, 208-page softcover outlines street-smart strategies for how people with these conditions can manage their symptoms and create a successful life for themselves.
The key is to have a good support system of people who understand you in your professional and personal life, Greenwood writes.
Other tips Greenwood recommends would be useful for just about anybody, not just those with ADD/ADHD:
Get a good night’s sleep.
Exercise regularly. Meditate.
Develop routines in your life. Keep routines and tasks simple.
Be organized. Place keys, briefcase, purse and daily items in the same place every night.
Use a clock to keep track of your time, so you don’t waste it.
Take breaks during a time-consuming project.
Make a list for the day, week, month and refer to it.
Plan your day the night before, so you know what your day will look like and what needs to get done.
Develop and write down long-term goals and review them on occasion to be sure you stay on track.
When Greenwood started his Hudson PR firm 10 years ago, he said he was helping clients receive press coverage with the help of newspaper articles, TV and radio time. The PR landscape has changed a great deal with the evolution of social media, he explained, and now companies are looking for him to help with video, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media.
It was a lot to take in, he said. He wanted to learn how people create a successful business, adjust to the times and remain prosperous. He sought to learn how people with ADHD control their work-life balance.
“I think a lot of people can learn how to manage their ADHD from others who have managed it, who have success in their life,” he said. “That’s when I started to write a couple of chapters. I put the book down for a little bit. Then I got the attention of a publisher. They loved the idea of looking at ADHD through the eyes of successful individuals. I got a book publishing deal and I went to work on it.”
He interviewed entrepreneurs and business people with ADHD or ADD, along with experts like medical doctors and ADHD coaches across the country.
In Chapter 3, he covers the good as well as the bad aspects of ADHD. Many successful adults identify their good ADHD traits and harness them in a positive way.
JetBlue Airlines founder David Neeleman, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson have been very public in talking about their ADHD, Greenwood said.
“I tell people flat out I’m not an ADHD expert,” Greenwood said. “It’s not a medical book. It’s more of telling the stories of people who are successful. There are a lot of other books specific to children and parenting that are more medical in nature. The way I did it was to tell their stories in a more holistic approach.”
What does he want readers to take away from his book?
“Most people in the book saw ADHD as a gift. It gave them an edge in the business world. It offered them creativity and a different view. I think that’s an important point. There are some people who struggle with ADHD and I totally understand. But these people I found were not ashamed and see it as an asset in the business world.”
“Overcoming Distractions: Thriving with Adult ADD/ADHD,” published by Sterling, is available for $11.54 at many online book retailers, including amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
