Focused Forward

Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD

By: James M. Ochoa LPC

Narrated by: James M. Ochoa

Now updated with edited narration for listening ease.

In Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD, author and self-proclaimed "ADHD-er" James M. Ochoa, LPC, goes beyond the management and scheduling techniques most ADHD books focus on to deal with what really holds so many ADHD-ers back - the emotional fallout of ADHD. He helps listeners identify, manage, and alleviate symptoms of a PTSD-like condition he calls emotional distress syndrome, with practical, proven advice including:

• Understanding the link between ADHD and emotional distress
• What emotional distress syndrome (EDS) feels like
• How to construct an emotional safe place
• How to recruit your own me support group
• Eight essential tools to help you cope
• And more....

With wisdom, humor, and plenty of (sometimes painful) empathy, Focused Forward will help adults with ADHD move past the pain and shame toward a future full of possibility, balance, and joy.

©2016 James M. Ochoa (P)2016 James M. Ochoa

Good tips and advices

The content of the book is definitely interesting and inspiring for a recently diagnosed ADDer. Many tips, insights and helpful comparison to everyday real life experiences.
It is true that the reading of the parenthesis and quotes can be irritating and distracting but nonetheless, I enjoyed and recommend this book as a good place to start after being diagnosed. I might even read it again months down the road.

Good information

It really has helped me a lot to listen to stories, it puts more in to perception.

It drove me nuts when he was reading and saying "bullet point" Bullet point 2 and so on.

First ADHD book

Informational, insightful, full of tips, loved the conversational tone. I’m feeling ready to take the next step in journey. Thank you.

AN ADDer's God send TO GIVE TO family & friends!!!

I felt like he was reading me my own life story! I'll be buying the paperback. If you know anyone with ADD, please tell them about this book! The CONTENT in this ADD book, is LIKE NOTHING ELSE I've ever read, and while some authors have touched upon the subject of emotional stress in adult ADD, no other has explained it in depth, as intimately as this one. I'll be using all of his advice, re-listening to this book each week, and using his explanations, verbatim, when people ignorantly dismiss ADD as a fake illness. This is a very rare but so desperately needed book. Thank you to the author!!!

Clear and short with a lot of tools

A lot of good tools. Wish there was more hints for family with kids examples.

Something new I had never knew about ADd/ADHD

The Emotional Distress Syndrome! It immediately clicked and made complete sense of so many things in my past and these moments just started flooding my mind. I sat there in awe of what was happening. Finally, I thought

insightful book on ADHD

James Ochoa's book on adult ADHD was unlike other ADHD books I've read. It was insightful, clearly written by someone who has experienced ADHD in a very personal way. But also insightful because, as a therapist, he has seen a great variety of ADHD cases. He sees what most of us share in common but embraces put individuality as well. It is an encouraging, loving, exciting, challenging, realistic book, and I can't recommend it strongly enough to people who struggle with ADHD or love someone who does!

great

great narrator and super useful ideas.
easy to listen and review for practices.
useful for family and add people

Helpful content

the information was great but the narration was a little distracting for me. All of the spoken "quotation marks", "bullet point" and "parenthesis" made it harder to follow the topic. overall I thought it was money well spent

Approaching ADHD with grace and grit

Thanks to James M. Ochoa for this remarkable and unique look at living with Adult ADHD, and methods to help us cope and adapt emotionally. There are plenty of other ADHD books out on diagnosis and practical tools to help organize life and accomplish goals. “Driven to Distractions” is a great example of this style.
Focused Forward deals, as the title suggests, with the emotional storms of living with Adult ADHD. I actually listened to this on tape twice in a row and I’m going to listen again. James reads his own book which really makes it feel so authentic. He discusses issues he himself deals with, and solutions he has figured out. My favorite is the emotional safe place, and creative solutions people adapt for their own uniqu safe places.