Recently my mental health is not doing well. Usually I read nonfiction and other practical books, but my brain hurts too much to stay focus on anything too complex and detail-intense. Can anyone recommend someone easier and calming for the mind so that I won’t keep dead-scrolling on TikTok? Thank you.
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Combine stimulants with audio books. Lay in bed if you are sad and just take it all in. Seriously lol, I have severe ADHD. And when I get sad I lean on my nicotine patch, caffeine intake, and of course my prescribed Vyvanse. And when I’m feeling better, I get back to the gym to help the ADHD.
As far as a good book that isn’t insanely complex or detail intense, I really enjoyed “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy. Potential trigger warnings though: she talks about sexual abuse.
Young Adult is great for this. Lots of good stuff out there and it rarely drags out.
I like PG Wodehouse, for this. They’re light and cheerful and funny.
When I’m having a lot of ADHD symptoms and want an easy read, I usually prefer to go for fluff books because 1) they’re easy to read and don’t require a ton of mental effort 2) it’s ok if you zone out for a bit and forget some of what you read because the plot isn’t complicated 3) they’re a great distraction and don’t feel like a chore to read. I’ve found fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, and fantasy romance books to be the best/easiest distractions. In my experience, the top Oprah/Reese’s book club picks or national best sellers usually tend to be easy reads. If you have a particulal genre you’re interested in, I’m happy to make recos if I read that genre too. Hang in there!
I like lightweight, fast-paced reading during the winter months when things get gloomy. The latest two books that I read that amused and entertained me are “The Kaiju Preservation Society” and “Starter Villain,” both by John Scalzi.
I find changing my scenery helps me a lot when I’m sad and struggling with my ADHD. I like to go out and read at a park or a new coffee shop just to change up the environment. Though just putting on some soft jazz and snuggling up in bed with ambient lighting can help too if you don’t want to leave the house (though, again, I would suggest getting out of your usual spot).
Also, for specific books I usually reread one of my fav comfort books like The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice, or any of the Shady Hallow books. I find the comforting part helps with my being sad, and having read it before helps with issues I have focusing when my ADHD is acting up because I don’t get annoyed if I space out since I already know the story.