• Focused Forward

  • Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD
  • By: James M. Ochoa LPC
  • Narrated by: James M. Ochoa
  • Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (249 ratings)

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Focused Forward  By  cover art

Focused Forward

By: James M. Ochoa LPC
Narrated by: James M. Ochoa
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Publisher's summary

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

What listeners say about Focused Forward

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    3 out of 5 stars

Annoying

If you must have the information in this book, I strongly recommend purchasing this in print form. I personally was distracted and irritated to the point of not being able to absorb what is likely great and useful information. The frequent reading aloud of parentheses and bullet points could have easily be avoided by using inflection. With hopes of declining frequency (parenthesis, of the reading aloud of parentheses and bullet points, end parenthesis), I tried to muster through this audiobook. There are only two more chapters and I just can NOT. I normally wouldn't write a negative review, but if I can save just one person , it will be worth it.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Daydreaming can help your ADHD

Where does Focused Forward rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A new take on ADHD. I loved the part talking about the neuroscience behind daydreaming as part of the Mental Support Group & Emotional Safe Place. Also knowing that the ADHD brain is wired to be more trigger happy with the limbic system, the tools to calm the inner lizard - when it inevitably thinks that performance review is an attacking T-rex - was super helpful.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Narration was a bit stilted in places. And although bullet points and parenthesis make for good visual variety in a book, it was a bit crazy making listening to punctuation being read out loud as "bullet point", "quote", "end quote", "parenthesis", "end parenthesis".

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28 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book. I needed to hear this stuff.

While the content was nothing short of brilliant, the reading was a little distracting. And for an ADD mind like mine, that meant there were a few points I had to listen to repeatedly just to hear them. The main cause of the distraction for me was everytime the reader paused the narrative to say "parenthasis" or "quote". I don't need the verbalized puctuation to get the point. In fact, in most cases, it stopped me from getting the point. I pushed through the little annoyances, however, because the content is just so great. Thanx for writing such an awesome book about the emotional side od ADD. It has made a huge difference in my life. Now on to the next shiny ADD book.

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26 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great content - distracting narration

I was so excited to listen to this book. The content is something that is important to me. The narrator was good except for the fact that every time there were parentheses it was stated in the narration as "begin parentheses and then end parentheses."That and the lists that were bullet pointed, the narrator would state "bullet point" at the beginning of each new item on the list. All of this was so distracting I couldn't listen. I feel like a book written for people who are easily distracted should have as few distractions in the narration as possible. I will try and read the book itself, which is not as easy for me, because I really want to hear what this author has to say. I just can't get through the audible version, which is disappointing.

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19 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Tips boil down to: find a therapist

He spends half the book telling a pretty generic story about his own life and success story. Then, the "tools" portion of the book doesn't actually offer real strategies and tools--it is just an extended recommendation to get coaching and therapy.

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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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!!!

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15 people found this helpful

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ehhh, lost intrest half way through

the book caught my intrest and had me hopefully reading/(listening ) , waiting for new insights that were for sure going to solve my problems ;) Then about half way through, I lost hope. I did keep listening though, just incase, but it seemed more like the book was advertising the authors life help Center and electronic brain therapy than an actual self help book.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Some of the content is priceless

Full of tested strategies, this book made suggestions I would never have thought of, that truly appeal to those with ADD/HD. The author describes adult ADD/HD with sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious clarity. Start with part II (as he suggests you can). I found I was burnt out (waiting for the point) from part I by the time I got there.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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thankful hearts will grow

I'm so thankful for this book. I'm trying to understand and support my wife who has ADHD. This book helps me to recognize her efforts and amazing amazingness.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sensible ADHD help

Ochoa gives sensible advice. This is not quick fix stuff, the Emotional Distress Disorder of ADHD is very real and lifelong. But I am not afraid of it anymore.

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8 people found this helpful