Reading With ADHD: Why It’s Hard, Why We Blame Ourselves, and What Actually Helps

Reading is something I want to enjoy. I love the idea of being that cosy person who gets lost in a book. But ADHD said: absolutely not.

I can read a few pages, get genuinely excited, feel like my “new organised era” has begun and then forget the book exists 48 hours later. Not because it was boring. My brain just… moved on. Instantly.

I've tried different tactics to combat this, at one point I tried to solve this by buying five books at once: Money, habits, manifesting, a novel, something educational. I thought: “If I have options, my brain will behave.”

It did not, well for a day or two it did.

My brain took one look at that pile on day three and went:“Nope. Too many decisions. Shut it down.” So now I had five unread books instead of one. Great.

This is the classic ADHD reading loop:

• Want to read

• Try to read

• Forget the book exists

• Feel guilty

• Buy another book

• Repeat

At this point, I’m basically funding the entire self-help industry while not actually reading any of the self-help.

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Why Reading Is Difficult In Neurodiversity

There are real, science-backed reasons why reading can feel almost impossible:

Working memory differences Many neurodivergent brains struggle to hold onto details long enough to build a full narrative.If attention shifts or interruptions happen, the storyline can fall apart instantly.

Executive function challenges For lots of ND people, the hardest parts are:

• starting a task

• continuing it

• returning to it later

So getting back into a book after pausing becomes almost impossible.

Dopamine + motivation differences Neurodivergent brains often rely on emotional relevance or immediate reward. Reading usually provides slow dopamine, which can make it difficult to sustain interest even in a book we like.

Overwhelm from too many choices

Research shows that ND people experience more “analysis paralysis.”Five books can feel like fifty.Too many options = brain shuts down.

Sensory and processing barriers

Small fonts, dense paragraphs, cluttered pages, or visually busy layouts can be draining, reading becomes physically tiring long before it becomes enjoyable.

So the issue is not laziness or lack of intelligence. It’s neurology.

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What Finally Worked for Me And Might Help You Purpose (and Mild Stationery Addiction)

The only thing that has ever made reading actually work for me is purpose. Not motivation. Not discipline. Not the fantasy of becoming “that girl” who reads three books a week. Purpose.

For a while, I turned reading into a full ritual. I’d bring:

• a sticky-note pad

• a highlighter

• a whole pack of new pens (because apparently one wasn’t enough)

• and a brand-new notebook dedicated to that book

Because nothing screams “fresh start” like a notebook I will absolutely abandon halfway through.

I highlighted lines, added sticky tabs, wrote notes… and no, I didn’t always go back to reread them. But the act of tagging something interesting made the information stick long enough that I actually wanted to revisit it later, especially if it was something I could share:

“Look at this! This is brilliant. Why does nobody talk about this?”

Another thing that helped was connecting with the person behind the book. If an author had an interesting background, a meaningful story, or a journey that shaped their writing, suddenly their book wasn’t just a book, it was context.

It’s the same way entrepreneurs often talk about their faith or their “why.” When someone you admire shares what guided them, part of you thinks:

“Okay… I want to understand that too.”

That connection gives the words weight.

And ironically, many books that work for neurodivergent readers, generous spacing, short sections, predictable structure, also work better for everyone. Universal design isn’t niche; it’s simply good design.

So the shift wasn’t about forcing myself to become a natural reader. It was about finding a way to read that matched how my brain works: through purpose, interaction, and bringing ideas to life.

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Why This Matters for My Company

As I move into featuring authors, especially those writing about ADHD, disability, or personal development, I want to highlight books that feel accessible, human, and genuinely helpful for neurodivergent readers.

Not every book is written with us in mind. But the ones that are? They stand out.

My aim is to showcase authors who: write with clarity and structure, understand overwhelm, share real experience, not jargon, make their message digestible, speak to readers like us

Because neurodivergent people deserve books that don’t drain us, but support us.

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Final Thoughts

Reading isn’t easy for many of us with ADHD, and that’s okay.It’s not a failure.It’s not a flaw.It’s a brain difference.

But when we read with purpose, connect with the author’s story, or find a book formatted in a neurodivergent-friendly way, reading becomes something else entirely, something meaningful.

And that’s the kind of content I’m proud to explore, recommend, and bring into my work.