Caroline Bakker - I cannot thank you enough for this book! As a woman over 40 suffering with ADHD and PMDD, I feel like this was written for me. I had to laugh as I read the part where you said readers would likely skip over and go back to parts. I did. For this reason, I will be buying the physical copy of this book to look back and refer to. I was a little put off when I read that this was written with the help of AI, but I didn't find it to read as though it was. I found the book extremely relatable and informative, and I will be sharing it with my PMDD/ADHD support groups. This is a gem!
Thank you!!

I received a copy through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

When I saw this book on Netgalley I had recently listened to a podcast episode about ADHD and PMDD and I was curious to learn more about the topic. So when I saw this one on Netgalley I decided to request it and was glad I got approved for a copy. The Healing Journey is about living with ADHD and PMDD and how to manage your symptoms trough a holistic approach.

I wasn't quite sure what to think of The Healing Journey at first as the first few chapters dealt with the basic explanations of PMDD and ADHD, as I already know a lot about ADHD there wasn't much new there for me and I hoped that wouldn't be the case for the rest of the book. Luckily that wasn't the case and the rest of the book had plenty of new to me information.

The parts about PMDD were almost completely new to me as I didn't know a lot about the condition. As someone who struggles with my periods with both physical and mental symptoms I was curious to learn more about PMDD and while I don't think I have PMDD this book still had a lot of helpful tips for managing my symptoms during and around my period. And I liked the idea of tracking symptoms to see how they progress throughout my cycle. It also was good to see some strategies I already have in place being mentioned.

This book has a lot of practical tips and it touches upon a wide variety of strategies, supplements and life style changes you can implement to help manage your symptoms. I liked the practical nature of the book and the uplifting and encouraging tone of the book. This book was much longer than I had expected and that was a good thing as there was a lot of good information and tips in it.

I did feel the book could be a bit repetitive at times, especially early on there were multiple sentences that kept being reused as well as information that showed up in multiple chapters again and again. This did seem to get less the further I got in the book. The summaries at the end of the chapters were great, but I did feel that for some of the shorter chapters they were less helpful and I started skimming those as I literally just read that already. I also was surprised the author never mentioned ADHD medication, not sure if that's because she never tried that herself or whether it didn't fit in her approach, but I would've liked to at least see it being mentioned as for a lot of people with ADHD that is something they try or use.

While this book has a lot of practical tips I did notice that it mostly focuses on what the author herself uses to manage her symptoms, she rarely addresses anything outside of it, except for later on with one thing she hasn't tried yet, but wants to. And then in another chapter something she tried and didn't work for her. This does mean it doesn't give you a completely overview of all the options, but merely what worked for her. I still think this is very valuable, but I did want to mention that as sometimes I would've liked a broader scope or know some of the other possible options she hasn't personally experienced.

Not all the tips and advice felt applicable to me or resonated with me, but I think that is part of the appeal of this book as well. There is so much you can try that there likely is something for everyone to try or resonate with. It does feel a bit overwhelming at times when I consider all the varying things this author does to manage her symptoms on a weekly and daily basis, but you don't have to try everything or at the same time. I assume it will costs a fair bit of money to take all those vitamins and supplements the author does and that won't be feasible for everyone, but luckily there are enough tips that don't require money as well.

To summarize: This was an informative read about managing ADHD and PMDD. I liked the practical tips and the encouraging tone. This book includes a wide variety of strategies to manage both conditions, but the author does mostly limit her tips to things she uses and has success with herself. I think the wide variety makes it so there is something to try for almost everyone, not everything resonated with me and that's okay, but there were things I already do or want to try. The book could be a bit repetitive at times, but this did get less later in the book. The end of chapter summaries are great, but with some of the shorter chapters later on I skimmed them as I literally just read the whole chapter. All in all I am glad I read this book, it was an interesting and informative read and I learned more about ADHD and PMDD as well as how to manage the symptoms that come with it.

As a person who has been diagnosed with ADHD, PMDd, and Bipolar 2 disorder, I found this book to be very helpful and validating. Everything that I have experienced was written in these pages. I appreciated the author sharing her journey and offering a different approach to dealing with ADHD and PMDD. The author did not write as if they knew it all. I will say that there is a misconception that once diagnosed by a licensed professional, medication is the route they tend to go. In my experience, talk therapy, is what they advocate for, because taking medicine only can help only so much. In this stage of my life, I am looking to take a more holistic approach to navigating my health, so I am going to incorporate the tips offered in this book.

I was diagnosed with ADHD a little less than a year ago, so I'm constantly seeking resources to help improve my life. Although this book had some helpful tips, I felt like it was a little too basic. It also didn't do the best job covering PMDD. In regards to the format, it looked great on the Netgalley reader. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read The Healing Journey. I'm sorry it wasn't my cup of tea.

The Healing Journey offers a lot of helpful information for its intended readers. However, I think the book's organization and presentation could be improved to make it even more useful. The author clearly aimed to create a helpful guide, and the book's wealth of resources is evident. Of revised, it would be worthy of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

This book is deep dive into ADHD and PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder), the content is superb - getting the tricky balance between readability and informative content just right! The author draws on her own personal experience and this really works for this book, definitely adding a really engaging perspective. Each chapter concludes with a super helpful summary. I love how the author acknowledges that those of us with the type of traits for whom this book is targeted are unlikely to be able to start at the beginning and read the book right through, and utterly validates this by saying it is ok to start at whatever section of the book piques our interest (I was unable to curb my enthusiasm to start at the chapter relating to sleep and navigated there at my earliest opportunity!!)

Of course, as the title suggests this book goes way beyond providing information as the author guides us through her path to healing with some tried and tested strategies and links to resources to make the symptoms of these disorders as manageable as possible. Supplements, for example, are discussed in detail, as is the complex decision making around whether to pursue formal diagnosis or not.

I found the author's approach to modifying exercise and nutrition around the phases of the menstrual cycles unique, well considered and utterly genius - I will certainly be applying much of this to my own life and thank the author massively for sharing her own well researched and effective strategies so publicly for the greater good - this is a book that potentially can benefit so many and as such I hope it achieve the reach it deserves.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Due to this being low stars I didn’t score on Amazon or Goodreads since there are not any reviews really yet this would tank her rating.

Constructive ARC Feedback: “The Healing Journey”

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Healing Journey! While I found a wealth of valuable information in this book, I believe there are areas where its structure and presentation could be improved to better serve its audience.

Strengths:
• The book is packed with insightful information that could genuinely benefit its niche audience.
• The author’s website is a fantastic complement to the book, offering great resources that align with the content.
• The intention behind creating a “guide” is clear and appreciated, and the effort to make this a resource-rich book shines through.

Areas for Improvement:
1. Kindle Format Issues:
The Kindle version had some alignment problems, particularly with the index and navigation, making it hard to follow. While I understand this might be due to it being an ARC, ensuring the digital version is user-friendly is crucial, especially given how many readers prefer e-books.
2. Structural Suggestions:
• The “guide” content felt somewhat scattered within the chapters. It might be more effective as standalone sections or condensed into a cohesive format, such as appendices or workbook-style pages.
• A workbook, journal, or additional tools at the end of the book would provide practical applications and help readers engage with the material more effectively.
• Splitting the book into two parts—one focused on the “journey” and another as an informational resource—could make it easier to navigate and absorb the content.
3. Content Considerations:
• Some of the information felt basic for the target audience, who likely already have foundational knowledge of the subject. Condensing or refining the content for clarity and depth would make the book more impactful.
• The material sometimes felt like a compilation of widely available online information, making it read more like a thesis than a fresh, cohesive guide.
4. Format Options:
• An online course or a series of masterclasses might be a better medium for delivering this rich content, as it allows for more dynamic engagement and interaction.

Final Thoughts:
This book has immense potential, and I appreciate the effort and passion behind its creation. With a few adjustments to its structure, format, and depth, I believe it can become an indispensable resource for its intended audience.

While I personally found the information useful, the current format made it challenging to fully engage with. I sincerely hope this feedback is helpful to the author as she refines her work. Her passion and dedication to the topic are evident, and I’m excited to see how this project evolves!

Okay so I'm not particularly fond of this book.

Firstly, it never actually defined PMDD, it only listed the symptoms that doctors use to diagnose the disorder. Further, I tried looking online for the definition and still found nothing. I feel like this book could be improved with having a clearer (if adding one at all) of PMDD.
Further it just kept repeating the same tools used to treat ADHD as the same as PMDD. It also felt like the book was just combining different resources and bunching them together which can cause copyright issues for the author and publisher.

Overall, I'm not pleased. Maybe I'm at the stage where I understand more about what strategies I could use to help myself but again it just felt like the author was repeating themselves so much.

Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me this book. I apologize that I couldn't give it a higher rating.