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An Interview with Cynthia Hammer

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As an eighty-year-old, first-time published author, it is difficult to know what to tell you about my life. I thought I would do something meaningful when I was eighteen, then spent thirty years thinking I would never do something meaningful, and then learned when I was forty-nine that I had ADHD. Diagnosis and treatment for my ADHD made such a huge difference, that I got back to thinking I would and have done some meaningful things. There is the usual stuff to a biography. I graduated from college and then from graduate school with a Master’s Degree in Social Work. I married and raised three sons. I am still married to the same man going on fifty-five years now. I started and ran a non-profit to educate others about ADHD in adults when I was fifty, and then started another non-profit to educate about the lesser recognized type of ADHD—primarily inattentive—when I was seventy-eight. It has been a wild but fun and rewarding ride.



Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I didn’t start out with writing a book in mind. Covid required isolation at home and I thought, “Why not write my life story for my sons? Maybe someday, if not now, they will be interested.” With ADHD I never could have written the book without the confinement and a commitment to write every day. I was fortunate that I had done some writing for a monthly newsletter after I was first diagnosed as they provided initial material as well as prodded my memory about what it was like to live without knowing about my ADHD, and then learning I had it and changing so much about my life.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I don’t consider author my profession, although getting a book accepted for publication, and then winning the Eric Hoffer Award in the Health category for 2024 has made me confident in my writing skills—that along with a quick run-through on Grammarly of everything posted. I was mostly an at-home mother, then a part-time geriatric social worker working with elderly clients in a retirement community, before becoming the Executive Director of two different non-profit organizations.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I somewhat regret the first part of my book’s title, “Inattentive ADHD” as most people don’t relate to that, but climbing the circular staircase is my metaphor for how someone heals from the trauma of undiagnosed ADHD—one step at a time and each step taking you upward with improvement.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was disappointed. Although I like the colorfulness of it, I had a friend create the original graphic that clearly showed it was a circular staircase, climbing toward sunshine, but the publisher changed it—and a few people asked what they thought it was, not guessing it was a staircase. They thought it might be a pile of books or a sea shell of some creature—so I am disappointed in the book’s cover.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Frankly, I mostly listen to classical music and the Golden Oldies, so I asked Gemini for help with this, but think this is a good playlist for my book.

A Soundtrack for My ADHD Journey

Loneliness:

“Hurt” by Johnny Cash: A raw and emotional portrayal of isolation.

Misunderstood:

“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac: The feeling of being overwhelmed and lost.

Thrills and Excitement:

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen: A high-energy anthem for embracing life’s chaos.

Sadness:

“Yesterday” by The Beatles: A timeless song about loss and longing.

Busy Raising a Family:

“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift: A playful and upbeat song about moving forward.

Revelation and Self-Understanding:

“Fire and Rain” by James Taylor: Reflects a journey of personal discovery and resilience.

Growth:

“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson: An empowering anthem about overcoming challenges.

Satisfaction and Happiness:

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams: An undeniably joyful and upbeat track.

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys: A classic song representing contentment and optimism.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

That people with ADHD will realize they can create good lives for themselves and people without ADHD will gain an understanding of how damaging it is to have this condition undiagnosed and untreated.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Havings readers tell me how much the book meant to them. One person at a conference told me he missed part of the conference just so he could finish reading my book. He found it that engaging, which is high praise from someone with ADHD who gets easily bored.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I have started a project called FIND the ADHD girls as girls with ADHD continue to be under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, or receive a delayed diagnosis. We need to change this as well as reduce the stigma about ADHD.


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