B.A.D.D. (Book Attention Deficit Disorder) - symptoms

B.A.D.D. = Book Attention Deficit Disorder (tm-  what ever tm means) is a completely authentic, faux disorder discovered by me that a lot of us readers (obsessive) readers suffer from.   I've mentioned this before on various posts, but now that Blogger has been kind enough to allow us more than one page at a time on our blogs, I think B.A.D.D. deserves it's own page.  Don't you?

This page will contain information from my studies (i.e. - culled from the ramblings and excuses of my mind) of this debilitating disorder.* 

Symptoms include:

• Beginning a book, not finishing it, yet beginning another book
• having more than three books started at a time
• going back and forth (reading) between more than three books in a single day
• being in the "middle" of reading at least five, and more likely 10, books at the same time
• inability to remember where any given book is at any given moment or
• having to search for one of your current reads- every time you want to read it
• buying books obsessively
• you feel you must buy books on their release day - even though you won't be able to start the book until later, possibly even months later
• buying more books, even though you have over 40 books in your TBR (to be read) shelf (aka pile, aka mountain, aka the books strewn all over the house)
• you enter contests for books even though your TBR shelf (pile/mountain/house mess) is large
• you enter contests for books that don't even interest you (another severe symptom - one that I haven't stooped to ---yet)
• you can't remember when you're at the bookstore whether you've bought a certain book, or not
• you find multiple copies of the SAME book in your TBR shelf
• it takes longer than normal to finish any given books; more than four days for a favorite author or over a week for any other authors
• you haven't actually finished reading ANY book in over a month - this is a severe symptom requiring immediate action
• you go back and forth between books so much that it takes you as long as a month to finish reading even a good book
• it takes over 3 months to finish any given book - this is another severe symptom requiring immediate action!
• you have books in the bedroom, the bathroom (ADMIT IT!!!), the kitchen, the living room, surrounding your computer space, in your car, in the trunk of your car, in the garage  (are you seeing a patter here?) and even (GASP!) left outside
• you may even come across your books in your: purse, work, under the furniture, in/under the couch cushions, under your pillow, in your laundry basket, dresser drawers, closet floor, cupboards, children's toyboxes (blame this one on the grandchildren - it's believable)
• you find yourself buying books obsessively even for your children/grandchildren
• Spending too much money - regularly - at the bookstores
• When you go into a bookstore, you find yourselve breathing rapidly, heart rate goes up, your pupils dilate....
• sneaking to the bookstore
• hiding books - yet everyone knows you do this
• forgetting where you hide all the books
• Strangely - the ability to know within moments of picking up ANY book that has been lying around what's going on in the book, the supporting characters/cast and even the section you left off when putting the book aside ...no matter HOW LONG this book has been lying in wait

Cure - There is no cure - you can only manage your symptoms.  This is close to an addiction, and in fact may be considered an aspect of a serious book addiction.

Though there is no cure, you can manage this disorder - one day at a time.

Don't be ashamed. 

There are many otherwise functioning adults (and kids) that suffer from this disorder. 

The most important thing is....

Let Your Freak Flag Fly, Honey!

 * Please note - It is not my intention to mock or make light of serious medical or mental disorders that others are suffering from.  I have my own health issues.  This is meant half in jest/half serious - although I consider B.A.D.D. to be a completely authentic  disorder that I've made up a name and symptoms for.  (BTW, I'm claiming this name and initials - B.A.D.D.)  as a completely made up syndrome of very real symptoms. If anyone is offended - RELAX

:)