--- product_id: 16819992 title: "Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional" brand: "dale archer md" price: "270 kr" currency: DKK in_stock: true reviews_count: 7 category: "Books" url: https://www.desertcart.dk/products/16819992-better-than-normal-how-what-makes-you-different-can-make store_origin: DK region: Denmark --- # Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional **Brand:** dale archer md **Price:** 270 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional by dale archer md - **How much does it cost?** 270 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.dk](https://www.desertcart.dk/products/16819992-better-than-normal-how-what-makes-you-different-can-make) ## Best For - dale archer md enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted dale archer md brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Review “A psychiatric pep talk guaranteed to rev up any reader.” – Booklist “Archer’s creative redressing of these pathologically considered conditions is compelling and will definitely capture the attention of readers eager to “re-diagnose” themselves using his spectrum scale.” – Kirkus Reviews“[An] extraordinary book.” -LibraryJournal.com"With his fresh approach and some interesting ideas, Archer normalizes personality characteristics too often seen as pathological." -Publishers Weekly Read more About the Author DALE ARCHER, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry and the psychiatric program at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He also the author of The ADHD Advantage and runs DrDaleArcher.com, a free advice website. Read more See all Editorial Reviews ## Images ![Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51aa%2BfYt1mL.jpg) ![Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31Z0-jVbd4L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting read *by T***A on April 9, 2017* Simple/straightforward overview of the 8 mental health diagnoses and exploring a spectrum of the disorders. For example if you have some of the tendencies of ADHD but are not excessively high you can use this extra energy and need for adventure to your advantage. I only gave it a 4 because I felt the quiz was a bit simplistic, Dr. Archer does say it is not diagnostic but a guide for realizing your tendencies. I noticed that while I scored lower on some of the quizzes I found I had lower or higher tendencies, but overall it was fairly accurate. It's part self-help book and part plea to the psychiatric community to stop seeing mental health diagnoses as either/or (you have the illness or you don't) but rather a spectrum. Easy read for most readers. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Normal is a broad term. *by J***A on July 14, 2012* After reading Dr. Dale Archer's Better Than Normal, I learned to see "Disorder" in a new way. His candid report and sensible, take on the many disorders society has labeled so many with gave me insight on how these are being treated, and why most of the treatments do not work. I got the feeling that western medicine is trying to recreate personalities that they find abnormal. Mostly his take on ADHD clearly enabled me to be grateful that I am able to multitask. Speaking strictly for me, I have been able to accomplish more than the average individual while raising 4 children. With the stress factors placed upon women today, it makes sense that the human brain would have a re-facing of the often slightly damaged fight or flight mechanisms we naturally react from. In that case we will suffer "meltdowns" and sporadic onset of the blues.I agree with his statements that reflect our culture's belief that we need to be treated for this problem and the popular belief that we need to sit face to face with a professional who will diagnose us, give our meltdowns a name so we can have an answer. He mentions the past when anyone who saw a psychiatrist once a week was considered flawed in a shameful way. Today's culture or society might see a person who has never been in counseling as flawed. (I paraphrase here)Lately everyone we talk to has some sort of prognosis for their emotional discomfort. I see this as a weakening of our way of life. For most it is easier to complain about things we could be changing than to change what we are doing. I think Dr. Archer's book echoes this.I am one reader who leans toward the probability that science has failed us. And yet, I wonder if we ever needed to approach science and ask it to help us cope with the normal responses to grief, divorce, job loss or financial peril. There is no magic pill for the normal brain function of someone who reacts to any of those life situations. If we numb our emotional pain we cannot possibly evolve, whether we do it with pills, alcohol or any mind altering substance. Not to say there are not people who were born with a pathological disorder, mind you. I am sure some individuals are struggling with biological issues and medication is their only hope.The problem I have with western psychiatry is, the professionals who see and hear patients go on about their emotional pain are diagnosing them with some label that justifies medication instead of giving them cognitive tools to apply to their problems. The latest popular treatments contain a mixture of different medications ranging from ADHD med, to a list of antidepressants that mess with brain neurons. After my son died, I became obsessed with distraction and worked longer hours, working more then I slept. The energy that grief is was channeled toward productive activities (I opened,owned and operated my 5Th restaurant) and I cried a lot even in a "hyper alert state." My husband was concerned and suggested I see a professional. I saw a doctor who diagnosed me with ADHD, and Bi Polar disorder. I went home with and took my pills, and weeks later I was in a mental hospital wanting to die. There, I was given more little orange bottles full of antidepressants with new names. One of those medications was prescribed for seizures, which I didn't suffer from, but the claim was, this medication would be a good mix with antidepressants. (I never understood the gamble) While taking the antidepressants I became or at least felt debilitated in comparison to prior behaviors. I slept too much and couldn't obsess or even process my own thoughts. Months later, I stopped taking them. I didn't know what would happen, but I knew I'd die if I didn't. I found out there is no magic pill for grief.Because I learned a great deal about psychiatry, I wanted to read Dr. Archer's book, BETTER THAN NORMAL. I learned more than I expected to learn about labels, emotional pain, healing and saw through Dr. Dale Archer's scope of the word, normal. ### ⭐⭐ Dale Archer has a better than normal knack for telling anecdotes *by A***H on December 30, 2015* Dr. Dale Archer has a better than normal knack for telling anecdotes, but his ability to write a truly helpful book remains lacking. This thin volume lists a handful of common psychological "problems" and then spends a few pages listing why some of those traits are beneficial under certain circumstances. This is more of a pep talk than anything else. Three cheers for social anxiety disorder.Many of the book's anecdotes end in a compromise. The patient thought he or she wanted one thing from life, ran into an obstacle involving mental health, and adapted to overcome that obstacle and live a compromised life based on that person's natural strengths. The pages are replete with anecdotes about people changing their jobs and lifestyles to compensate for anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, OCD, and other common mental health issues. The message is not that you can overcome these disorders, but that you can live a life with them, even if that is not the life you planned on living.I was looking for more and I did not find it. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.dk/products/16819992-better-than-normal-how-what-makes-you-different-can-make](https://www.desertcart.dk/products/16819992-better-than-normal-how-what-makes-you-different-can-make) --- *Product available on Desertcart Denmark* *Store origin: DK* *Last updated: 2026-05-21*