Running On Ritalin

In a book as provocative and newsworthy as Listening to Prozac and Driven to Distraction, a physician speaks out on America's epidemic level of diagnoses for attention deficit disorder, and on the drug that has become almost a symbol of our times: Ritalin. In 1997 alone, nearly five million people in the United States were prescribed Ritalin--most of them young children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Use of this drug, which is a stimulant related to amphetamine, has increased by 700 percent since 1990. And this phenomenon appears to be uniquely American: 90 percent of the world's Ritalin is used here. Is this a cause for alarm--or simply the case of an effective treatment meeting a newly discovered need? Important medical advance--or drug of abuse, as some critics claim? Lawrence Diller has written the definitive book about this crucial debate--evenhanded, wide-ranging, and intimate in its knowledge of families, schools, and the pressures of our speeded-up society. As a pediatrician and family therapist, he has evaluated hundreds of children, adolescents, and adults for ADD, and he offers crucial information and treatment options for anyone struggling with this problem. Running on Ritalin also throws a spotlight on some of our most fundamental values and goals. What does Ritalin say about the old conundrums of nature vs. nurture, free will vs. responsibility? Is ADD a disability that entitles us to special treatment? If our best is not good enough, can we find motivation and success in a pill? Is there still a place for childhood in the performance-driven America of the late nineties?

How are the kids of Generation Rx doing now? This groundbreaking book reveals the answers—and raises some important new questions. Written by a clinician with more than thirty years of experience with child patients, Remembering Ritalin offers an intimate and revealing look at the ADHD generation—how they’re doing now and the long-term effects of their diagnoses, medication, and treatment. Revisiting former patients who are now in their twenties, Dr. Diller takes a fresh look at the issue of treating our kids. Is ADHD a useful diagnosis, or an oversimplified, harmful label? What are Ritalin’s long-term effects—good and bad? Together with his articulate former patients, Remembering Ritalin provides insights into one of the most controversial treatment methods of our time. Parents, professionals, and anyone who has been prescribed Ritalin will find these observations illuminating as they delve into the healing process and attempt to answer the question, “Was it the right choice?”

When Running on Ritalin was published in 1998 it touched off a firestorm about treating children with psychiatric drugs. Dr. Lawrence Diller established himself as the leading expert on the controversial use of stimulants for attention deficit disorder. Since then, parents, physicians, teachers and psychologists, have clamored for his expertise on psychological problems beyond ADD and on drugs beyond Ritalin. More and more parents are asking the simple question: Should I medicate my child? The answer is not as simple as some "experts" say. Children who are angry, intense, distractible, over-energetic, obsessive, shy, listless, or remote rarely benefit from an either/or strategy. Unlike those with a strong pro- or anti-drug agenda, Dr. Diller advocates a balanced approach; he shows how a wise pediatrician -- one who prescribes drugs but also urges non-pharmaceutical interventions when possible -- makes decisions. Should I Medicate My Child? empowers parents to ask the same questions Dr. Diller poses in diagnosis and treatment: Have all non-drug approaches been tried? Is the diagnosis accurate? What's known (or unknown) about the recommended drug? Calmly comforting, authoritative, and illustrated with real-life examples, Should I Medicate My Child? is essential reading for parents who have been told their preschooler should be "tested" for a disorder, whose fifth-grader has been prescribed Prozac or Depakote, or whose teenager has been diagnosed with a "chemical imbalance." Should I Medicate My Child? features a detailed, easy-to-access Appendix of Frequently Prescribed Drugs -- what they do, side effects, dosages, and more. Should I Medicate My Child? answers parents' vital questions: * Is it fair to discipline my hyperactive child if he can't help himself when he misbehaves? Choosing the right kind of discipline is essential. Often the time-honored "time-out" is not the best choice. * The psychiatrist says the medication he's prescribing is "safe." How can I know if that's true? Dr. Diller's detailed Appendix includes little-known information on how (or if) a drug has actually been tested on children. * Does it make good sense to use medication right away? Dr. Diller explains why this can sometimes be the best course of action. * My pediatrician says there are drugs that will help my shy six year old be more outgoing. Is this true? Prescribing drugs for withdrawn children is a risky business. Dr. Diller explains why and offers alternatives to help ease their distress.

More than 1 in 7 American children get diagnosed with ADHD - three times what experts have said is appropriate - meaning that millions of kids are misdiagnosed and taking medications such as Adderall or Concerta for a psychiatric condition they probably do not have. The numbers rise every year. And still, many experts and drug companies deny any cause for concern. In fact, they say that adults and the rest of the world should embrace ADHD and that its medications will transform their lives. -- Provided by publisher.

Medicine.

Get the facts about the most prescribed pill for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

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