No Apologies For Ritalin [Paperback]

Vidya Bhushan Gupta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2000

This book takes an in-depth look at attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In his book, the author eloquently educates parents of children with ADD/ADHD about the disorder and available treatments, so they can make informed choices for the care of their children. The first portion of the book describes what is medically known about ADD/ADHD, including causes and diagnostic methods; the second part outlines available treatment options, including Ritalin and other drugs, dietary changes, herbal therapy, and behavior modification. Dr. Gupta's purpose is to help parents of children with ADD/ADHD to stop blaming themselves for their child's disorder and to investigate and use appropriate therapies, including Ritalin and other medications when indicated, without guilt.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a popular, but controversial, disease. Whereas some people doubt its very existence, others believe that one out of every twenty children in the United States is afflicted with it. Views about diagnosis and treatment of ADD are diverse and often at odds.

In this book, Dr. Gupta describes whatever is scientifically known about ADD, and discusses all treatments - mainstream and alternative/complementary - with an open mind. Examining the merits of various treatments, he concludes that Ritalin and other mainstream medications for ADD are wrongfully maligned. Although he finds that most alternative and complementary treatments for ADD eclectically, integrating whatever is good in any treatment and discarding whatever is unworthy.

About the Author

Vidya Bhushan Gupta, MD, MPH, a Board certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is Director of Developmental-Behavior Pediatrics at Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Exceptional Parent Pr (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930958098
• ISBN-13: 978-0930958091
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,079,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To have ADD and to be happy?, March 3, 2001

By 

tatyana - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Apologies For Ritalin (Paperback)

I am the parent of the child, who is now 7 years old, and who was diagnosed with ADHD more than 3 years ago. He is in second grade now in special education program. Since he started going to school the teachers recommended me to give him medication. "He is so bright, he has great potential, he could be in the main stream," - they were reasoning. But I wanted to develop Anton's inner strength and qualities first, without any medical intervention. I beleived in him. However, some problems developed. My child's personality seemed to begin to change rapidly. He was always happy and cheerful when he was 3 years old, but by 7 he was often anxious, easily frustrated, he was blaming others all the time, and began to hurt people when in anger. I felt puzzled. I knew school was a pressure for him. He usually was overtired after school, with headaches every other day. Was this pressure so strong that it changed his personality or was the reason somewhere else? Will the medication be the remedy? For me, with this heavy questions in my head, the book of Dr. Gupta arrived at the right moment. It gave me the panoramic view of the disorder that my child has, the view with deep insight which I was longing for. In section 1, titled "The Essence of ADD", I found especially important for me chapter 1 "Is ADD Real or a Figment of the Imagination?", chapter 2 "Why Is It Difficult to Accept ADD As a Disease?", chapter 10 "Is ADD Only a Question of Difficult Temperament?", and chapter 12 "Can ADD Occur with Other Disorders?". Part of chapter 12 called "Complications of ADD" (pp.59, 60) is worth putting on the wall, so that we do not forget that life for our chidlren with ADD is not as easy as our own lives. Section 2 of the book, called "Management of ADD", is like the rescue tool. Do you want to be rescued? - Here is the instruction. And this is the instruction which is written with scientific competence, love towards kids and parents, and the beleif that we can be happy inspite of the disorder and problems associated with it. This chapter explores all possible ways of dealing with ADHD. I especially liked chapters 18, 19, 24, 25, "How Does One Cope with ADD?", "How Does One Care For a Child with ADD?", "Do Children Grow ADD?", and "Is Everything Lost in ADD?" respectively. Chapter 19 should be read by every parent of a child with ADD. Chapter 18 gives the vitally important information about how parents should communicate with their kid, so that our ideas and words would support, encourage, and comfort our kids. It also provides with adresses and phone numbers of three national organizations serving individuals with ADD (p.85). Dr. Gupta through his book helped me to understand what I really needed to understand: what in my child's personality is the result of the disorder, what I have to be careful about, how I can improve my attitude towards my child, and what his future can be. I feel more self-confident now in my everyday life and I look with confidence into the future. I am sure a lot of parents will appreciate this wonderful book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is at the top of my list, February 28, 2001

By 

Patrick Accardo, M.D. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Apologies For Ritalin (Paperback)

I just finished "No Apologies For Ritalin" in one evening because I couldn't put it down. It reads beautifully. Until now the top two books I have been recommending to parents were Wender's old Oxford paperback and Barkley's more recent volume. This book has just moved to the top of the list. It is comprehensive, up to date and discusses many topics of importance to parents to which the other volumes do not give as much space. And it is very readable. This book would also make an excellent introduction to ADHD for medical students who are about as filled with misconceptions as the lay public. The title is catchy but a little offputting: the book is more about ADHD than Ritalin, and it covers all the treatment options that people might hear about. A fine piece of writing.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Of all the ADD/ADHD books available..., September 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: No Apologies For Ritalin (Paperback)

Dr. Gupta's book is a good resource. I highly recommend UNRAVELING THE ADD/ADHD FIASCO by Dr. David Stein. Stein's book takes a stand against amphetamines and offers a program to treat ADD/ADHD without drugs. It's a tougher book for parents as it does not offer the validation that it's okay to drug your kids. Everyone acknowledges how difficult this condition is to treat, but if you're serious about doing the right thing, books like Gupta's offer information, but not the tough stand.