It's Nobody's Fault:: New Hope and Help for Difficult Children and Their Parents [Hardcover]

Harold Koplewicz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 1996

For the guilt-ridden parents of nearly 7.5 million children living with mental disorders such as ADD, this indispensible guide assesses the new therapies available and offers new hope. Parents will be comforted by the knowledge that they're doing their best and that they are not alone. Ships 3/13/96.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Brain chemistry, not bad parenting, is responsible for the 12 percent of children younger than 18 who have diagnosable brain disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), or enuresis (bed-wetting). Through case studies, scientific data, and information about children's development and brain chemistry, Koplewicz helps parents understand the obstacles their brain-disordered children face. A practicing psychiatrist, he also suggests means, including therapy and medication, by which families may lessen the difficulties posed by those disorders. He devotes the final section of the book to considerations of the nature and treatment of probems including, besides those noted above, depression, conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, and autism. Presented with compassion but in no-nonsense style, his effort offers a wealth of scientific information in a format easily accessible to parents, extended families, and friends of "difficult" children. Kathryn Carpenter

From the Publisher

"Dr. Kopelwicz has sent out a much-needed message: Parents need to be informed about the biology of childhood disorders, not blamed for bad parenting! It's Nobody's Fault will be welcome for these families and to the field."
--Judith Rappaport, M.D., bestselling author of The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Watching

"Parents, take note! Dr. Kopelwicz, in It's Nobody's Fault, has extended a trained and experienced hand to guide you gently yet authoritatively through one of life's more stressful domains: understanding a child's mental difficulties. This warm and direct book deserves to be read by every parent or caretaker. It not only explains and illustrates what is important to understand about difficult children, but challenges and clarifies the most common misconceptions."
--Lawrence A. Stone, M.D., president of The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

"With warmth, insight, and impeccable information, Dr. Kopelwicz eases parental concerns and keeps the reader turning the pages. The book is an enlightening, pleasurable read by a highly credentialed psychiatrist."
--Diana Huss Green, editor-in-chief and founder of Parents' Choice, Parents' Choice Foundation --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (April 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812924738
• ISBN-13: 978-0812924732
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,936,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mother of a bipolar little boy, May 13, 2000

By 

Lorna Moorhead - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Nobody's Fault: New Hope and Help for Difficult Children and Their Parents (Paperback)

This book did wonders! After the diagnosis of my son, there was some fighting in amongst the family as to whether or not his diagnosis was correct or if it was just my parenting. This book with it's facts and concise examples, helped me through this rough time and even gave me concrete facts I could show my relatives. I would recommend this book for anyone who has just had their child diagnosed.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right on the button, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Nobody's Fault: New Hope and Help for Difficult Children and Their Parents (Paperback)

I don't have a "problem child," but I do have a close relative with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and someone recommended this book to me for information on that subject. His discussion was brief but thorough and to the point, and I learned some techniques that were very helpful to me in dealing with my immediate problem.
I was also favorably impressed with the author's emphasis. Far too many parents, faced with a difficult child, get hung up on what THEY are possibly doing wrong. So they try all the "good parenting" techniques they hear of; but, in their eagerness to redeem themselves as parents, they often begin to view their child as synonymous with his/her problem, and thus almost as an adversary. Dr. Koplewicz focuses squarely on (1) identifying the child's problem and (2) taking measures to deal with it. He makes it clear that, for most children, their disorder is as painful to THEM as it is to their parents, and their parents' mistrust and belief that the child is somehow "using" the problem to manipulate them just makes it harder to solve. I'd recommend this book highly to all parents as a glowing example of how to get your priorities right!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't feel "guilty" anymore!, April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: It's Nobody's Fault: New Hope and Help for Difficult Children and Their Parents (Paperback)

This is the first book that I have read about various "brain disorders" that was simply written and easy for me to understand. For years, we tried to figure out what was the problem with our son, and what we (as parents)were doing WRONG. I felt like I was the worst mom because of my son's behavior (aggressive, defiant, mood swings and hyperactive). We tried every approach (diet, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, different types of discipline and behavior mod...) FINALLY, I read this book and felt at PEACE and HOPEFUL! My "false guilt" was removed and allowed me to be openminded about seeing a psychiatrist and starting my son on medication. IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT! A perfect title for this book! Read it, stop feeling guilty AND get your child the appropriate help they so desperately need!