More than Love: Adopting and Surviving Attachment Disorder Children [Paperback]

Sherril Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2001

MORE THAN LOVE is a candid account of contrasting emotions - hope and lost hope, joy and despair, perseverance and helplessness that resulted from parenting three Attachment Disorder adopted boys. It also describes the adoptive parents frustration at the system for not providing the help they were promised prior to the adoption. The book takes the reader through the emotional roller coaster experienced by both of the adoptive parents as they searched for answers from therapists, psychologists, social workers, clergy, teachers, friends, and family. It also provides explicit details of the boys deviant behaviors and describes the behaviors observed by outsiders. Others only witnessed charming, sweet, and "good" boys. Unfortunately, children with attachment problems are experts at manipulation and often dupe others, including those trained to detect such deceitfulness. Tragically, these adoptive parents finally had no choice but to let go of the boys in order to protect their family, friends, and society.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sherril M. Stone, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology. Once an adoptive mother for three boys affected with Attachment Disorder, her professional work examines human-pet bonding and the use of animals in therapeutic interventions, as well as animal learning and cognition. She is the founder and owner of Pet-Me Pets, a program providing pet therapy to nursing home residents and physically and emotionally disabled adults and children. She lives in Claremore, Oklahoma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (July 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595192947
• ISBN-13: 978-0595192946
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A wonderful read", November 16, 2001

By 

R. Williams (Bartlesville, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More than Love: Adopting and Surviving Attachment Disorder Children (Paperback)

"More than love" offers a personal view of the devastating effects of physical, mental and sexual abuse. Dr. Stone shares her heartbreaking experience of adopting Attachment Disorder children, and allows the reader to see the many difficulties that parents in every community will face. This book is a wonderful educational tool for every member of society.

1.0 out of 5 stars ..., January 20, 2012

By 

Joanna's Therapy Toolbox (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: More than Love: Adopting and Surviving Attachment Disorder Children (Paperback)

I'm sure it must have been cathartic for Dr. Stone to write this book, but I can't see what value it would have for a reader at all. It manages to miss all of its potential targeted audiences- mental health professionals, adoptive families, parents of special-needs kids, etc. From the standpoint of someone who works with children and families, this book has no clinical relevance or insight into attachment disorders whatsoever. Despite having "Attachment Disorder Children" in the subtitle and information about RAD in the appendix, there is very little about the condition, besides endless lists of problematic behaviors the boys exhibited. The only diagnoses that the author specifically refers to are "Multiple Personality Disorder" (?) and "Anti-Social Personality" - which no professional in their right mind would ascribe to child! The author mentioned constantly seeking and utilizing mental health treatment; I'm sure she and her husband had the best intentions but some of her tactics seemed designed to re-traumatize (burning a favorite stuffed animal on a barbecue grill!) or create chronic power struggles. The family's frequent moves and school changes must have been disastrous for kids with RAD as well. While the author droned on and on about how traumatized she was by her experience and how everyone around her said she was doing the right thing, I felt very sorry for those three boys.

A far better book about child survivors of severe trauma is The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook: What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love and Healing by Bruce D. Perry

2.0 out of 5 stars More Than Love....(For Yourself???), April 27, 2011

By 

Angela Yiaski "PhillyAnj" (Philly) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More than Love: Adopting and Surviving Attachment Disorder Children (Paperback)

I appreciate everything the family went through. I was a foster parent and have 3 adopted children. I read the book in just 2 days, I couldn't put it down. Now, having said all that, there were situations that occurred before the adoption finalization that should have ended the placement (just one example - the fire). Everyone in the family would have been much less traumatized. I am not an author or editor, but there were a signifigant amount of typos in the book. If I read "PRINCIPLE" instead of "PRINCIPAL" one more time I thought I would scream! I am probably just nit-picking because I was so turned off by so many of the things Dr. Stone did such as burn the kids sheets and stuffed animals after the child set a fire (what example does that set?). In short, I wouldn't suggest buying the book. Check it out of the library. If you have a child with RAD this is not a book for you to read. Not everyone wants to terminate their adoption. By the way, the reviews from OK are from people in the area where the author lives...surely friends of hers.