Do We Really Need Ritalin?: A Family Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) [Paperback]

Josephine Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

A complete guide for parents of children diagnosed with ADHD, this book provides informative unbiased answers to questions about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, including the common and controversial use of the drug Ritalin. The book addresses such concerns as how to choose a doctor and get a good diagnosis; who benefits from Ritalin and who doesn't; the side effects of Ritalin; and much more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 265 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380793563
• ISBN-13: 978-0380793563
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,103,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Special Needs > Hyperactivity

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sensible, thorough guide to all aspects of ADHD., March 24, 1999

By 

George Brownstone, M.D. ([e-mail]) (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do We Really Need Ritalin?: A Family Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) (Paperback)

I am writing this review with the intention of encouraging a much-needed re-print of this excellent little book. I have been recommending it to parents, school counsellors and teachers since it first appeared, and was shocked to hear it has become unavailabe. I have read a great number of books about ADHD, and Dr. Wright's is one of the clearest and most comprehensive works of its kind. In an easily-readable and empathetic FAQ form, she describes ADHD and its sufferers, and presents scientifically serious arguments for a global, multimodal treatment approach, explaining the use and rationale of Ritalin and other treatments, including various other medications as well as psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions. Dr. Wright has distilled her encyclopedic knowledge and obviously vast experience into a useful guide primarily intended for the parents of children with ADHD, but it should also be on the "must" list of all who have any responsibilities in the raising, care and education of all children and adolescents. The only change I would have wished for would be the title. A better one would have been, perhaps: ADHD AND ITS TREATMENT - WHY RITALIN AND WHY MORE. In closing, it is worthy of note that Dr. Wright, whose book was published in 1997, was already working within the framework described and implied by two excellent review articles in the current volume of the New England Journal of Medicine (1999, 340:40-46 and 780-788).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive summary of all aspects of ADHD., January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Do We Really Need Ritalin?: A Family Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) (Paperback)

Of all the books about medical things that I have read this is the best by far. Dr. Wright's advice should be must reading for anyone with ADHD as well as families, close friends, and those who are simply interested in that subject.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good View On ADHD, But Not Good Enough., November 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Do We Really Need Ritalin?: A Family Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) (Paperback)

Dr. Wright has some good views on the abuse and misuse of the terrible drug "Ritalin". She also shows how there is more to treating children with behavioral problems then simply giving them drugs. What I didn't like was that she still condones the use of stimulants for treating children who have been labelled with "ADHD". Drugs like Ritalin treat only the symptoms. They do not get to the root of the problem, and therefore, only work while the person is under the influence of these drugs. These are the same drugs that are sold on the streets and refered to as speed. Do you realy think we should be giving them to our children? I don't think so! If you really want to learn about treating behavioral problems, hyperativity, hypoglycemia, allergies, poor nutrition, learning differences, and other symptoms that are commonly misdiagnosed as "ADHD", please read "NO MORE RITALIN", by Dr. Mary Ann Block. After over a year of my own research on my daughters problems, I have found Dr. Block's book to be an invaluable asset. She shows how perscription drugs are big bussiness, and how they make big money off of us at our childrens expense. She helps you to solve the problems by getting to the root of the problem, not just covering the symptoms. "Do We Need Ritalin", is a good start, but "No More Ritalin" takes us all the way to healing our children into healthy and produtive adults, with out turning them into drug addicts!