Spizman - Beyond Ritalin: Facts about Medication and Strategies for Helping Children,: Adolescents, and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders

THIS BOOK IS NOT IN ANY WAY
SPONSORED BY, CONNECTED TO, OR ASSOCIATED WITH
THE MANUFACTURERS OF RITALIN .

Copyright 1996 by Marianne Garber, Ph.D., Stephen W. Garber, Ph.D., and Robyn Freedman Spizman

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Villard Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

Villard Books is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to American Psychiatric Association for permission to reprint Diagnostic Criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder from American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Reprinted by permission.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA IS AVAILABLE

ISBN 0-679-45018-1
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8041-5136-8

v3.1

T he names of the individuals involved in examples and case histories used in this book have been changed. We have randomly interchanged the pronouns used in the book. Although ADHD still appears to afflict more males than females, most often examples reflect experiences that could be those of either sex. When reading the information, feel free to think of the children, adolescents, and adults you know best.

I n addition, please note that the terms attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are labels used interchangeably to designate the same constellation of symptoms. Although ADD is the more popularly recognized term, ADHD is the name given to the disorder by the American Psychiatric Association in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). In Beyond Ritalin we most often use the technically correct term ADHD to denote all forms of attention deficit disorders including those with and without hyperactivity.

F or the past twenty years we have been working with children and adolescents who suffer from the complex problem now called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In our personal lives, we have grappled with the issues surrounding ADHD, so we know firsthand how difficult and troubling the problems associated with this disorder can be.

We have written Beyond Ritalin because we now know that there is so much that can and must be done, far beyond medication alone, to help those who suffer from ADHD. In the beginning we thought we could help these youngsters without medication, using the behavioral techniques that had worked well for so many others with behavior problems at home and school. Along the way, though, we discovered that for many children medication made a significant difference, permitting the youngsters to sit longer, pay attention better, control impulsiveness, and be receptive to other kinds of therapy and instruction they needed.

Medication for ADHD remains a controversial, often misunderstood issue, so we must be clear: Medication does not cure ADHD; it doesnt teach the child how to follow directions in school, sit and do homework, make and keep friends, or be less forgetful. Beyond Ritalin presents a close look, based on current research, at what medication can and cannot do for those with ADHD.

While ADHD has been traditionally considered a childhood problem, Beyond Ritalin is not written just about children and parents. As we followed the youngsters we worked with through the years, we saw that many of them grew into young men and women still dealing with many aspects of the disorder. In addition, many of their parents recognized in themselves the symptoms that define this disorder. However, other adults have also begun to ask if they might have ADHD. For the first time they were able to give a name to the troubling characteristics that had wreaked havoc with their lives.

It became clear to us, as it has to so many other professionals, that ADHD is not simply a childhood problem. Beyond Ritalin is written to help individuals of all ages, and the people who care about them, understand what they can and must do to help themselves.

In the 1980s, national attention came to ADHD and the medication most prescribed for it, Ritalin. The glare of the spotlight brought reasonable concern and fear. Were too many children being placed on medication? Was ADHD a scapegoat for discipline problems in the schools? In the midst of controversy, however, other important questions were lost. The questions each parent and individual must ask are: Do I have a correct diagnosis of ADHD? What kind of medication might be helpful? What else can and should I do to help myself or my child deal with this problem? At the risk of sounding trite, To take Ritalin or not to take Ritalin is not the only issue.

Perhaps you picked up this book because you are facing the decision of what to do about ADHD for yourself or your child. Or you may have already chosen to use medication, but dont have a clear understanding about what it does. You may have elected not to use medication and want to know what other kinds of treatment are available. We have written Beyond Ritalin to answer each of your concerns and serve as a guide to coping with and overcoming each troubling aspect of this disorder.

On a daily basis we see people whose quality of life has been affected by ADHD. We have met individuals who have and havent been helped by various medications, and those who have found other ways to cope with this problem. We dedicate this book to all of these people, who have the courage to ask the really hard questions, to challenge professionals to find additional answers, and to be willing to search for solutions beyond Ritalin.