ADHD Does Not Exist: The Truth About Attention Deficit and Hyperactivit

This clearly and helpfully explains all of the possible underlying conditions which are often misdiagnosed as ADHD. As the author says, if you choose to treat ADHD symptoms and ignore the real underlying cause, this means appropriate treatment is delayed and denied. There is no point prescribing drugs to a child or adult for the wrong diagnosis and in fact it can make things worse or be dangerous. In all of his case studies, he is able to show how the patient improved by identifying the correct cause and giving the appropriate treatment. Why wouldn't you want this? Why do people insist on applying a useless label because it is currently 'trendy' or socially acceptable, when a thorough investigation can uncover the true cause? In only a few cases was it actually a chemical imbalance and the prescribing of 'adhd-type' drugs was appropriate. It's too easy for professionals to say, oh they've got ADHD, when a child is presenting with a list of symptoms, but it's always worth looking at those interactive factors of a child's life and environment in more depth to be able to apply the RIGHT plan of support.

I would sincerely hope that anyone on either the giving or receiving end of an ADHD diagnosis would be familiar (or quickly familiarized) with all these alternative explanations for distracted, forgetful or hyperactive behavior. If not, this is a quick read to summarize the differential diagnoses, but does not justify its provocative title or binding design.

The author makes a strong point that ADHD is not diagnostic, rather is the symptom of other possible underlying conditions. In the book, he elaborates on why this is the case and what conditions are those. The points made are excellent, however, I feel that the content could be summarized in 50 pages, and as I result I think you might end up overpaying for the book. My advice is to still get educated about the authors' viewpoint, but instead, read a summary of the book.

He truth

Despite the title, the author DOES conclude that ADHD exists. He just decides to call it NDI (Neurochemical Distractibility/Impulsivity); a term he invented and nobody else uses. This admission is buried in Chapter 17, right around the place in the book I was ready to call it quits on the whole thing and stop reading. That fact annoys me even more. You see, I have been recently diagnosed with ADHD, the inattentiveness kind. I'm 40 years old and even though the diagnosis is a relief because it seems to explain most of my life, as a smart individual with a high IQ, I was a little skeptical. That is, until I read this book!As background, I have a graduate degree from MIT in Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Course 9, for my MIT peeps). I also went to law school and have been a lawyer now for about 15 years. Despite what others call an impressive resume, I have felt like a fraud most of my adult life. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in my early twenties and have been treated with antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy for most of my adult life. IT DID NOT WORK. CBT helped, yes. And the antidepressants took the edge off so I could at least fool everyone into thinking I was well-adjusted and doing well. Inside, I was always afraid I would be find out as a fraud. Why? Because even though my papers in college, my briefs in law school, my presentations and arguments were always great and a lot of times, excellent, they were always done the night before or at the very last minute. No matter how hard I tried, I could not sit down and start before then. And I tried, very hard. In college, professors praised the analysis and criticized the carelessness in the grammatical details or presentation. In life, those careless mistakes were dismissed as symptoms of a busy case load... but I knew better and I was terrified of being discovered as the fraud I was.The first 16 chapters of this book (and the last 4) did not apply to me. At all. I was actually screened for a lot of those conditions in my twenties (including epilepsy) and treated for depression and anxiety. In addition, MIT should've 'cured' the giftedness condition the author mentions in this book. I had all the challenge I could manage there and then some! Nothing worked.After reading chapter 17, I'm pretty certain the author would agree with my psychiatrist that I have 'NDI' as he chooses to call ADHD... And just like my psychiatrist, he would probably prescribe stimulants. I have tried several already and have seen an improvement in symptoms. We're still trying to find the right dose/medication. Because I went undiagnosed for so long, medications will not be the cure-all I had hoped after a lifetime of struggling. My psychiatrist also prescribed CBT with an emphasis on dealing with ADHD. And that's where I am right now.This book is a waste of time. Instead of a book meant for the general public, the author would have served his patients better by publishing this information is a medical journal or magazine aimed at his peers. This book basically addresses how ADHD can be misdiagnosed and cautions doctors not to consider ADHD as the only cause when a simpler or better understood condition will explain all symptoms and serve the patient better. And for that, the author gets one star. Because even he admits that ADHD DOES EXIST.A better title would be 'ADHD Misdiagnosis: How doctors can best evaluate patients displaying distractibility/impulsivity.' But, of course, that would not have sold as many books as a misleading title that plays into the perceived controversy surrounding ADHD would...Do NOT buy this book. If you're curious, borrow it from your library, but be warned that you will waste your precious attention span on empty reading.