The Ritalin Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You
Author Peter Breggin doesn't try to hide his opinion: the introduction  toThe Ritalin Fact Bookclearly states, "This book is written from a  viewpoint that is critical of stimulant drugs and their prescription for  "attention deficit hyperactive disorder." As a medical expert in legal cases  against pharmaceutical companies, Breggin has access to information many doctors  have never seen, and what he presents is frightening.After a vivid and harrowing tale of a young man placed on numerous medications  that only compounded his problems, Breggin dives into several fairly technical  chapters concerning the effects of stimulating drugs on children and how they  can actuallycausepsychiatric disorders. He repeatedly insists that  ADHD, which he refers to in quotation marks as "ADHD," can be corrected by  improved parenting and teaching styles, and assures readers that a biochemical  basis for the disorder is "simply nonsense." For many children this may be true,  but the book will be frustrating reading for parents who have been exploring  therapy and self-control training for years without positive effects.While many of Breggin's detailed explanations of chemistry and character are  important for navigating the maze of pediatric mental health, his explosively  negative style could do as much harm as good.--Jill Lightner