A carefully constructed and persuasive argument against the popular
view of attention deficit disorder (ADD) as a medical disease best
treated by Ritalin. DeGrandpre, a visiting professor of psychology
at St. Michael's College, sees ADD (now often termed attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD) as a culture-based
developmental problem that can only be solved with lifestyle
changes. He doesn't eliminate any role for biology but finds ADD's
cause in the high intensity and speed of our society. He argues
that a rapid-fire culture, with its changes in the rhythm of lives
and experience of time, transforms human consciousness, producing a
mind that is adapted to rapid change and an increase in what he
calls sensory addictions, or the relentless pursuit of constant
stimulation. In such a culture, says DeGrandpre, children
especially may become unable to regulate their own behavior,
develop a need for sensory stimulation, and engage in disruptive
behaviors. Ritalin, a powerful stimulant drug that provides a
background of stimulation, thus freeing the child from the need to
engage in such behaviors, has become the widely accepted treatment.
In fact, the Drug Enforcement Agency estimates that by the year
2000 eight million schoolchildren will be on Ritalin. This figure
dismays DeGrandpre, who blames the medical establishment and the
pharmaceutical industry for promoting Ritalin. The real solution to
the growing number of children with hyperactivity and attention
problems requires first recognizing the problem as one of sensory
addiction and then finding ways to reverse the effects of an
impulsive, sensory-charged lifestyle. For parents this means
creating a slower pace of life for themselves as well as their
child. In his concluding chapter, DeGrandpre outlines the steps
that parents can take to do just that. Like Lawrence H. Diller's
Running on Ritalin (p. 944), a serious discussion of a problem of
special concern to pediatricians and parents. (Kirkus Reviews)
Drawing on the latest findings from developmental,
psychobiological, and social scientific research, DeGrandpre
"criticizes America's obsession with performance and quick
satisfaction and the country's reliance on Ritalin [as] a
performance-enhancing drug" (Natural Health). He cautions that our
society-wide rush to more, and faster, stimulation leaves children
especially vulnerable to "sensory addictions." Ritalin Nation
exposes the shortsightedness of mere biological explanations of ADD
and offers some practical guidelines for cultivating a less-hurried
existence and promoting a saner, safer community for our children.
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