Talking Back To Ritalin

by Breggin, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780738205441
• ISBN10: 0738205443
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-09-17
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Summary

Millions of children take Ritalin for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The drug's manufacturer, Novartis, claims that Ritalin is the "solution" to this widespread problem. But hidden behind the well-oiled public-relations machine is a potentially devastating reality: children are being given a drug that can cause the same bad effects as amphetamine and cocaine, including behavioral disorders, growth suppression, neurological tics, agitation, addiction, and psychosis. Talking Back to Ritalin uncovers these and other startling facts and translates the research findings for parents and doctors alike. An advocate for education not medication, Dr. Breggin empowers parents to channel distracted, disenchanted, and energetic children into powerful, confident, and brilliant members of the family and society.

Author Biography

Peter R. Breggin, M.D., is the author of a dozen books, including Talking Back to Prozac and The Antidepressant Factbook. He lives in Ithaca, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Foreword	p. xiii
Introduction: The Impact of the First Edition	p. xv
Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Concerta, Metadate ER and Other Stimulant Drugs
The Tide Is Shifting: Events Since the First Edition of Talking Back to Ritalin	p. 3
Ritalin Is Not Candy for the Brain: Adverse Effects of Stimulant Drugs	p. 28
Gross Brain Malfunctions and Cell Death Caused by Stimulants	p. 62
How Stimulants Really Work	p. 82
Vitamin R: The Road to Addiction and Abuse	p. 94
"They Never Like the Medication:" How Children Feel about Taking Ritalin and How Adults React to Them	p. 109
Do Stimulants Help Children and Will Doctors Tell You the Truth? What Three Decades of Research Reveal	p. 124
Definitive Study or Scientific Hoax? NIMH Funds Research on Ritalin	p. 141
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The "Science" Behind Making an ADHD Diagnosis	p. 150
Scientific Evidence for a Biological Cause of ADHD: You Can't Argue with a Brain Scan, Can You?	p. 172
Back to the Future: Psychiatry's Long History of Perpetuating False Biological Ideas about "ADHD"	p. 186
Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers Make the Difference--Scientific Evidence That ADHD/Ritalin Advocates Ignore	p. 194
Physical Causes of ADHD-like Symptoms: Medical Disorders, Drugs, Food Additives, and Other Factors That Do and Don't Affect a Child's Behavior	p. 204
The Politics of the ADHD/Ritalin Lobby
Who's Behind All This?
The Pharmaceutical Company and Its Allies	p. 216
Who's Behind All This?
The Taxpayers' Money	p. 247
Brave New World of Childhood: Growing Up on Psychiatric Drugs	p. 270
How We Can Help Our Children
Empowering Yourself As a Parent	p. 287
The Environmental Stressor Checklist: How to Find Out What's Upsetting Your Child	p. 296
Making Ourselves Ready to Help Our Children	p. 306
When Adults Are in Conflict with the Children They Love	p. 312
What to Do When the Teacher Says Your Child Has ADHD	p. 320
Stimulant Drug Information Summary	p. 334
The International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology	p. 338
Ethical Human Sciences and Services	p. 340
Notes	p. 342
Bibliography	p. 363
Index	p. 407
About the Author	p. 431
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