Remembering Ritalin: A Doctor and Generation Rx Reflect on Life and Psychiatric Drugs

by Lawrence H. Diller

Overview

How are the kids of Generation Rx doing now? This groundbreaking book reveals the answers—and raises some important new questions.

Written by a clinician with more than thirty years of experience with child patients, Remembering Ritalin offers an intimate and revealing look at the ADHD generation—how they’re doing now and the long-term effects of their diagnoses, medication, and treatment. Revisiting former patients who are now in their twenties, Dr. Diller takes a fresh look at the issue of treating our kids. Is ADHD a useful diagnosis, or an oversimplified, harmful label? What are Ritalin’s long-term effects—good and bad? Together with his articulate former patients, Remembering Ritalin provides insights into one of the most controversial treatment methods of our time. Parents, professionals, and anyone who has been prescribed Ritalin will find these observations illuminating as they delve into the healing process and attempt to answer the question, “Was it the right choice?”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101514610
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/03/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	305 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lawrence H. Diller, MD, is a behavioral-developmental pediatrician and family therapist. He is on the faculty of the University of California, San Francisco, and is the bestselling author of Running on Ritalin. He and his wife have raised two sons who are now in their young twenties. He lives in Piedmont, California.

Table of Contents

1 A Professional and Personal Journey of Caring 1

2 ADHD Children Become Adults: What the Science Says-and Doesn't Say 31

3 ADHD: A Protean Diagnosis 48

4 ADHD Girls Grow Up 74

5 Living with ADHD: Finding the Right Job 94

6 With a Little Help from My Friends 114

7 Bad Outcomes: Considering the Limits of Treatment 131

8 The Dissatisfieds: Medication and Self-Medication 155

9 Lingering Impressions: Does ADHD Matter in the Long Term? 183

10 Potpourri: Answering Some Common Questions About ADHD/ADD and Ritalin 199

An Uneasy Postscript 235

Endnotes 243

Index 249

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A riveting account of what ADHD really means... This is THE book to read for anyone who wants to truly understand the current controversies about a controversial diagnosis."
-Daniel Carlat, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report, and author of Unhinged

"Remembering Ritalin answers a fascinating question: How is the Ritalin generation doing, now that they are young adults? For fifteen years the first book I've shoved into the hands of anyone interested in ADHD was Diller's Running on Ritalin. Remembering Ritalin may well be even better."
-Carl Elliott, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, and author of Better Than Well

"Two decades ago, ADHD was a small stream. Now, it has become a raging torrent. Dr. Diller remains, an unmoving rock in mid-flood. Will the rock endure or flood overcome it? Read and make your mind up."
-David Healy, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Cardiff University, and author of Mania

"Dr. Diller provides a well thought out description of the benefits and dangers of medication use for ADHD. The perspective of adults who were previously treated for ADHD as children is particularly illuminating, especially for today's parents and treatment providers."
-Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D., author of 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12

"Dr. Diller is an experienced physician and a passionate advocate for children and families. He's also a talented and engaging writer. This book will help parents make more informed decisions about treatment options for their children."
-David Fassler, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, College of Medicine

Editorial Reviews

“A riveting account of what ADHD really means. This is the book to read for anyone who wants to truly understand the current controversies about a controversial diagnosis.”

Daniel Carlat

"A riveting account of what ADHD really means... This is THE book to read for anyone who wants to truly understand the current controversies about a controversial diagnosis."
Daniel Carlat, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report, and author of Unhinged

"Remembering Ritalin answers a fascinating question: How is the Ritalin generation doing, now that they are young adults? For fifteen years the first book I've shoved into the hands of anyone interested in ADHD was Diller's Running on Ritalin. Remembering Ritalin may well be even better."
Carl Elliott, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, and author of Better Than Well

"Two decades ago, ADHD was a small stream. Now, it has become a raging torrent. Dr. Diller remains, an unmoving rock in mid-flood. Will the rock endure or flood overcome it? Read and make your mind up."
David Healy, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Cardiff University, and author of Mania

"Dr. Diller provides a well thought out description of the benefits and dangers of medication use for ADHD. The perspective of adults who were previously treated for ADHD as children is particularly illuminating, especially for today's parents and treatment providers."
Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D., author of 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12

"Dr. Diller is an experienced physician and a passionate advocate for children and families. He's also a talented and engaging writer. This book will help parents make more informed decisions about treatment options for their children."
David Fassler, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, College of Medicine

From the Publisher