Description
Book SynopsisBeyond ADHD weaves Emmerson's personal story of his ADHD diagnosis, exploring along the way the latest medical, scientific and societal explanations and tools for managing and living with the condition. Including interviews with a number of experts at the forefront of next-generation ADHD diagnostics and treatment, he questions the cookie-cutter way ADHD is commonly diagnosed and treated. Suggesting that the list of symptoms often used to identify ADHD can be attributed to many other disorders and conditions, he explores how and why ADHD diagnoses have increased by 50% in the last ten years. Emmerson advocates a different approach to ADHD, arguing that it should be a diagnosis of exclusion rather than the other way around, and that we must look past the label, recognizing that individual symptoms vary and treatment plans should be better tailored to the individual. He examines mental and behavioral issues from all sides, including the possibility that nurturing rather than trying to
Trade ReviewMisdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder after a suicide attempt, Emmerson devotes his book and his life to asking good questions about how to prevent and best treat the condition. With veteran coauthor Yehling, he explains why he thinks the ADHD label should be retired and how he thinks people with it should be treated. He believes prescriptions should be used only as a last resort (his own experiences with them were not good). He identifies a major problem: doctors base their subjective diagnosis on observed behaviors, which is one reason 13-percent of kids are now diagnosed with it. 'We need to nail down and laser in on what ADHD is and what it isn’t,' he says. It’s hard to argue with recommendations like drinking plenty of water and avoiding high-fructose corn syrup, though Emmerson isn’t an M.D. Overall his enthusiasm for his topic and his general good advice, including promoting self-esteem and trying to create a 'gentler world,' will resonate with everyone concerned about ADHD, including his hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers. * Booklist *
Courageous, tenacious, smart, and full of a hockey goalie's all-star heart, Jeff Emmerson probes behind the slogans and labels to get at the truth. A man on a mission, Jeff does the world of ADHD a great service with this book. -- Edward Hallowell, MD, author of Driven to Distraction and many other books; Founder of The Hallowell Centers; host of the weekly podcast Distraction
A beautiful amalgam of lived experience and first rate science writing. Helpful and inspiring for those who suffer with ADHD; essential for those who need protection from misdiagnosis and careless drug prescriptions. -- Allen Frances, MD, DSM-IV Task Force; author of author of Saving Normal; professor emeritus, Duke University School of Medicine
Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE 1.In the Doctor’s Office 2.Peeking Behind the ADHD Curtain 3.Optimal Health, Interrupted: Decoding ADHD (Part One) 4.Optimal Health, Interrupted: Decoding ADHD (Part Two) 5.So Easy to Diagnose, So Tricky to Understand 6.Why Personal History Matters in Diagnosing 7.The Larger Problem of Misdiagnosis 8.Prescribing in An Open Ocean 9.What We’re Up Against 10.The ADHD Buy-In 11.What About Our Boys? PART TWO 12.What Is With My Brain? 13.Exploring the Deeper Causes 14.New Ways of Working with ADHD 15.Towards Collaborative Diagnosing & Care 16.Problem Child? Or Gifted Child? 17.Nutrition’s Necessary Place 18.Shaking off the Label 19.The World Beyond ADHD
