Healing ADD from the Inside Out: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the Seven Types of Attention Deficit Disorder

I was the terror of the neighborhood, failed grade 1,dropped out of high school after grade 10, then after thearmy, 3 teachers talked me into returning to school. AVERY difficult journey began - hard to concentrate, memoryproblems, hyperactivity, and etc. It took a LOT of help,but ultimately I received a BA, MEd, and Ph.D. I became achief of psychology in a psychiatric hospital, teacher,therapist -- and then at 46 years of age, I was diagnosedwith ADHD. Suddenly, "everything" made sense, as thedisorder was 'classic' to how I had behaved, thought,struggled with relationships, and etc. MEDICATIONScomletely turned MY life around (as my wife, friends, andwork associates would affirm) - they don't work for everyone,but for me, it was like a miracle from heaven. Of course, theanti-medication zealots will not wish to believe this, butmy experience is like that of so many others I have seen IN MY PRACTICE AS A PSYCHOLOGIST. When medications work, they really do a great job. When they don't, the experience canbe very disappointing, and anger can run high. I alsoconducted over 500, 1-day seminars in almost every state inthe USA, and provinces in Canada (this took place over a14 year period). Having said all of this - the absolutebest book in the field, based on my having read scores of books,articles, and my experiences factored in, is Dr. Amen's book!!!I have, in fact, cleared out about 80% of all the AD/HDliterature I had, and Dr. Amen's book remains my favorite.It is the ONLY book I now recommend to individuals who askfor my opinion, as a psychologist WITH ADHD.

I am a 43-year-old male who has suffered since birth with many of the difficulties so lucidly described and illustrated by Dr. Amen in this book.The good doctor gives us real people and real life situations that I can easily relate to. I see nearly every distressing aspect of my life and myself in here including all of the different attention weaknesses, irritability, moodiness, rage, tormenting thoughts, spaciness, and suicidal depression that have variably haunted me from birth through the present. I also see so many of the needless guilt, shame, failures, and disappointments.There are profuse 3-D images of how the parts of all of these different brains like mine are over and under-working to produce these often frightening and disturbing symptoms and also how they look when effectively medicated and/or treated.This book gives me the courage I need to stop blaming my parents and myself for my condition and suffering. In reading Dr. Amen's book, I feel the encouragement to stay on the medication that works for my unique neurophysiology. I also find a great deal of motivation to explore non-medical approaches, including dietary and behavioral remedies as well.I find in this book a wealth of technical knowledge balanced with an abundance of commonsense. The author never takes himself too seriously or makes exaggerated or overly optimistic claims. The tone is as hopeful as it is helpful.

Are you a parent confused about what doctors are saying about your child's difficulties? Are you a person having a problem finding a good fit for yourself in readings about problems in attention, anger outbursts, depression, getting stuck on things, road rage, alcohol or substance misuse, or disorganization? Are you a mental health clinician or medical doctor who wonders if ADD and ADHD exist and doesn't mind telling your patients that? Welcome to the club. Happily, after reading this book, you may drop your club membership. Daniel G Amen MD writes and talks to you about the six major types of ADD in his newest book, "Healing ADD." Confusion turns into clarity as you learn about kids and adults with ADD and the add-on symptoms that confuse even some experts.Using specialized SPECT brain scans, Amen shows where the parts of the brain that are having trouble functioning are and how they are detected. This book is rich in the details of the lives of persons afflicted with ADD. It brings alive the torments endured when ADD is not properly diagnosed, subtyped, or appropriately treated. It also describes the promise, indeed the results, of well-tailored treatment based on an accurate understanding of the complexities associated with ADD.While considered controversial, physicians and clinicians are giving Dr Amen's approach increasing acceptance. More locations and physicians are offering evaluations and treatment in part based on brain SPECT scans. More centers are making these specialized scans available. For the appropriately skeptical physician practicing evidence-based medicine, the needed research details about the role of brain SPECT scans in evaluation and treatment of ADD and its associated disorders are yet to be done. Yet many of those physicians are not conversant with such recommendations as the National Institute of Mental Health Guidelines about ADD or other recently published large research-based studies. I found it hard to read this book and not be intrigued to want to learn even more. For parents, teachers, and persons with ADD, this book will enlarge their understanding, if not their acceptance, of the emotional and behavioral problems inflicted by this disorder. For mental health clinicians, including physicians whose practice has persons with ADD, "Healing ADD" is close to a "must read" work.