With a blunt and outright controversial title, Dr. Richard Saul really has rocked the ADD and ADHD community. Just by looking at the title, ADHD Does Not Exist is eliciting all types of responses. It has some professionals circling the wagons while naysayers are jumping for joy. Regardless of whether or not you like what someone has to say, you at least should give that person a chance to share his or her opinion. Ironically enough, this book was released on my 40th birthday back on February 18th, so I wanted to see if the first 39 years of my life were a falsehood. In Dr. Saul’s case, I think it’s fair to say that it isn’t always fair to judge a book by its cover.
I do not believe that Dr. Saul is totally abolishing the concept of ADHD, but I think he is trying to reshape our thinking a bit. I very much agree with him on (and it flows throughout the book) is that ADHD is often the easiest diagnosis a professional will make. A good evaluation for ADHD should rule out other potential issues before giving an ADHD diagnosis. As the saying goes, just because it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck doesn’t mean it’s a duck.
There are many people that believe he or she has ADHD thanks to the wrong diagnosis. Dr. Saul shares conditions that often times have similar conditions to ADHD but really aren’t the same thing. By using real-life examples from his practice, he shares how his client was wrongly diagnosed, treated (usually with a stimulant medication) and Dr. Saul’s change to the program (and positive results). This book is desperately missing some of Saul’s professional misses. While the easiest thing it to remember when we’re right, sharing when we’re wrong when we’re wrong his also very helpful.
I would recommend this book for anyone with an open mind. While the title may be a turnoff, the book really has some solid information. Just like any source of information, you should know its background and understand who authored it.
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