Summary of Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. & John J. Ratey, M.D.'s Delivered from Distraction

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 For those who don’t read books all the way through, we offer this first chapter, set off from the rest of the book, that provides a general overview of what ADD is all about.

#2 Attention deficit disorder is a name for a collection of symptoms, some positive, some negative. It is not a disorder, but a trait that can be positive or negative. People with ADD have special gifts, even if they are hidden.

#3 There is an arbitrariness to the way we diagnose disorders. By the current DSM-IV definition, ADD does not exist. But the term ADHD includes both ADHD with hyperactivity and ADHD without hyperactivity, which means you can have ADHD without any signs of hyperactivity or impulsivity.

#4 Those with ADHD have a difficult time turning their great ideas into significant actions, and they often have a difficult time explaining themselves to others. They are often underachieving in school or at work, and they know they could be achieving at a higher level if only they could find the key.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669389910

IRB Media

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Book preview

Insights on Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. & John J. Ratey and M.D.'s Delivered from Distraction

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

For those who don’t read books all the way through, we offer this first chapter, set off from the rest of the book, that provides a general overview of what ADD is all about.

#2

Attention deficit disorder is a name for a collection of symptoms, some positive, some negative. It is not a disorder, but a trait that can be positive or negative. People with ADD have special gifts, even if they are hidden.

#3

There is an arbitrariness to the way we diagnose disorders. By the current DSM-IV definition, ADD does not exist. But the term ADHD includes both ADHD with hyperactivity and ADHD without hyperactivity, which means you can have ADHD without any signs of hyperactivity or impulsivity.

#4

Those with ADHD have a difficult time turning their great ideas into significant actions, and they often have a difficult time explaining themselves to others. They are often underachieving in school or at work, and they know they could be achieving at a higher level if only they could find the key.

#5

The diagnosis of ADD is based not on the presence of these symptoms, but on the intensity and duration of the symptoms. If you have the symptoms intensely, as compared to a group of your peers, and if you have had them all your life, you may have ADD.

#6

ADD is genetically influenced, but not genetically determined. Environmental toxins may play a role, as well as excessive stimulation. You can acquire ADD through a lack of oxygen at birth, a head injury, or if your mother drank too much alcohol during pregnancy.

#7

The brain scans of people with ADD show differences between the brain of people with ADD and the non-ADD brain. The four regions that are smaller in people with ADD are the corpus callosum, the basal ganglia, the frontal lobes, and the cerebellar vermis.

#8

5 to 8 percent of the American population has ADD. The majority of adults who have it don’t know it because people used to think that ADD was only a children’s condition. But now we know that adults have it too.

#9

The symptoms of ADD disappear during puberty in 30 to 40 percent of children, and the symptoms stay gone. ADD persists into adulthood 60 to 70 percent of the time. As the brain matures, it changes in ways that may cause the negative symptoms to abate.

#10

ADD is overdiagnosed in some places, underdiagnosed in others. We must educate doctors, as well as teachers, parents, and school officials about ADD so that we can solve the problems of both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.

#11

There is no single test that can diagnose ADD. The best way to diagnosis ADD is to combine several tests. Your own story is the most important test, as it is difficult to