One Boy’s Struggle: A Review
Since my diagnosis a year ago, I’ve been doing as much as I can to learn more about attention deficit disorder, and I’ve found that the information available is generally lacking. There are so many brilliant professionals out there talking about adhd, but too often it’s obvious they don’t have it. The information can often be a little too clinical, not holding my attention. So … I look for a little more light-hearted reading.
There’s tons of light-hearted books available, but I tend to find them a bit trite, filled with the same old “10 Easy Steps” that would be written for a non-adder. Well … they may throw in a couple slight twists, like add color … wait, no … I learned that in sales training 20 years ago.
However, I HAVE found some absolutely terrific books that can help you both learn and function better with your adhd.
Today, I want to focus on one book in particular. Bryan Hutchinson’s “One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir“. This book deserves a post of it’s own because it’s special. For the others, I’ll put together a list for recommendation.
“One Boy’s Struggle” should be at the TOP of your list if you’re learning about adhd. If you’re an adult who has lived most your life with undiagnosed adhd, this book should be your #1 choice! Bryan’s story will hit home with you in ways no other book can.
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A Morsel of Blogging
I’m back … the fog is lifted
The earth has shifted and raised the gifted
You knew I’d be back so pack your bone
And hit the road jack … cuz daddy’s home …
Since it’s been so long since my last post, I thought some Kid Rock lyrics were in order 
Anyways, I’ve been thinking … don’t worry, you’re not about to get hurt.
It would be great to see more adders blogging! Just a short time ago, when I decided to get into blogging, I knew I had a good reason and purpose - to bring more real-world advice and information to people with attention deficit disorder.
I’m not an “expert”, nor do I put myself out there as one, but I AM an adult with adhd. Being diagnosed later in life has also given me a unique perspective into adhd - from an experiential point of view, that many doctors, scientists, and other “experts” simply do not have. And … while I fully understand the worthiness of, and completely share the desire to “function better” with the other 95%, I find most advice available for adders to be rather simplistic and trite.
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Phelps wins record-breaking gold medal No. 8
Michael Phelps and his adhd go 8 for 8 in record shattering Olymipcs!
From the Chicago Tribune … a few words of wisdom from this American/Human/ADHD Hero!
“Without the help of my relay teammates, this isn’t possible. We came together as one unit.”
“It’s been such an unbelievable ride. With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it took was a little imagination.”
“It’s been nothing but fun. The biggest thing is taking on something impossible.”
Winningest Olympian Ever!
Michael Phelps swam into Olympic history, winning his 7th gold medal in Beijing, and his 13th overall!
You can read more about it in Breitbart’s article Phelps swims into history, winning 7th gold medal. Today, I just thought I’d leave you with a few quotes from and about this incredible adder.
“Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible,” Phelps said. “I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real.”
“It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he’s maybe the greatest athlete of all time,” said [Mark Spitz] the icon of the 1972 Munich Games. “He’s the greatest racer who ever walked the planet.”
“One word: epic,” Spitz told The Associated Press from Detroit. “I’m so proud of what he’s been able to do. I did what I did and it was in my day in those set of circumstances. For 36 years it stood as a benchmark. I’m just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done. He’s entitled to every second of what’s occurring to him now.”
“I thought four one-hundredths was close and I was shocked then,” Phelps said. “I’m even more shocked now than I was then. One-hundredth is the smallest margin of victory in our sport. I guess it’s pretty cool.”
The Clear Channel Controversy
07/28/2008 - Clear Channel has denied my request to provide a link to a web page that would be of great benefit to the adhd community. I agree … it doesn’t make sense at all … for a multitude of obvious reasons.
The dilemma: I think adders would greatly benefit from reading this story, so without linking, I could simply share with you where to go … however … I greatly disagree with their arbitrary rules and complete lack of understanding of the most basic principle of the internet (hyperlinks), that I hesitate to send anyone their way.
I’m a big free market advocate, so at this point I have to cast my vote by not sending any viewers their way. Sorry to all of you who would have benefited from it. Please write to Clear Channel and express your disappointment.
I’d provide you their email, but I can’t afford the potential lawsuit.
According to Webopedia, “hyperlinks are the most essential ingredient of all hypertext systems, including the World Wide Web“. It’s obvious that Clear Channel disagrees. Until they relinquish this archaic mindset, I’m going to avoid all things Clear Channel like the plague!
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Original post 07/27/08 - Well … I’ll have to come back to you concerning this post. Apparently Clear Channel is uncomfortable with the common practice of hyperlinking to their websites.
Two terrific, very successful people with adhd talk about it together. Bringing awareness of adhd is one of my primary missions with this blog. Respecting Clear Channel’s wishes, I will send an email asking for permission to post the interview and provide a link. Hopefully they will see the benefit of my drawing positive attention to them, and how much good they can bring to the adhd community by allowing me to bring it directly to the adhd community.
I’m grateful to Clear Channel for posting it on one of their websites, and I ask kindly that I can bring awareness of the article here.
Success stories can do wonders!
Attention Deficit Disorder is Bunk!
I LOVE a good conspiracy story …
Attorney Richard Scruggs, who rang up $400 million in legal fees (cha-ching!) with class-action lawsuits against the tobacco companies, says adhd is bunk.
I guess he’s still lookin’ for more money.
The story about lawsuit was brought to my attention by another great adhd blog, “Adders World“. I highly recommend visiting Adders World, starting with “The ADHD SchEmE“.
The following is a few snippets from the article “Got ADHD?” from the Daily Journal, along with my commentary to add balance and rational thought. Okay … an adders thoughts …
Scruggs, who led the settlement between U.S. states and the tobacco industry in 1998, leads a lawyers group alleging in two lawsuits that the makers of the drug Ritalin conspired with psychiatrists to “create” the condition ADHD.
Typical of conspiracy theories, this one has been going on for at least 70 years, undetected of course, until now! It’s always amazing to me how “diabolical” these conspiracies are, yet they take so long to develop. Over 70 years … how many people working at the many pharmaceutical companies, psychiatrists and psychologists would have had to be in on this conspiracy? Hundreds of thousands? More?
Adders may not be the best organizers, but NOBODY could keep organized a conspiracy so large for so long. This is just another attorney looking to cash in on the Big Bucks by arbitrarily forcing a “settlement”.
Dr. Rosemond, whose column runs in the Daily Journal, has no stake in the lawsuit but is writing a book about what he calls “the ADHD scheme” with a nationally known pediatrician, who Rosemond says “has seen the light.”
Sounds more like a marketing campaign to me.
The suits seek class action status and billions of dollars in damages. The allegations are denied by both the company and the APA.
“The suits seek class action status and billions of dollars in damages.” $$$ BILLIONS $$$!!! Are you starting to follow the money trail?
Scruggs, who tallied up $400 million in legal fees from the settlement with the tobacco industry, said public health was the main motivator in the Ritalin case, and the ultimate goal of the lawsuit is to change the way the drug is prescribed.
Sure … and monkey’s are going to fly out of my butt. “Just doing it for the kids … ” to the tune of MILLIONS (in his pocket).
“They are exploiting the fears of parents for the welfare of children to gain inappropriately, and I think that is very reprehensible and it can have a widespread effect on the health of American kids.”
The above quote from Scruggs says it all!
John Rosemond has a new BOOK TO SELL called “The Diseasing of America’s Children: Exposing the ADHD Fiasco and Empowering Parents to Take Back Control“. The title of Rosemond’s book is PURE SCARE TACTIC COPY!
Scare Tactics - coercing a favorable response by preying upon the audience’s fears.
Nice, uh? Yeah … he “cares” all right … about his wallet.
So … I wanted to find out more about these guys. Who are they? Scruggs is a class-action attorney. What more do you really need to know? Alright, alright … some of them serve a purpose, so to google I go … and what do I find?
Civil-suit attorney Richard Scruggs gets 5 years for bribery!
Ahem, I rest my case. You can read even more about it in the Wall Street Journal by clicking on his picture.
That was too easy, what about Rosemond?
Well … he isn’t a criminal like Scruggs …
The traveling salesman, who’s contemplating running for the House of Representatives, has only a couple minor scrapes with trouble. In 1987, the North Carolina Psychology Board issued a reprimand after a complaint was brought against him for writing in a column that there was no evidence supporting child therapy. And in 1995, he voluntarily entered into a consent order after advising the family of an 18-month-old who had been sexually abused to skip therapy, since she wouldn’t remember the incident anyways. Also worthy of note, this so-called “family therapist” hasn’t spoken his mother in over 10 years (The Disciples of Discipline - New York Times).
Rosemond, no longer practicing psychology, travels most the year doing seminars, selling books and t-shirts to desperate parents. He claims, “There is no such thing as having ADHD. It is not a biological condition. It is not a disease. It is a lifestyle condition.”
“It requires a lifestyle change in the family. One of the things I tell parents who are dealing with this type of child is you have to get the child off, completely off, video games, TV, Internet, computers” (Up Close with John Rosemond).
Dr. W. Joseph Wyatt, on the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies website, has a debate with John Rosemond about his advice. Dr. Wyatt agrees with much of what Rosemond says, but Rosemond simply goes on the attack anyway (a defensive posture indeed). I end this post today with a couple snippets from the debate.
In my first snippet, Dr. Wyatt notes that Rosemond claims that adhd is caused by the “flicker” of the television, to which Rosemond responds claiming Wyatt as misrepresenting him. Dr. Wyatt then replies with the following:
” … I had written that Rosemond blames the flicker of the TV screen for ADHD. He felt that was a misrepresentation. But here is what Rosemond wrote about ADHD in one of his columns: “Since 1978 I’ve been saying that television is a primary culprit. The constant ‘flicker’ of television compromises the brain’s ability to properly develop the structures necessary to a long attention span.” The reader can decide whether I have taken Rosemond out of context, as Rosemond claimed I had done.”
And in the last paragraph of his final response, Rosemond sums it up by stating the following (highlights by me):
Wyatt says I paint the “post-modern psychological child-parenting field as monolithic.” He obviously doesn’t understand the term post-modern. Psychology is a secular religion. One believes in it by faith. I don’t have any such faith. Wyatt reveals his misunderstanding of my pre-modern worldview when he says that he and I agree that feeling better (self esteem) is a matter of doing better.
Yeah … all of our biology - organs, skin, bones, etc - can have biological dysfunction of one sort or another, but not our brain. It takes faith for all the neurotransmitters, synapses, chemicals and what not in our brain to dysfunction …
It appears to me that John Rosemond is selling good folks nothing but viles of snake oil. He’s not very good at psychiatry, but he sure is a good copywriter!
