Skip to main content

Back To Normal, by Enrico Gnaulati



From Amazon: "In recent years there has been an alarming rise in the number of American children and youth assigned a mental health diagnosis. Current data from the Centers for Disease Control reveal a 41 percent increase in rates of ADHD diagnoses over the past decade and a forty-fold spike in bipolar disorder diagnoses. Similarly, diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, once considered, has increased by 78 percent since 2002.

 Dr. Enrico Gnaulati, a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood and adolescent therapy and assessment, has witnessed firsthand the push to diagnose these disorders in youngsters. Drawing both on his own clinical experience and on cutting-edge research, with Back to Normal he has written the definitive account of why our kids are being dramatically overdiagnosed—and how parents and professionals can distinguish between true psychiatric disorders and normal childhood reactions to stressful life situations...

Back to Normal reminds us of the normalcy of children’s seemingly abnormal behavior. It will give parents of struggling children hope, perspective, and direction. And it will make everyone who deals with children question the changes in our society that have contributed to the astonishing increase in childhood psychiatric diagnoses."

Back to Normal was a fascinating and well written book. I particularly appreciated that the author did not claim that these disorders don't exist or that no one should be medicated for them. Instead, he outlined situations in which these disorders are not to blame for what are seen as related behaviors to demonstrate the point that misdiagnosis is an issue. Back to Normal was extraordinarily easy to read and compelling. While I was reading it I took it everywhere with me in hopes that I would have time to read more of it. I have rarely been so disappointed to reach the end of a book. Back to Normal didn't answer all the questions that I had, and brought up even more questions, but it was a great starting place.

 I would recommend Back to Normal to anyone who is interested in medicine, psychology, psychiatry, or childhood disorders. Although I'm not yet a parent, I think Back to Normal would be a great book to read and consider from that perspective.

 Until next time,

 Rachel

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anonymity in the Internet Age

I've been thinking a lot about Internet anonymity and cyber bullying lately and I decided that although this blog is primarily for book-related posts, as part of the billions of creative endeavors on the Internet, this blog is as good of a place as any to share my thoughts. I've never experienced a great deal of cyber bullying, but I do know many people who have suffered because of it, and I know well that it is truly a serious problem. Obviously, if you are engaging in clear cyber bullying activities like threatening someone or sending hateful messages, please stop. You never know how much you could really hurt someone and no one deserves to feel hated and belittled. (If you want a great book that will ma ke you reco nsider the effect that you have on other people, Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a great choice.) But for those of you who don't do anything shockingly and obviously outrageous on the Internet, I want you to think seriously about this question: ...
Post a Comment
Read more

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

From Goodreads: " Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients... In All Creatures Great and Small , we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of...
Post a Comment
Read more