Rating: 
Summary: fascinating and validating
Review: Dr. Daniel Amen describes several sets of ADD symptoms, illustrating them with images of abnormal brain activity in those who suffer from the symptoms. While I'm not convinced that his six types are all really primarily ADD, or that they are the only types of ADD, still, this book provides fascinating insight into the physical basis for psychiatric difficulties. Dr. Amen's case studies are fascinating and quite compelling, and he shows both great tenderness for his clients and great insight into the needs and difficulties of people with ADD. This book is extremely valuable for debunking the myth that ADD is not a real disability. Dr. Amen's use of brain imaging technology demonstrates the ways that some people's brains work differently and ineffectively. It's not just laziness--when people with ADD try to concentrate, the part of our brain that controls concentration just shuts down. It's genuinely a physical disability. Although I can "feel" this, to see it verified in black-and-white was extremely validating. While Amen's treatments might be experimental, his diagnostic methods do not seem so. It is not "experimental" to use brain imaging technology to identify where the brain is working properly and not working enough. This has been done for many years. And it's not true that Amen's work is completely "out there"--his work was reviewed by research physicians in two departments (nuclear medicine and neurology, I think) at UCLA and found to be "good medicine" and worthwhile. Comparisons made in other reviews to procedures completely unsupported by any scientific evidence are really in themselves unsupportable. I am not a doctor and can't recommend whether the treatments outlined in this book should be implemented. I can say that people with ADD, and those around them who doubt the reality of their difficulties, will learn a lot from looking at the brain images in this book and understanding the connections between the brain's impaired functioning and the associated symptoms. Reading this book almost makes me feel that "normal" psychiatry is working in the dark without tools... Dr Amen might or might not have made as much progress in the field as this book appears to demonstrate, but nonetheless I think he must be on the right track. I wonder whether it will one day seem to us that trying to guess what's wrong with someone's brain without looking at it, is as strange as trying to diagnose strep throat over the phone.
Rating: 
Summary: The most wondeful book I have ever read!
Review: If you are an adult with ADD, paticularly "non classic ADD" this book will change your life.
You have to have a certain amount of academic ability to understand the early parts of the book but if you are intrested in the neuroscience of why you are different this book is a fantstic breakthrough. If you aren't interested in the case histories at the front of the book then just do the test to find out which kind of ADD you have and then read the chapters on medication, herbal treatments and practical advice for your day to day life.
I have read almost every ADD book for adults on the market and this is the first one to address my problems with sleep! This was fantastic for me.
Also in New Zealand where I live most medications for ADD are not available and this has been extremely frustrating for me.
Dr Amens advice about herbal supplements helped me to find a supplement that has also helped me immensely.
I have Inattentive ADD and Overfocused ADD and Dr Amen's descriptions describe my life more perfectly that any other book I have read. Most books just focus on the "classic hyper ADD male (or sometimes female) but ignore the rest of us who DO have very serious problems in life.
If you are the mother of an ADD child this book proves the physical existance of ADD once and for all and the tips at the back will really help your child when they become a teen and adult. Also the chapter on herbal supplements is not written by one of the many many people trying to sell you a snake oil cure for ADD but by a doctor who knows how herbal treatments REALLY work on the brain because he has seen the physical evidence. As someone who has ADD and who has worked with children with ADD and studied psychology I must say Dr Amen's ideas explain what I already knew from experience, research and logic. That is... that our brains are wired differently that others.
People are angry with Dr Amen because he has finally proven once and for all that ADD exists. No more calling it a fad or saying that ADD people are just lazy and selfish. So called "mental health professionals" are jealous because he is a genius, that has discovered a totally new way of helping people. There are many so called professionals who just can't handle someone coming up with new ideas that challange the status quo.
Some of the people writing reviews on this site are motivated by their own professional jealousy and fear of anything new. Also the scientologists who belive doctors are evil (they say so publically) also come here to attack many of the books sold on Amazon.com.
Anyway I truly belive Dr Amens works are an ENORMOUS breakthrough for those suffering from the less serious mental health conditions (ADD, anxiety etc...)
Rating:
Summary: The BEST ADD book out there!
Review: If you have anything other than "Classic hyperactive ADD" this book will finally give you an understanding of who you are and why you are the way you are.
This book discusses some very important issues that no other ADD book I have read discusses, and I have read over 100 ADD books.
For example Amen discusses the terrible problem many ADD people have with going to bed late and getting up late. This is a terrible problem because it can impair a person's ability to hold down a job. Amen offers possible solutions to this little understood dilema.
I live in New Zealand where most medications for ADD are not availabe, so his discussion of herbal supplements was very helpful. I tried a herbal supplement he recommended and it has changed my life in combination with my antidepressant.
I agree so much with the mother who said that if everyone read this book the world would be a much better place for all the millions of ADD sufferers out there and the people who love and care from them. But of course that will never happen and even so called "mental health professionals" won't bother to read it and will snob it for being different and stick to their own wilfully ignorant ideas such as ADD doesn't exist etc...
Dr Amen scientifically proves that ADD exists with his brain scans (as much as anyone can scientifially prove anything.) He is a godsend to out people.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Insightful and In Depth
Review: This book is very in depth and insightful and I would say it is a must have for anyone who has to deal with ADD in their lives. Dr. Daniel Amen has written THE bible to ADD.
Rating: 
Summary: BLAH!
Review: I was VERY disapointed with this book!! It has entirely too many of his patients stories. (Long stories) I don't want a book with "case stories"...I want a book to help me learn about ADD/ADHD and what I can do for my son. This book describes the 6 types of ADD, but where's the "healing" part?! This book was an ENORMOUS LET DOWN for me! If you're considering buying this book, I recommend going to the library or a bookstore where you can "look over" the book before you actually buy it. You may be glad you did!!
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of Research & Effort, Somewhat distorted conclusions
Review: Dr. Amen has done a lot of work with modern brain imaging technology, and has charted correlations with patterns of brain activity and add/adhd subtypes. His research is certainly useful and somewhat helpful in identifying approaches for treatment. It also helps predict which medications are likely to have an immediate negative effect on a given person. However, the mind-brain connection goes BOTH ways, so the brain activity is affected by both biochemical factors and emotional/psychological factors. Thus, the imaging doesn't really prove what Amen claims it does, namely that ADD is a specific set of biological abnormalities [interpreted properly this research fits with the idea that ADD is a menu of symptoms that are triggered by multiple biological and psychological factors]. The fact that Amen uses EEG neurofeedback successfully disproves his idea of ADD as an essentially biological illness, since symptoms that can be resolved by the mind can also be created by the mind. Amen's commentary minimizes the hazards of medications prescribed under his methods, and while acknowledging nutritional/dietary factors, he underplays their significance, especially with regard to allergies and sensitivities. I also suggest people consider that the brain imaging procedure itself presents a potential health risk, and that there are a number of effective non-drug nutritional, neurofeedback, and psychosocial interventions that don't necessitate any expensive radiating the brain with SPECT scans. This book is worth reading and has some useful information, but parts of it are misguided or misleading.
Rating:
Summary: At Long Last, Structure and Direction in a No-Nonsense Way
Review: After three years of shrinks and opinions I found this breakthrough study make school officials stop and think. Healing ADD is everything I was looking for from a detailed physiological explanation to simple tweaks anyone can make in their life style that produce a foundation for long term results (Healing). A simple five piece platform of: medication, counseling, nutrition, exercise, and biofeedback that speaks to more than ADD'ers, but a world of dysfunctional people that could never get answers before. Healing ADD needs to be put into a wide spread medical distribution so the cynics and frustrated parents can be out of their misery.
Rating:
Summary: Cutting Edge
Review: ... Dr. Amen never passes his work as the absolute truth; it is controversial because he's the pioneer in the field. His book is not dangerous as is claimed, nor does carry "great risk". The simple fact is that ADD / ADHD is a new and evolving field, and that the hard studies from the medical community are just starting to come out. Those of us who are struggling with this condition appreciate new insight into what we're dealing with, and that is what this book provides. Dr. Amen has certainly profited from his writings and from his clinics, but calling him a snake oil salesman is merely spiteful. I know a couple of people who are being treated at one of his clinics, and their experiences have so far been great. No high pressure sales tactics or other indications of a shady operation.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book has many answers to ADD and different types of ADD. For those of you who are looking for more technical answers it has that too. Yes, it is still easy enough to understand if you are not into all the technical stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Bunk! Utter bunk!
Review: Daniel Amen, much like any cult leader, is dangerous because he is convincing. This book is very well-written, persuasive, and does an excellent job in advancing the illusion that the advocated ADHD classification system and associated treatments are supported by research. The most frightening aspect of this is the fact that people who suffer from ADHD, a very real and very serious condition, are buying into Amen's snake oil and banking their hopes on its effectiveness. Like any treatment that is successfully marketed, it undoubtedly carries a substantial placebo effect that, in the absence of replication by other researchers using similar techniques, makes it impossible be validated. While SPECT may be a useful imaging technique, NOBODY has made use of it in a manner even remotely close to that which Amen indicates. His classification (the "6 types") and treatment recommendations are utterly unsupported by science and contrary to volumes of sound research from a diversity of sources. As such, Amen's HYPOTHESES, when put into practice, carry great risk. It remains to be seen whether Amen is a genius or zealous snake oil salesman driven by greed. Despite my great reservations about his position and my belief that he is the latter, his HYPOTHESES may ultimately be found to be valid. However, until such a time comes that others (who do not benefit financially from positive results) replicate his findings, his diagnostic and treatment practices should be considered EXPERIMENTAL, UNPROVEN, and POTENTIALLY HARMFUL. Moreover, Amen exhibits the highest degree of ethical disregard by promoting his position as valid and empirically supported. Readers should be advised that Amen is far out of the mainstream and his practice may be akin to past life regression, abuse memory recovery, rebirthing, and other treatments that, while appearing promising early on, were found to be absolutely invalid when viewed under the bright light of scientific inquiry.
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