Rating: 
Summary: A compassionate critique of the mental health industry
Review: Dr. Breggin has written extensively about the dangers of pharmaceutical treatment. In this book, he expands his discussion to look at the social context for how the society has been driven toward dangerous quick fixes rather than healing the society in ways that nurture children. One reviewer calls Breggin a Christian Scientist due to his anti-drug stance, when in reality he seems to have connections to the Jewish faith. Pure Christian Science opposes any medical drug treatments (which Breggin doesn't), including for seemingly purely physical symptoms and illnesses, since it sees physical reality as completely a product of mind and spirit. Breggin makes many valuable observations, although I perceive his parenting ideas as overly libertarian in some instances. Breggin also is unrealistic about the ability of ordinary psychotherapeutic and parenting methods to address very challenging child symptoms and difficulties. Theoretically, all mental health issues can be resolved without using medications to suppress symptoms. However, in our society few people have the knowledge or skills to facilitate holistic healing methods and access subconscious levels of mind that often trigger biochemical and psychological dysfunctions. Every cell, tissue, organ, and system in our bodies is guided by some level of consciousness, and even seeming "biochemical" issues can be resolved by accessing the consciousness that controls biological functioning and reorienting it to direct the body to function in a balanced manner. Since almost no one in the health care professions is trained to facilitate this, and only a minority of professionals are even trained to use nutrition, massage, hypnosis, and some other less invasive alternatives, then many people mistakenly assume that certain people absolutely have to be medicated. Breggin focuses mostly on the social ills of our society and the social and political context of mental health approaches to children, doing a solid job in this regard. However, a more expansive understanding of health, healing, and reality is needed to help more people realize the wealth of alternatives to drugs.
Rating:
Summary: A compassionate critique of the mental health industry
Review: Dr. Breggin has written extensively about the dangers of pharmaceutical treatment. In this book, he expands his discussion to look at the social context for how the society has been driven toward dangerous quick fixes rather than healing the society in ways that nurture children. One reviewer calls Breggin a Christian Scientist due to his anti-drug stance, when in reality he seems to have connections to the Jewish faith. Pure Christian Science opposes any medical drug treatments (which Breggin doesn't), including for seemingly purely physical symptoms and illnesses, since it sees physical reality as completely a product of mind and spirit. Breggin makes many valuable observations, although I perceive his parenting ideas as overly libertarian in some instances. Breggin also is unrealistic about the ability of ordinary psychotherapeutic and parenting methods to address very challenging child symptoms and difficulties. Theoretically, all mental health issues can be resolved without using medications to suppress symptoms. However, in our society few people have the knowledge or skills to facilitate holistic healing methods and access subconscious levels of mind that often trigger biochemical and psychological dysfunctions. Every cell, tissue, organ, and system in our bodies is guided by some level of consciousness, and even seeming "biochemical" issues can be resolved by accessing the consciousness that controls biological functioning and reorienting it to direct the body to function in a balanced manner. Since almost no one in the health care professions is trained to facilitate this, and only a minority of professionals are even trained to use nutrition, massage, hypnosis, and some other less invasive alternatives, then many people mistakenly assume that certain people absolutely have to be medicated. Breggin focuses mostly on the social ills of our society and the social and political context of mental health approaches to children, doing a solid job in this regard. However, a more expansive understanding of health, healing, and reality is needed to help more people realize the wealth of alternatives to drugs.
Rating: 
Summary: Our childrens' safety is at stake!
Review: Dr. Breggin presents a discussion of how American society does a disservice to our troubled school children by labelling them with psychiatric diagnoses and medicating them rather than critically examining the alienation and abandonment caused by family, schools, and communities. For parents, counselors, and educators, a most important chapter is one which offers suggestions for improving our schools. The book stresses that the most important factor in assisting the positive growth of our children is an individual child's relationship with a loving, mature adult. Even in impoverished communities, children can succeeed if a nuturing adult is there to counter negative effects of such adverse events as drugs, violence, and racism. The book is an alert for parents, counselors, and educators. If this information is acted upon by increasing numbers of caring adults, the quality of the lives of our precious youth should significantly improve. Breggin is but one man, but hehas high hopes for a whole nation.
Rating: 
Summary: A Valuable Message
Review: Dr. Peter Breggin continues to express his belief in the innate ability of children to heal and move their lives in a positive direction. A key ingredient is for adults to recognize the need for children to have a lifestyle that allows them to be children. I don't believe Dr. Breggin blames parents for their children's problems. I think he sees them as responsible for creating a productive lifestyle for the child. In this day and age it is common for very young children(kindergarten and younger) to spend an eight to ten hour day away from parents and in school or childcare. While this allows parents to increase their income it may produce anxiety and distractiblity in the child. Dr. Breggin does an outstanding job of sorting out how the child is the victim of biopsychiatry while the culture continues to place materialism and income as a top priority. I was impressed by his case studies and his courage in speaking out against the label and medicate phenomena that places children at risk. I have worked as an elementary counselor for the past twenty-three years. Currently I am in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In my twenty plus years of working with children and families I have found that strong parents who create a realistic structure for their children overcome most childhood problems. At the same time I have seen many families turn to psychiatric labels and medication only to discover their child was caught in a downward spiral of behavior and emotional problems.
Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Message
Review: Dr. Peter Breggin continues to express his belief in the innate ability of children to heal and move their lives in a positive direction. A key ingredient is for adults to recognize the need for children to have a lifestyle that allows them to be children. I don't believe Dr. Breggin blames parents for their children's problems. I think he sees them as responsible for creating a productive lifestyle for the child. In this day and age it is common for very young children(kindergarten and younger) to spend an eight to ten hour day away from parents and in school or childcare. While this allows parents to increase their income it may produce anxiety and distractiblity in the child. Dr. Breggin does an outstanding job of sorting out how the child is the victim of biopsychiatry while the culture continues to place materialism and income as a top priority. I was impressed by his case studies and his courage in speaking out against the label and medicate phenomena that places children at risk. I have worked as an elementary counselor for the past twenty-three years. Currently I am in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In my twenty plus years of working with children and families I have found that strong parents who create a realistic structure for their children overcome most childhood problems. At the same time I have seen many families turn to psychiatric labels and medication only to discover their child was caught in a downward spiral of behavior and emotional problems.
Rating:
Summary: If you have problem kids, read Breggin's book.
Review: For one thing, Dr. Breggin has done a great job researching the common characteristics of the childhood shootings in schools in the past several years, which surprisingly are much more frequent than what appear in the popular press. He points out how the proposed solution by Clinton and associates is misguided, and bound for failure. Setting up school programs of increased psychiatric care (read drugs) is not the answer. Dr. Breggin shows that the vast majority of the child shooters were already under care (read drugs). This is where politics comes in. Any issue seems only to have value to the extent to which it can be manipulated - in this case child vilolence is certainly a huge problem. The angle is the billions of dollars of taxpayer money which will change hands providing psychoactive drugs of questionable value, to millions of genuinely troubled kids. If drugs were the answer, this problem would already be solved. Breggin asks some uncomfortable questions about the true nature of the situation, and proposes some reasonable solutions which involve more than masking the problem in a fog of experimental antidepressants. Before you submit your kid to any behavioral treatment program, you might consider informing yourself on the issues by perusing this thoughtful and scary book.
Rating:
Summary: What kind of solution do we want?
Review: Has "A reader from Wisconsin, United States" (first reviewer) actually read the book?
Do you want to chemically zonk children into performing and behaving up to our standards or do we want to find out the CAUSE of their problems and address that?
Mainstream medicine 99% of the time attacks symptoms, and not causes, does suppressing the cough, runny nose and fever of someone with a cold actually get rid of the virus or is it suppressing symptoms? It is our own immune system that destroys the invader not nyquill or benilyn. Once the virus is gone, then we become well again.
Also remember the cause MAY or MAY NOT be the child him/herself
Rating: 
Summary: Just reviewing the synopsis
Review: I was fired up to buy this book until I read in the synopsis that Dr. Breggin sites "working mothers" as one of the problems of our children today. Not working fathers or working parents; working mothers. As a working mother myself, I am sick unto death of getting hit with all the blame when TWO parents chose to work. I guess I save myself $17.
Rating:
Summary: An Incredibly Important Book
Review: This is, simply, an incredibly important book. Peter Breggin has long advocated against the psychiatric treatment of problem children; in this book, he gives many examples of what the alternative might be- mainly, an empathatic, caring counselor who is aware of the dangers of such treatment. This book may not be 'Politically Correct', but isn't it sad that drugging children into compliance IS 'PC". The truth may be hard to take, in this case, but it is still the truth!
Rating:
Summary: unique and valuable
Review: Unlike another reviewer here, I have read the book and I understand what Breggin is saying. Unlike the cacophany of experts who always end up blaming the child, or the child's brain, Breggin challenges us to look at ourselves as a culture and make necessary changes. Where else can you find an author who isn't just pushing drugs or some discipline program or psychobabble for kids? Conventional wisdom obviously isn't working. Breggin is unconventional, but appeals to common sense. Sobering but inspiring.
|
