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Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'
ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction—From Childhood Through Adulthood by John J. Ratey, Edward M. Hallowell
6 reviews
cuteasamuntin's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
2.0
Having been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and subsequently done a fair amount of reviewing peer-reviewed research, I was hoping to come away from this book with a new set of practical tools for self-management and supporting other ADHD people in my life. Instead, it mostly follows the “ADHD is a superpower” narrative and is oddly focused on entrepreneurship as the great ADHD calling. There is also what I would describe as a troubling amount of time spent discussing unreplicable, unproven, or outright disproven environmental triggers and experimental treatments, including discussion of low-frequency electromagnetic frequency (EMF) exposure from transmission lines, Wi-Fi, microwaves (nevermind the Faraday cage, apparently), and indoor lights as a possible environmental factor contributing to antenatal or neonatal development of ADHD.
A fair segment of this book also made me uncomfortable, as the language around bodies and food was mildly triggering with respect to my personal history of struggling with an acute eating disorder and ongoing disordered relationship with food. I would have expected the authors to be more sensitive to the subject, considering many people with ADHD have complicated relationships with food and eating as a reward and/or dopamine source.
There is very little acknowledgement of the overlap between autism and ADHD, either consideration of the high percentage of dual diagnoses or merely in symptomatic convergence. They also seem to at least tacitly accept ABA as a legitimate treatment model, even as they encourage replacing it with social learning, yet there is little discussion of practical methods for immediate management of emotional dysregulation, under- or overstimulation, or other internal struggles that contribute to social disruption beyond “run around a bit,” which is often not practical or socially permissible to do immediately for either children or adults. At least the authors don’t fall into the evolutionary psych trap of ADHD being an adaptation improving early human community safety and reproductive fitness.
That being said, I will unequivocally commend them for being proponents of medication as ADHD management and individual education plans for children with ADHD and learning/developmental disabilities in general. There was also some discussion of workplace flexibility for adults, though more robust discussion of reasonable workplace accommodations, as required by the ADA (or indeed any discussion of ADHD as a recognized disability), and how one might go about deciding what accommodations would be helpful and requesting them would have been more practical and helpful than simply recommending that people look for another job or switch careers.
A fair segment of this book also made me uncomfortable, as the language around bodies and food was mildly triggering with respect to my personal history of struggling with an acute eating disorder and ongoing disordered relationship with food. I would have expected the authors to be more sensitive to the subject, considering many people with ADHD have complicated relationships with food and eating as a reward and/or dopamine source.
There is very little acknowledgement of the overlap between autism and ADHD, either consideration of the high percentage of dual diagnoses or merely in symptomatic convergence. They also seem to at least tacitly accept ABA as a legitimate treatment model, even as they encourage replacing it with social learning, yet there is little discussion of practical methods for immediate management of emotional dysregulation, under- or overstimulation, or other internal struggles that contribute to social disruption beyond “run around a bit,” which is often not practical or socially permissible to do immediately for either children or adults. At least the authors don’t fall into the evolutionary psych trap of ADHD being an adaptation improving early human community safety and reproductive fitness.
That being said, I will unequivocally commend them for being proponents of medication as ADHD management and individual education plans for children with ADHD and learning/developmental disabilities in general. There was also some discussion of workplace flexibility for adults, though more robust discussion of reasonable workplace accommodations, as required by the ADA (or indeed any discussion of ADHD as a recognized disability), and how one might go about deciding what accommodations would be helpful and requesting them would have been more practical and helpful than simply recommending that people look for another job or switch careers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Sexism, Ableism, and Addiction
rayowag's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
This book is a good starting point to understand ADHD and the neurological research basics of it. I do however think it's questionable that they mention electric frequence as a potential trigger for adhd even though nothing points to it yet and for anyone reading this review that's new to the neurodivergent world I'd speak out a heavy warning when it comes to this book mentioning both ABA therapy and wilderness programs. ABA therapy has been repeatedly criticized by autistic people for its negative impacts and wilderness therapy is often adding further trauma to already traumatized kids. This book really was a 4.5 until these things came up, because they ignore so much of the non-clinical input from people this book is about and for. Nonetheless it's a decent starter book, but the internet is full of this info for free as well if you search correctly.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia and Mental illness
leannanecdote's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Bullying, Medical content, and Mental illness
uchlaraai's review
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
2.25
The book tends to fall on the schlocky and schill-y side of self-help, which is really frustrating, because nestled in all of that are some genuinely interesting and scientifically/statistically significant nuggets. Buuuuuut also a lot that they even fess up to not having statistically significant results or too small of a sample size.
While they did make acknowledgements of authorial connections to particular products or services, it still felt gross with how much page-space those things were given. Especially for genetic testing "No benefit yet, but couldn't hurt!" Like...given how shady and gross the use and access to your genetic info companies will use and possibly distribute, I would say, that's really awful advice, especially for folks who have been id'd as having a disorder!
Also, the fatphobia that consistently and casually gets thrown around: why? Especially the speculation around the ACEs study patients
I also hate the "superpower" narrative of adhd, as it applies to me, at least. Destigmatizing is great! Acknowledging potential strengths where you've usually found failure, great! Its weird to sell it as "wow, arent you so glad you have focus and attention issues?" Not great!
While they did make acknowledgements of authorial connections to particular products or services, it still felt gross with how much page-space those things were given. Especially for genetic testing "No benefit yet, but couldn't hurt!" Like...given how shady and gross the use and access to your genetic info companies will use and possibly distribute, I would say, that's really awful advice, especially for folks who have been id'd as having a disorder!
Also, the fatphobia that consistently and casually gets thrown around: why? Especially the speculation around the ACEs study patients
I also hate the "superpower" narrative of adhd, as it applies to me, at least. Destigmatizing is great! Acknowledging potential strengths where you've usually found failure, great! Its weird to sell it as "wow, arent you so glad you have focus and attention issues?" Not great!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
antonia_schuro's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Applicable information and suggestions. Case studies are more to relate to people and their experiences than to promote business.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Incest, Suicide, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
adrizeuza's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
This book was a very informative read for me, as I am in the process of getting diagnosed for ADHD after years of silent suffering. I liked that it took both adults and children into consideration. The first half was particularly interesting because it easily explains WHY and HOW our brains work the way they do translating very sciency things into understandable images and real life examples. The only thing I disliked were some sections where they basically recommended some supplements that "everybody should take" without bringing up solid evidence for it, using mostly annecdotal points (also one of the authors receives money from one of the brands so... potential conflict of interest). Another major thing I disliked was the almost transversal fatphobia / diet culture tone especially when attempting to be funny / relatable... Despite these less positive aspects I still think it can be a valuable book for understanding the condition
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