Helping Parents of Diagnosed, Distressed, and Different Children

Eric Maisel, PhD, is a retired licensed psychotherapist, active creativity coach, and internationally respected expert in the field of mental health reform. He is the author of more than fifty books, writes the "Rethinking Mental Health" blog for Psychology Today, and serves as editor for parent resources at the website Mad in America, the world's largest critical psychiatry resource.

"Eric Maisel has written an important book in a time where almost every child has a diagnosis. As parents, it is up to us to educate ourselves that sometimes children exhibit behavior that is simply normal and needs to be worked through, and there is no need for a label to define our child."—Madisyn Taylor, cofounder, DailyOM and the author of Unmedicated: The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness"The medicalization of children’s emotional and behavioral problems is a huge sociopolitical problem. It is supported by so many forces in our society that stopping, or even slowing it down, appears to be a huge uphill struggle. We truly need people like Eric Maisel who are willing to devote time, do the research, and expose the medical fallacy for what it is. Thank you, Eric, for your formidable job."—Ben Furman, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, founder of the Kids’Skills method

• 1. Diagnosing or Labeling? 2. Deconstructing ADHD 3. Deconstructing ODD 4. Deconstructing Bipolar 5. Medication or Chemicals? 6. Thinking About Causes 7. Contemporary Approaches 8. Organizational Resources 9. Alternatives for "Serious Mental Illness" 10. What You Can Offer 11. What Parents Can Do 12. 31 Questions for Parents