Hyper

June 9, 2014
In this searching memoir, Denevi shares his story of growing up in the 1980s as a guinea pig during the medical panic over ADHD. As he points out early in the book, our fascination with ADHD may have reached a new pitch, but the disease was identified in 1902 and remains a problem experts treat as a moral failure as much as a neurological disease. Denevi skillfully weaves historical anecdotes into his personal account, tracing the change from the early theory of “Minimal Brain Damage” to our currently imperfect, if more humane narrative. As an introduction to the history of ADHD, the book is excellent, but the more conflicting findings of contemporary research are dealt with only glancingly. Denevi’s story sometimes reads like a tale of common teenage angst, as youthful struggles with irrational authority figures—such as his cruel third-grade teacher, Ms. Kovalenko—flow into his attempts to adjust to the Darwinian social world of teenagers. The action is rendered adroitly, but for a memoir there is an odd lack of personal reflection. Denevi’s perspective doesn’t illuminate much about thinking or feeling through ADHD, inadvertently mirroring the frustration he found living with this elusive, poorly understood condition.

October 1, 2014

Denevi (contributor, Arts &Letters; Hobart) provides an intriguing look at attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) past and present, noting how there is no "one size fits all" treatment for it. The author shares how being diagnosed with ADHD in 1984 made him feel about himself, as well as his experiences with medicine, physicians, and educators. He explains the various treatment methods that have been explored within the past 30 years. In the early 1980s, the standard treatment was prescribing Ritalin. However, when Denevi tried that medication, he had a severe reaction that resulted in a very scary episode. His parents then sought a remedy that would allow him to manage his symptoms without devastating side effects. As the book follows Denevi throughout his early life and into adulthood, readers see how he learned to control his behaviors, mistakes that he made, how medications can be helpful, and how sometimes they can make things worse. He concludes with describing the way he currently regulates ADHD in his daily life, work, and family. VERDICT A well-written, easy-to-read journey of one man's experience living with ADHD and the history of the disorder. Parents may see their children in Denevi's story, and adults may see themselves in the childhood accounts that are shared here. A great addition to a large developmental disabilities collection. [See Prepub Alert, 3/3/14.]--Lisa Jordan, Johnson Cty. Lib., Gardner, KS

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Denevi skillfully blends a personal account of his experiences with ADHD with a thorough and enlightening social and medical history of the disease. Denevi was diagnosed at age six in the mid-1980s, when many believed that ADHD was a morbid defect in moral control despite the fact that it has been treated medically since the 1960s. Few adults offered him help, and his childhood was beset with worry over his differentness and the obvious fact that he was a burden to his parents. After winning the big prize at his fourth-grade science fair, Denevi remembers, I should have been happy, but he felt certain that his life was going to take some drastic, irreversible turn. When excessive college drinking while on medication for ADHD almost lands him in the ER, he thinks, I . . . see the emotions of other people as a judgment on what I had or hadn't done. Changed attitudes and the availability of low-dose Adderall provide a satisfying ending to this frank, moving, and instructive memoir.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2014

Today, four million children are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and promptly medicated. Denevi was diagnosed in the 1980s at age six and prescribed medication that caused a psychotic reaction, which took some time--and several different treatments, some bizarre--to reverse. Here, Denevi discusses his personal struggles with hyperactivity while detailing the history of its diagnosis (it was first recognized in the late 1800s and has since been blamed on everything from bad morals to government conspiracy) and the sometimes questionable drugs used to treat it. An important topic, just coming to the fore.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2014
Denevi explores "the mountains of material on ADHD from thepoint of view of a patient."The author seeks a middle ground in the debate over whetherADHD is overdiagnosed and/or overmedicated. In his own case, the first symptomsof his problem were frequent meltdowns and impulsive behavior when playing withother children or in a classroom situation. He describes his earliest memory ofa tantrum, when he experienced "something deeper than anger, a sense of desperationakin to homesickness" after being chastised for a minor infraction. Today,Denevi explains, the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ofMental Disorders lists nine symptoms of ADHD, of which six must be met for adiagnosis. His behavior at age 5 fit all of the symptoms, but this was in 1985,when the condition was still poorly defined. Only after a year during which hewas subjected to a number of tests to exclude food allergies or epilepsy wasDenevi finally diagnosed with the condition. He was first prescribed Ritalin,but the medication increased his agitation, and he was switched to a mildantidepressant. He was also treated by a child psychologist throughout hischildhood and adolescence, and his parents worked closely with his therapistand teachers to help him control his impulsiveness and distractibility. Inclassrooms where his teachers were sympathetic, his behavior improved, but hewas the target of bullies. As he grew into his teens, his attitude became moreflamboyant and assertive; this led him to minor delinquency. With strongsupport from his parents, he managed to excel academically. Now married and afather, Denevi still copes with symptoms of the disorder and takes small dosesof Ritalin. In his view, the treatment of ADHD should aim to alleviate "thelevels of conflict and stress" so that children can "make it safely intoadulthood."An evocative and insightful memoir of thriving with ADHD.

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