Book Review - NO MORE RITALIN by Dr. Mary Ann Block Dr. Mary Ann Block, who, she points out is a real doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, has had first hand experience with overeager drug therapy for small children and its aftereffects. Her own small daughter, at the age of six was put on drugs to combat bed-wetting. The drugs caused side effects and therefore other drugs were given to alleviate those…and before long, the little girl was seriously ill and addicted to the drugs. The many medical experts told her that she could not possibly be addicted, but the withdrawal symptoms when she decided that the drugs were not working on the original problem was awful for both mother and child. One positive outcome of the critical situation with little Michelle was that Dr. Block, who at that time was just Mrs. Mary Ann Block, decided to go to medical school to make sure this tragedy of treatment would not happen to more people. She felt she knew too little about medicine in general and was forced to put all her eggs in one basket, so to speak, and believe that MDs knew everything and knew what they were doing with her child. This altruistic idea turned into a medical degree from an Osteopathic Medical School. In her studies and research she came to admire Dr. Andrew Weil, a medical doctor to practises Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Andrew Still, Dr. Gary Campbell, DO, and the well-known Dr. Robert Fulford. Dr. Carlyle Holland, DO, became her mentor and friend. She was able to glean a great deal of valuable information from these experts in the field. No More Ritalin is not a negative diatribe against the mainstream medical profession, but a positive plan on how to look after your own children…drug free. There is no “cure” mentioned anywhere, but there are many useful tips and hints on things to try with children who are unfocused, depressed, disruptive, short-tempered, and generally considered to be unproductive members of society. After years of practicing Osteopathic Medicine in Texas, dealing mainly with childhood problems, she decided to open her own clinic as there seemed to be a great need of last-resort treatment. Most of the people who found their way to her door, came by word of mouth and most said they were at their wits end about what to do with their children’s mental problems. MDs had either given up on them or told them that the drugs they were prescribing were not helping. Many of the older children were already on the fast track to a life of heartache and crime. Dr. Block turned towards Osteopathic medicine rather than mainstream medicine partly because of the bad taste the therapy her daughter had received left in her mouth and also because she found out early on that Osteopaths spend many months on learning about the musculoskeletal make-up of the body, whereas, MDs spend a few hours on the subject. The other difference is that Osteopaths study Osteopathic Philosophy, learning why Osteopathy works and how it interacts with brain function. DO s focus on the autonomic nervous system. One statement that stood out in the book was that Dr. Block said she would never take her child to an Osteopath and did not believe it was a real profession. This was before the troubles with her daughter came along. She found out that Osteopaths are medical doctors and can write prescriptions (though they do it with much less frequency than MDs,) do surgery, lab tests, etc and have privileges at major hospitals. In their training, they learn to manipulate the joints and bones to align the nerves and muscles within the casing of the bones. Some people think that Osteopaths and Chiropractors do the same thing, but there is a difference in that the osteopathic manipulation is more gentle and treats the nervous, vascular, and immune system all at once. In her medical practice in Texas, Dr. Block treats children who have been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD every day. She has devised many different treatments and tests to delve into the symptoms the children present. She views the therapy on a whole body basis and often finds allergies and food sensitivities to be the culprits when others thought the ailment was a mental condition. Some of her findings turn up hypoglycemia (one testimonial talks about a young teen who was very disruptive in school and was ready to drop out, but when hypoglycemia was found in his body, and the proper diet adhered to, he became a loving, hard-working, intelligent son again.) There are many down-to-earth testimonials and examples of how simple treatments can help situations that seem hopeless. I found Dr. Block’s philosophy and work ethic to be very refreshing in this world of band-aid treatment of everything that comes around the bend. She talks about how bright children can be labeled learning disabled, and how poor vision can even be seen as a mental disability. In our fast-paced society, many children don’t even seem to learn how to learn, and she addresses this problem in her book as well. A very good point to keep in mind when looking for treatments for children who do poorly in school is that Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Leonardo da Vinci all had problems in school and look where they ended up. Just think, Dr. Block says, what their (and our lives) would have been like if they’d been dosed with drugs from an early age. Would they have made the impact on the world that they did? Dr. Block’s final words in her book are “No one should have to go to medical school to take care of his or her own child.” However, we must all do our best to research and become informed on what we can do for our children ourselves. We must read books like No More Ritalin as well as many other informative tomes, and become experts in raising healthy, happy children. That’s a great place to start. Back to the Writing Index