John Rosemond

John Rosemond’s column claiming that Attention Deficit Disorder does not exist is misleading and potentially dangerous (The Capital, Dec. 31).

The ability to remain focused on a particular task, like many other abilities like muscle strength and musical ability, varies greatly in people. Some folks are very good at these things, some folks very bad, and most are in the middle. For the folks who find it very hard to stay focused on tasks that require sustained attention, certain environments like school and work can be extremely difficult and stressful and can prevent these folks from achieving according to their potential.

Mental Health professionals have found that various psychological approaches, as well as certain medications (shown to work in double-blind placebo trials, can dramatically improve functioning in these patients.

As a psychiatrist who has practiced for 37 years, I have treated many folks whose lives have been greatly improved by treatment for ADHD, with therapy and medication. Many suffered for years as children, because they were advised by the likes of Rosemond that ADHD is not a serious disorder, only to get effective treatment as an adult.

For example, a 55-year-old woman when I put her on medication for the first time told me in tears that she was able to sit in her reading nook and read a 300 page book from cover to cover one afternoon for the first time in her life.

Readers of The Capital should be aware that Rosemond’s views on this and many other subjects are well outside of the mainstream of the professional mental health community. It is curious to me that the editors of The Capital choose to publish his column. ROBERT A. HERMAN, M.D. Spectrum Behavioral Health Arnold