I got some ‘splainin to do

Ron Sterling MD

I was fortunate to have had a 15-year private practice of psychiatry that was specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of what we currently call ADHD. I say "fortunate" because, if I had attempted to create such a private practice 10 years later, it would have been almost impossible. As a private practitioner, I could create my own client-friendly hours, spend as much time as I felt was needed for evaluations and appointments, and not have to conform to some "efficiency" standards that my employed colleagues were forced to follow.

I chose to spend much more time than the usual (3-4 hours) doing initial evaluations. I required my potential clients to bring someone with them who knew them well, and who would be mostly good at, and comfortable with, providing a “third-party” view. Third parties — spouse, partner, friend, parent, dad, kid, grandparent, sibling — are very important to assisting in detailed evaluations for making an ADHD diagnosis. At least 85% of my first evaluation appointments were able to do that. Some of my potential clients brought most of their immediate family with them. (I limited it to no more than five.) My office hours included weekends.

I developed my own questionnaires, protocols, instructions, tracking forms and a standardized test for working memory assessment. By 2009, I had started a deep dive into scientific and research publications relevant to developing a more accurate understanding of what might be the common denominator for most of the downside and upside characteristics that we currently call ADHD. I use the words “currently call” because I have been attempting to develop a more accurate term for ADHD.

By 2012, I felt I had possibly done the largest review of research literature by one individual that included over 25,000 pages of reading and screening articles for my use. I eventually based my 2013 book on over 900 sources (citations). I wore out two laser printers!

I self-published because I was unable to be credible enough (first book at age 65? Really? No academic network? Etc.). The American Psychiatric Association rejected it, Cambridge Publishing bowed out, and National Institute of Drug Abuse ghosted me. So, I self published. My book endured a very aggressive peer review process by the Washington State Medical Commission and was endorsed in 2017 "cover to cover" and "Dr. Sterling is at least three years ahead of the rest of us." I continued to try to find a traditional publisher, but could not raise the funds to get an agent or do any significant advertising. However, the 2013 book has not been criticized for its content or ground-breaking hypotheses. It has been well received even without typical marketing.

However, as I neared retirement and felt more than a little burned out from all the ongoing tyranny of government, toxic health and insurance corporations, and pharmacists, I "dropped out." And, for a few years I was unable to gather up enough hope to break through my hesitations and get back to my original goals related to helping my community better understand what we call ADHD and attempt to correct the huge misinformation related to it. My 2013 book is still ahead of its time, more than 10 years later. If you give it a chance, it will turn on some bright lights for you, whether you fit the criteria for ADHD or not.

I should also note that although I was an early adopter of an online presence (DearShrink.com - 2000), I have not kept up much with the blogging world until the last few months. DearShrink.com is in the process of being downsized to an archival presence. I have to say that when I finally discovered Substack and its community, I was energized and hopeful, again, to get going with letting my community know what I have discovered, which has not been debunked, which is quite well-known in the scientific community but not yet well-known in the public arena.

I hope you will find this publication informative and helpful. I recommend downloading my free, fully-searchable pdf copy of my 2013 book. It can be viewed on a number of devices including Kindle readers.

There is no requirement for you to read the book and certainly no requirement that you read all of the book. I have learned that it can be a challenge for some readers. I get it. I gave it my best shot to put together words and sentences that adequately show my findings from the literature without significantly dumbing down the science.

Please feel free to comment, critique, ask questions, and seek clarification. You do not have to read my 2013 book to do that, but, you might find me answering some questions by referring you to a portion of my book. Thus, yah, it will be helpful and, obviously, not a risky investment.

Thank you for visiting. Best wishes, Ron

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