The philosophy and worldview of secular psychology have not only shaped much of the world but have also inundated the church of Christ. Believers have somehow forgotten, or have chosen to ignore, that psychological systems (and there are hundreds of them) are not neutral—they are competing with the teachings of Scripture. Therefore, any attempt to integrate the views of psychology with those of God’s Word are doomed from the start. Yet Christians, who have been warned not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1), to beware of the “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1), to have nothing to do with worldly fables (1 Timothy 3:7) and to seek God’s wisdom not the world’s (James 3:13-18), insist that great profit can be had by combining biblical truth with worldly precepts found in psychology.
Nowhere is this trend more evident than with the ADD and ADHD lie which has been swallowed virtually in whole by the people of God. The authors, both biblical counselors from South Africa, blow the cover off the ADHD myth. They start by pointing out what every secular counselor and physician knows—there is no medical test for ADHD nor is there a concise definition (pp. 20-21). ADHD is not an illness, it is a description of undesirable behavior found mostly in adolescent boys. The antidote for ADHD is usually prescription drugs such a Ritalin or Strattera. But the authors’ contention is that “drugs are being used to deal with the symptoms of a problem and are not treating the real cause” (p. 13).
George’s and Pretious’ diagnosis of the problem is much different. They believe that such children are emotionally immature for their age. They call this “affected maturity formulation” (AMF) (pp. 35, 44). Rather than endorsing the use of drugs these counselors focus on Scripture and the family structure, identifying parents as the key to improvement (p. 51). Much of the book deals with how to develop a biblical structure for the home.
The Myth of A.D.D. pulls no punches; as a result, those who have bought into the medical/psychological model may find themselves irritated as they read. Nevertheless, I would encourage perseverance—there is a wealth of truth in this small book and those who apply it will grealy benefit.