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Re: DSM

Posted by laima on March 1, 2007, at 10:28:46

In reply to Re: DSM, posted by notfred on March 1, 2007, at 9:55:38

DSM sounds like a decent idea in terms of codifying uniformly what constitutes a disorder, and distingushing normal behavior, lifestyles, and affects from disorder--but unfortunately seems to have a history of being influenced by less than scientific influences. Ie, social norms and societal values. Being gay not all that long ago used to be listed in the DSM as an official psychiatric disorder, for example, and most people find that appalling today. But in the case of depression, it's helpful to have it be officially listed as a mood disorder, and distinguished from ordinary non-disfunctional sadness or the passing blue moods that everyone gets. Disabeling mood disorders like depression, bipolar, various anxiety disorders, and others still apparently are confused with "ordinary ups and downs" by some people, dismissed as character weaknesses, moping, without any scientific proof of existence, imaginary, etc. I think some of us have heard some of this kind of talk?

In any case, DSM seems a weird mix of helpful, and unhelpful. And naturally, putting conditions into categories is not without problems-who gets to set the categories, are they too rigid and narrow, or too broad, what about overlaps, is it really possible to keep social influences and judgements out of there, etc. DSM is imperfect.


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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070224/msgs/737316.html