chanel
Silver Member
The manual, prepared by the American Psychiatric Assn., is psychiatry's only official way of deciding who has a "mental disorder" and who is "normal." Where the DSM-versus-normality boundary is drawn also influences insurance coverage, eligibility for disability and services, and legal status -- to say nothing of stigma and the individual's sense of personal control and responsibility.
What are some of the most egregious invasions of normality suggested for DSM-V? "Binge eating disorder" is defined as one eating binge per week for three months. (Full disclosure: I, along with more than 6% of the population, would qualify.) "Minor neurocognitive disorder" would capture many people with no more than the expected memory problems of aging. Grieving after the loss of a loved one could frequently be misread as "major depression." "Mixed anxiety depression" is defined by commonplace symptoms difficult to distinguish from the emotional pains of everyday life.
The sexual disorders section is particularly adventurous. "Hypersexuality disorder" would bring great comfort to philanderers wishing to hide the motivation for their exploits behind a psychiatric excuse. "Paraphilic coercive disorder" introduces the novel and dangerous idea that rapists merit a diagnosis of mental disorder if they get special sexual excitement from raping.
It's not too late to save 'normal' - latimes.com)