With the recent announcement (PDF) by the American Psychiatric Association of a one year delay for the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM, …
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I have had many, many different diagnosis. I see no benefit from having one. In my opinion, a good therapist will use an eclectic approach rather than being a slave to form over substance. Find what works and let the academics argue about what slots to fill.
What if the diagnosis is “all of the above” or something close to that?
Dr. John,
I happen to agree with your suggested changes. It is sad to see that the mental health profession can be tainted with politics and dishonesty. As you mentioned, the egos get in the way of objectivity. I have sometimes wondered if the famous Chicago-like strong-arming exists in our profession.
Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D.
http://www.DrSam.tv
Dr. Sam, I think we see a lot of “ego’s” in the way of psychology, the creation of helpful techniques, and even the proper remedial process of our clients (remember Freud!).
Some may disagree with this, but politics and dishonesty was largely responsible for many of the changes in the DSM II and it continues today.
While I appreciate the DSM at times, it truly lacks the “intellect” and the “wisdom” that psychology proclaims it has. This little manual can truly make psychology appear to be a joke, not a hard science!
T. Paul: I do understand your comment fully. I have seen quite a few in your shoes and much of my graduate classes have discussed your very concern. While it appears eclecticism may be the better way, some research states that eclectic counselors/psychologists tend to employ unstructured, confusing, and sloppy techniques. It’s sort of like throwing EVERYTHING from your refrigerator into a pot of stew. The likelihood of its turnout being positive, is decreased!
A lot of times an eclectic approach can seem broad, leaving the client frustrated and confused. Some counselors/doctors employ an integrative approach, which is similar to eclecticism, but a bit more structured and allows clinicians to do what works best for the client.
Just thought I would add that!
Take care,
Dr. T.
DSM has its place in categorizing what the issue is that needs to be treated so that insurance companies can pay/deny claims. Revisions need to happen to keep up with current outcomes of studies, but there needs to be review of updates by a wide variety of professionals- those in academia and those in practice. While DSM has to be consulted for clearer interpretation of symptoms, many patients like T. Paul and myself get “labeled” only to have that ‘label’ be corrected by someone else that sees more of the nature of the illness. I rely on the PDR for medication info- chemical structure and reported side effects don’t change. For mental health how does one deal with overlapping symptoms? The DSM should be used for identification of a general Dx. Treatment should be based on current symptoms, not a disorder defined by a book.