4 ms·

Toothaches are also common, perhaps we should stop treating them because they're just "normal"? It's embarrassing what we don't know about psychology. The DSM

Toothaches are also common, perhaps we should stop treating them because they're just "normal"? It's embarrassing what we don't know about psychology. The DSM is not a theoretical framework, it's a diagnostic tool to match symtopms with known disorders, and it's constantly evolving. As long as we don't know everything about the mind or presume to know everything, there will be people who have mental problems which cannot be neatly categorised. Of course it's important to keep improving the categories and not have too many catch-all diagnoses being made, but ultimately when the data doesn't fit the model the solution is to improve the model, not dismiss the data.

lutusp 12y ago
> Toothaches are also common, perhaps we should stop treating them because they're just "normal"? Toothaches aren't metaphysical ailments as are mental illnesses, they're open to objective diagnosis. Different dentists don't argue about which diagnosis the toothache sufferer really needs. > ... ultimately when the data doesn't fit the model the solution is to improve the model, not dismiss the data. Well, it seems the NIMH disagrees. The NIMH has recently ruled that the DSM may no longer be used as the basis for scientific research proposals, on the ground that it has no scientific content: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-rats-of-n-i-m-h http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-rats-of-n-i-m-h Make no mistake about it -- because of the controversial method by which DSM-5 was created, and its very questionable content, the NIMH and many other agencies intend to dump the DSM and replace it with a more scientific framework described here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2013/transforming-diagnosis.shtml http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2013/transforming-dia... No more "Not Otherwise Specified" diagnoses, it seems.
- jahewson 12y ago
  The DSM exists to give labels to groups of symptoms, it's not a theoretical framework and all the above problems are due to people mistaking it as such. You seem to be conflating the DSM as it used by clinicians and the DSM as it is used by researchers, its use by researchers is indeed dubious, but clinicians need a lingua franca for making diagnoses - they're not academics. If you want theories, there's always psychoanalysis :p
DanBC 12y ago
Spit the hook. You are being trolled.

lutusp 12y ago

> Toothaches are also common, perhaps we should stop treating them because they're just "normal"? Toothaches aren't metaphysical ailments as are mental illnesses, they're open to objective diagnosis. Different dentists don't argue about which diagnosis the toothache sufferer really needs. > ... ultimately when the data doesn't fit the model the solution is to improve the model, not dismiss the data. Well, it seems the NIMH disagrees. The NIMH has recently ruled that the DSM may no longer be used as the basis for scientific research proposals, on the ground that it has no scientific content: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-rats-of-n-i-m-h http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-rats-of-n-i-m-h Make no mistake about it -- because of the controversial method by which DSM-5 was created, and its very questionable content, the NIMH and many other agencies intend to dump the DSM and replace it with a more scientific framework described here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2013/transforming-diagnosis.shtml http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/2013/transforming-dia... No more "Not Otherwise Specified" diagnoses, it seems.

jahewson 12y ago
The DSM exists to give labels to groups of symptoms, it's not a theoretical framework and all the above problems are due to people mistaking it as such. You seem to be conflating the DSM as it used by clinicians and the DSM as it is used by researchers, its use by researchers is indeed dubious, but clinicians need a lingua franca for making diagnoses - they're not academics. If you want theories, there's always psychoanalysis :p

DanBC 12y ago

Spit the hook. You are being trolled.