The above headline comes from an article on May 15, 2013 in the The Washington Times. The article, as well as scores of others, are all based on reviews of the new release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM-5. This book, loosely referred to as the “psychiatric bible” is the standard text used by US psychiatrists in diagnosing and treating patients they determine to have mental disorders.
The new release has met with a lot of criticism as some claim that this new edition allows doctors to diagnose and treat normal healthy people. The Washington Times article begins by reporting, “An estimated 3,000 doctors have signed a petition of protest against the psychiatric industry’s latest bible for diagnosis and treatment, the DSM-5, charging its contents could lead patients to be prescribed unnecessary medications.”
In part, the petition signed by doctors states, “We, the undersigned, are concerned that the [DSM-5] includes many diagnostic categories with questionable reliability … [and] did not receive a much-needed and widely requested external scientific review [and] may compromise patient safety through the implementation of lowered diagnostic thresholds.”
The new DSM-5 includes such disorders as “Internet-Use Disorder” which is referred to as an addiction to Internet usage. Also included is “binge-eating disorder” which is described as “eating when not feeling physically hungry.” Also included is “caffeine intoxication” for those who drink too much coffee. Perhaps one of the broadest is “parent-child relational problem” which most would assume was a normal part of parenting in years past. Another diagnosis now included is “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder” a condition that used be known as temper tantrums. The DSM-5 even includes a diagnosis for “antidepressant discontinuation syndrome” for those who discontinue their antidepressant drugs, so that now these people can be diagnosed and treated for going off drugs.
Dr. Allen Frances, a psychiatrist who worked on the previous DSM-4, is a critic of the new guides. In a May 17, 2013 NBC News article, he said, “My advice for people is not to buy the DSM-5, not to use it, not to teach it. I do not think it will be useful for those endeavors.”
Dr. Frances has even written a book about the problems of the new DSM-5 – Saving Normal: An Insider’s Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life. He comments that such things as grief are now listed as mental disorders. “It staggers the imagination!” he said. “In two weeks after the loss of a person you love, if you are still feeling these symptoms: loss of interest, reduced appetite, trouble sleeping, less energy, it qualifies as major depressive disorder. Now it becomes a target of a drug company.” He continued, “This is the legalized conversion of a sacred ritual and an inherent part of being a mammal – mourning — and turning it into a mental disorder.”
