Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Warning

This is a warning. Do not believe or just accept your diagnosis given to you by a psychiatrist, psychologist social worker or other mental health professional. The professional could be wrong. You could be given a label that, that invites shame for you, and that can affect you, and your employment for the rest of your life. You may not even have a diagnosis. Most importantly, and something you should know is that your therapist will give you a diagnosis so they can get paid to get by an insurance company or a state funding entity. Insurance companies don’t pay for treatment if you’re just feeling sad or going through a bad time or need someone to talk to.

And sometimes just talking to someone is all that you need.

Therapists are often under contract to an HMO or state funded agency that oversees and manages psychotherapy and other health care services. Your discussions with your therapist are not totally confidential. Information about their diagnoses of you and your treatment plans are scrutinized and monitored by case managers. They become part of your permanent record.

And What About Your Diagnosis

The tool for making a mental health diagnosis is a check list of symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ….which is written and rewritten and revised by committees composed of professionals, many, reportedly with ties to drug companies. The DSM has been revised 5 times since 1952. Homosexuality was removed in 1973 as a mental disorder in the DSM II. New diagnoses are regularly added.

The next (fifth) edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), commonly called DSM-5 (or, previously, DSM-V), is currently in consultation, planning and preparation. It is due for publication in May 2013 and will supersede the DSM-IV which was last revised in 2000.

According to James Maddux, professor of psychology at George Mason University, “Every time the DSM is revised it gets bigger and bigger and there seem to be more disorders and new ones seem to be invented….There has been a gradual psychopathologizing of everyday problems in living.”

You might have a problem but not a diagnosis. Your feelings might be temporary and reasonable if you consider your current circumstance.

If you’re feeling like you want to harm yourself or someone else, and have plans and means to do it; you should get help immediately.

Otherwise; don’t just accept any mental diagnosis you’re given without conducting your own further research and talking to other professionals. The person who diagnosed you might not know what the hell they’re talking about.