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We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Wednesday, June 2. 2010

Psychiatric diagnosis: Does it mean anything?

Do DSM psychiatric diagnoses have any validity? Or are they superficial descriptors on the order of "Patient has a fever" or "Patient is dehydrated," but with pseudo-scientific-sounding specificity?


What’s in a name? Genetic overlap between major psychiatric disorders


Readers know that I view a DSM diagnosis as just a little bit more than an insurance form entry item, most of the time. As a highly experienced colleague says, "I've read the DSM, and I have never found a patient of mine in there."


I plan to bore our readers by reposting my series on Psychiatric Diagnosis during vacation this summer.

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Our Essays, Psychology, and Dr. Bliss at 12:27 | Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0)

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I recall a telling remark from a cardiologist: AV dissociation, like jaundice, is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It seems as if much of psychology and psychiatry consists of using symptoms as diagnoses, but there's some validity to this. There are very few definitive neurological tests that explain behavioral symptoms. To the degree that mental health symptoms have neurological origins, more sophisticated imaging and lab tools may help define diagnoses more like cardiology or internal medicine.
I don't suffer from mental health symptoms, but my sweetheart doesn't like them much.
#1 Geoff Brown on 2010-06-02 13:24 (Reply)
I plan on reading all of your postings this summer, as my husband (of 28 years) was recently diagnosed with mood affective disorder/bipolar - which, by all appearances, came on very suddenly. I'm still scratching my head looking for earlier signs/symptoms that should have set off warning bells. Instead we decided to travel to a family reunion, which set him off and landed him in 2 different hospitals, each for 72-hour pyschiatric holds. I need all the help and information I can get.
#2 Jean on 2010-06-03 10:58 (Reply)
Not gonna bore me! I eat your stuff up.

Jean, good luck. I have several relatives suffering from bi-polar disorder. My prayers are with you.
#3 Texan99 on 2010-06-04 11:33 (Reply)

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