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Originally Posted by anthony  The DSM is to help standardize physicians across the board to agreed diagnostic criteria to help aid correct diagnosis. That doesn't mean a physician will get it right, but I guarantee since its inception that those getting it right has increased significantly than without such a standardization mechanism. |
I'm informed that when Vietnam Vets started coming home, a large number of them were diagnosed as bipolar. Not surprisingly it turned out to be misdiagnosed PTSD.
Mentally retarded adults are often misdiagnosed as bipolar, because their limitations and struggles can cause their lives to be emotional roller coasters.
I was given a list of symptoms from my Aunt. I responded that those symptoms were textbook anti-social personality disorder. Then she mentioned he was a minority in a gang and described the context surrounding those symptoms. So turned out he doesn't necessarily have the disorder, he's just adapting to his environment in an effort to survive.
My point is the DSM is an excellent educational tool, but in many cases it is nothing more than statistical analysis and probability. Unless you have something cut and dry like the person hears voices and believes they are god (schizophrenia)... I would have to agree with TDurden. It is more important to look at the symptoms than to try to categorize a person into this or that.
Can we move the DSM conversation into a new thread?