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?

DSM topic has been copied to a new thread called Diagnostic and Statisical Manual of Mental Disorders.

I know suicide ideation has been identified as a side effect of SRI's in children, however I have never heard of... would you call it 'gender ideation'? ...as a side effect of medication. That's a new one, sounds like it could be more dangerous than suicide ideation

I have felt the stigma of mental illness quite a bit. In fact, not that I'm in denial or anything, but I VERY rarely use the term "mental illness" when discussing PTSD...I typically just say that I have "anxiety." (Since so many people suffer from anxiety, there seems to be less of a stigma.)

For example, a few years ago I had to go into the hospital (for just a day) because of panic attacks. When I called my boss to let him know that I wouldn't be in, I told him that I was having panic, but I would NEVER tell him about the PTSD. I think, for me, it has to do with the reason for the PTSD: rape. (Oh, and saying THAT word aloud took YEARS!!) When the average person thinks of a PTSD sufferer, they think of two things: combat vets and rape victims. Since I am not a vet, I fear that people will automatically assume the second possibility. Even though it is true, it places an even greater stigma on me.

...Now you have me really thinking...I even feel the stigma in the doctor's office. For example, I hate listing all the medications I take, especially if they are strong medications such as Risperdol or something. The other day I was waiting outside the door of the doctor I am currently seeing for PTSD, and random doctors/researchers/etc. were passing by. I felt soooo self-consious because this doctor I'm seeing is the hospital's PTSD doc/researcher, and I hated (even strangers) knowing that I have PTSD.

I don't really know what will erase the stigma of rape, mental illness, or PTSD. Sure, education sounds like a good answer, but I'm not so sure. As a high school teacher, we have to do a brief unit on suicide prevention each year. We show these lame videos and pass out cards for students to fill out if they or someone they know is thinking about hurting themselves. Well, each year the kids laugh at the videos and make paper airplanes out of the cards. And, just like the many homophobic comments/slurs I hear in the hallway, the kids start calling each other "scitzo" as a joke.

Sorry this was so long, but this was an interesting question.

Nic

Each group of peoples have an idea of what is considered PC or not.
Example the deaf community generally does NOT like to be referred to in any way as being "handicapped." They are considered "deaf" or "hard of hearing."
I think I understand what you are saying; however, people being what we are, and the many differences of educations, morals, local traditions, etc may very well be how we "perceive" things. If a person is in a wheelchair or doesn't have one arm, it's rather obvious that something is not what others would perceive as "normal" but in the case of some one "acting crazy" or "being very different" from what is "deamed normal" is what we have learned in our life's experience and/or education.
I guess I see it (IMO) as a word play. Most persons feel it is a Larger or Worse stigma dealing with anything mental health wise. It's because we can't "see what is wrong" like we can with a person that is missing a limb etc.

It also seems that it makes us appear weak or unable to be allowed to live normally with other people. No one wants to wear a sign saying they are in any way anything but "normal."

"Normal" IS just a word, its different for different situations.

I don't know if any of this make any sense, so I will shut up now....

hugs to all

Donna

I posted this a few months back, but I this is probably a good place to re-iterate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRCjbErea0w

It is a video about stigma, among other things. I made it last summer after graduating.

I am a 36 year old female, and for most of my entire life I have been labeled as "crazy". Not from things that I have done, but for whatever reason. I am antisocial, so maybe that's the factor (that I keep to myself). But for whatever reason, I have carried this label around on me all my life. I have never been to a psychiatrist or a mental institution. I have been holding down the same job for the past 11 years with no problem. I work, shop, live, pay my bills, and do all the things that "normal" people do. (GO FIGURE) My problem is that I am from a small town, and once you are labeled or stigmatized, your reputation gets to new acquaintances before they can judge you for themselves, and they go along with the stigma. I love to read, and research, and because I am living with this problem, I have come to find what I knew all along about mental health is that it is a brain disorder, and it is not the person's fault if they are mentally ill, it's a condition just as diabetes or cancer, and that people's ignorance and misinformation about such is why society is so messed up the way it is. And, it's amazing that Gnarls Barkley had to come out with a hit song "Crazy" for people to even take notice of this subject, and to realize that if a person is "Crazy" then so what, it's not a bad thing. He said in the song that he may be crazy "Probably". It bedazzles me that all of these people that have labeled both myself, and others this way won't educate themselves as to the word that they use, and try to define the reason behind the label that they are dispersing, but will jam the tune to a song, and will actually listen to the message in the song to hear the meaning. AMAZING. But for all others out there like myself, keep your head up, live life by doing things that you are supposed to do, and you will make all of the people look like they are "ignorant". And also, if you live in a small community, you can move to another state, or anywhere in the country you want, and start a new life. You don't have to die carrying this label. It has been a long, hard thing for me because people have called me "crazy" to my face, have referred to me as "crazy" in front of others with me within earshot. It had brought my self-esteem down, and for a while, I was depressed, but I have held on to the same job where all of this has and is taking place, and I am going to keep on living my life the way God wants me to, and doing what I am supposed to do, and soon, (I am getting my finances in order) plan on moving elsewhere and start a new life. My last words for people in this same situation is Live,and Overcome, don't Become what people say you are, But Become
Who You want to be.