DSM Professional
short-hand Guess what?
You're human Standardized
process Benefits of a
diagnosis
Staying positive If
a diagnosis doesn't fit Some
diagnoses are temporary Helpful
websites
The DSM-IV-TR®,
also known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fourth Edition, Text Revision, is published by the American Psychiatric
Association. Most mental health professionals are required to use the
DSM-IV-TR® to diagnose their clients. Most diagnoses in the the
manual include a list of common symptoms for that diagnosis. A client
usually has to experience a specific number of the symptoms in a list of
symptoms for a diagnosis before the client can be given that
diagnosis.
A diagnosis is a humanly created, artificially constructed word, or
set of words, designed to communicate information quickly and
concisely between professionals, and between them and insurance companies.
It was not designed to separate people with the diagnosis from the rest of the
human race. (Unfortunately, some of us professionals tend to forget that
basic reality until we receive a DSM diagnosis of our own.) A DSM
diagnosis is used by professionals to tell each other - very quickly - about a
person's symptoms and behaviors. It's much easier to say two words,
"chronic depression", than to state every common symptom that a client
is experiencing.
Each DSM-IV-TR® diagnosis is included in the manual because the list of symptoms for that diagnosis have been experienced by a large number of humans. So please keep this in mind: if you have a DSM diagnosis, you are perfectly human - and definitely not unusual.
A professional who is trying to figure out a DSM diagnosis is expected to use
the same basic set of procedures - including standardized diagnostic tests and
measures - that a medical professional must use before he/she can diagnose a
client with a medical condition, such as diabetes or influenza. In fact,
most insurance companies now require that mental health professionals use the
same standard of testing to prove the validity of a DSM diagnosis, that other
professionals must use to prove the validity of a "medical"
diagnosis.
Some medical diagnoses like diabetes indicate that you will need daily medications and other therapeutic interventions to attain the best possible level of health. The diagnosis may also indicate that you need to make changes in your lifestyle. Prescribed medications, therapy, and changes in lifestyle are not designed to restrict you, but to help you live a fuller and healthier life. Receiving a diagnosis that "fits" for you can also help ensure that your treatment "fits" better, and can increase the odds that - if you have insurance - the insurance company will provide coverage for your treatment.
Most of the the DSM's lists of symptoms do not mention commonly shared strengths. To counteract this, a group of mental health professionals developed an encouraging new approach that focuses primarily on clients' strengths. Click here to learn more about Positive Psychology.
There are many reasons why a person may receive a diagnosis that doesn't seem
to be an accurate "fit" for his or her internal world and external behaviors. In the
current world of pressured managed care, a lot of therapists are not permitted
sufficient
time to properly assess new clients. A professional may also be unaware of
things that have occurred in the client's past, or are occurring
now, that may contribute to the client's problem. Many mental health professionals
also have mental/emotional "blinders" that can prevent them from noticing
important clues about a client's needs ... they're human too!
For these and other reasons, some survivors may receive a series of ill-fitting, conflicting diagnoses from various professionals before they receive a diagnosis that more accurately fits their situation. If this keeps happening to you, you may benefit from consulting with a mental health professional, or group of professionals, who specialize in treating clients with needs and challenges that are similar to yours.
Although some diagnoses, like diabetes, may be for life; other diagnoses,
like influenza, may be only temporary. In the same way, some mental illnesses
and disorders are long-term despite excellent treatment, whereas others are
short-term. Every year, new interventions are designed, or discovered, that are helpful
for people who - in the past - were considered to have mental illnesses or
disorders that couldn't be fixed or cured. This is, in part, because research in
neuroscience, and other branches of medicine, continues to grow and develop
exponentially. To learn more about mental health therapies that are
especially effective, click here.
HealthyPlace.com
HOPE - Mental Health Recovery
Mayo
Clinic.com
Mental
Health America
National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National Empowerment Center
SAMHSA's
National Mental Health Information Center
Disclaimer
No part of the Healing Journey recovery website is to be used as a substitute for professional therapy. If you need professional support, please contact a qualified ministerial or mental health professional. Materials in this website may be printed or copied for personal use only. Readers are welcome to agree or disagree with any statements made in this website, and may benefit from sharing and discussing them with support persons.