5 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Joseph Meyer's avatar

As one who lives in a U.S. state many would consider to be among the more regressive in its approach to behavioral symptoms, where prayer and punishment often seem to be favored solutions, I fear life might be much worse for patients here without the DSM. But I am uncertain since we still execute persons with serious mental illnesses in spite of the DSM.

Expand full comment
Carl Erik Fisher's avatar

Yes that's a good articulation of one of my fears. DSM can act as guardrails to (only partially) rein in regressive, harsh practices. But as we see, the guardrails aren't working extraordinarily well, and maybe articulating a better nosology would do a better job of swaying public opinion in a more compassionate and reasonable direction

Expand full comment