what's your view on the DSM 5?

B_ILIW

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I think psychiatry is a tool to punish, but this new manual says that caffeine withdrawal is a mental illness.

meh, psychiatry merely defines mental illness as "distress" to look PC. They really want to regulate people to fit into norms. By that rationale, us posting on this site means we are "ill".
 

paigexox

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The DSM is merely a theory-free diagnostic manual. How the information contained within that manual will be applied when diagnosing and treating a patient is largely dependent on the theories held by, and area of expertise occupied by the practitioner in question.

The DSM is an invaluable tool, and while not perfect, it is evolving as science and medical knowledge advance.
 
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dude_007

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Caffiene withdrawl can be huge for some people. Some addicts never make it past 2 days.

If the DSM doesn't work for you, fine. That doesn't mean it is invalid or a method of control.
 

AquaEyes11010

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The DSM is all about clustering behavioral symptoms into categories for the purpose of treatment. Two big parts of deciding of something is a disorder are that the behaviors lie significantly outside the cultural norms, and that the behaviors interfere with functioning.

Is someone "crazy" as a result of caffeine withdrawal the same way someone is "crazy" with schizophrenia? No. Does caffeine withdrawal produce symptoms in behavior that set affected individuals significantly outside cultural norms? In some cases, yes. Does caffeine withdrawal affect behavior to such an extent that individuals can not function to their full capacity? In some cases, yes. Can caffeine withdrawal be treated from a psychological/psychiatric perspective so as to improve functioning? Yes. Thus it warrants entry into the DSM.

And that's really what it boils down to in simple terms.

:)
 

Over-reaching

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I think psychiatry is a tool to punish, but this new manual says that caffeine withdrawal is a mental illness.

meh, psychiatry merely defines mental illness as "distress" to look PC. They really want to regulate people to fit into norms. By that rationale, us posting on this site means we are "ill".

As above, the DSM-5 (and the other versions of the DSM that came before it) is a means of identifying clusters of symptoms for the purposes of diagnosis and to enable treatment in the right circumstances.

Caffeine withdrawal can cause significant problems in terms of functioning and behaviour. It is also relatively common. It is right therefore that it should be identified so that (a) its features aren't confused with the features of some other condition that can cause similar problems; and (b) having been identified in a particular person, that person can be offered the correct help and treatment.

I see nothing sinister in its inclusion in the DSM-5.