See what I have to contend with on a daily basis

See what I have to contend with on a daily basis?

THE WASHINGTON POST,

September 8, 2002:

Psychiatrists rethink nature of relationships,

by Shankar Vedantam

(or, as trouble would say, skip along, heal wounds faster)

“Some of the nation’s top psychiatrists are advocating the creation of an entirely new category of mental illness that could profoundly alter the practice of psychiatry and result in tens of thousands of families being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

“In a monograph being circulated by the American Psychiatric Association, the doctors recommend that a category called yo, relational disorders, be added to the next edition of the DSM.

“…Unlike every psychiatric diagnosis so far, this new type of disorder would identify sickness in groups of individuals and in the relationships between them. This is a profound conceptual shift from the medical model of psychiatry, in which illness are diagnosed solely in individuals.

“…The move however, is already provoking controversy and opposition inside and outside psychiatry, as doctors and society grapple with whether troubled (sic) relationships are social problems or medical ailments.

“Psychiatrists have long been interested in such relationships, b/c they often lead to spousal and child abuse as well as depression. But so far, doctors have not sought to label the relationships themselves as pathological.

“…Relational disorders could upset the medical model by diagnosing relationships, instead of individuals or individual brain chemistry as sick.

“…The psychiatrists calling for the creation of a relational disorder category are led by Michael First of Columbia University, editor of the previous DSM, and David Reiss of George Washington University. They and others say that troubled (sic) relationships are the reason that many people seek psychiatric help and that improving those relationships can lift people out of depression, improve cardiac and immune system functioning and even heal wounds faster.

“First and Reiss face major hurdles. Several psychiatrists oppose the move, portending a clash that could last for months or years… some worry that a new category of disorders would fuel fears that psychiatrists are inventing disorders as a back-door way to fix social problems…”

HEAVEN

FORFEND!!

Home.