Don’t freak out over this exaggerated article on the new DSM-5. There are examples in the below post I wrote, about people who could not run their life and they did get a mental disorder “diagnosis” – I put a “label” on them. Your regular medical doctors cannot put a mental disorder/illness diagnosis on anyone. The only ones who can diagnosis a mental illness/disorder are psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychological examiners. If you don’t go to one of these specialists you will not have a mental disorder label of anything.
If you go to one, before you will get a mental disorder/illness “label”, you will go through some psychological tests. That was part of my practice. It took about four hours of testing and a long interview with the patient before I could make a diagnosis, if I made one. I didn’t make the diagnosis as soon as the patient finished the tests and talking with me. For a few days, I studied the results and considered the behavior of the patient in my office and the history the patient gave me. After that few days of study, I would make a diagnosis if one was warranted. Understand, if this case went to court for some reason, I had to be able to defend my diagnosis. I never made a diagnosis I couldn’t defend.
For a bit of humor: I cannot be psychologically tested because I know all the answers and proper responses. I am safe, ha ha.
Here is the post I made:
Okay, I diagnosed many hundreds of patients, likely over a thousand, and the DSMIII is in my bookcase.
As long as a person can run his/her own life, there is no reason to go to a professional counselor, or psychologist, or psychiatrist.
If a person cannot run his/her own life, counseling from one of the professionals will usually help.
Note, I didn't stick “medicine” in there. The only mental health professional who can prescribe medicine, is a psychiatrist. They normally don't counsel with the patient themselves. If there is counseling, the psychiatrist may have a professional counselor on his staff. That patient would likely get medicine plus counseling.
If your problem or problems prevent you from running your life, such as you can't go to work, you stay in bed all day, you can't think, you can't concentrate to get anything done, etc., search out a professional counselor or a psychologist - don't go to a psychiatrist if you don't want pills.
I evaluated private patients, patients referred to me by government entities, patients a psychiatrist put in a mental health hospital and needed an evaluation of that patient while they were in that hospital. Usually, the ones in the mental health hospital needed to be there.
I evaluated an ex-military man and gave a diagnosis of PTSD and I knew it was severe. A psychiatrist sent him to my office and immediately after the man left, I found out he had been discharged from the hospital - I thought he had come from the hospital and was going back there. I immediately tried to find the psychiatrist and found a psychologist friend in the same building had taken over that man's care due to the psychiatrist leaving town.
I told him it was a serious mistake to let the man leave the hospital because he was going to attack someone and that would probably be his mother. Sure enough, the next day, the man barricaded himself in the house and was holding off the police and his mother had gotten out of the house before he got to her.
I say that to show there are mentally ill people. This man could not run his life.
I evaluated a woman in a mental hospital and she needed to be there as she was a danger to herself and her children at that time. She was convinced the Mafia was after her and she had taken her small children into the woods to hide and wouldn't come out. I gave her a proper diagnosis based on her behavior and mental condition at that time.
This lady could not run her life.
Diagnosing a mental condition takes knowledge and the ability to know what psychological tests are indicating, and what an extended interview with the patient is indicating. A diagnosis doesn't happen when a patient sits down in your office. It takes extensive evaluation in all those areas to make a proper diagnosis.
The IRS are “experts” in Tax law. Look how they wield power. When the IRS and other government agencies gain control of our health care system by driving the competition out of the market place, do you think they will be experts that we can trust to use that power ethically?
Most psychs don’t take the thorough approach that you do and this is exactly why people who genuinely need help avoid seeking it or making themselves known.
(Including military personnel and civilians in service whom I’ve encountered.)
This is why people are so worried -and they’ve a right to be.
For example, for those with ptsd, accepting a diagnosis is much more than facing yourself. It is essentially the prospect of giving away your capacity as a citizen; in court and in society. For many, this is loosing the freedom you fought for.
If you think you might be a danger to others, it is your responsibility to hand yourself to professional care; but what you do with yourself is your own business.
To everyone else: If you are tolerant of the prospect of our country assimilating and propagating totalitarian values, then let your therapist/psych direct and control your approach to your own health. You are at liberty to give away your power - but don’t be surprised when you find yourself devoid of liberties.