"Drop the language of disorder"

[reasonablylost]

Yesterday I found a paper online, where the authors argue for a radical change in how psychology is thought about:

Here's an excerpt:

We need a wholesale revision of the way we think about psychological distress. We should start by acknowledging that such distress is a normal, not abnormal, part of human life— that humans respond to difficult circumstances by becoming distressed. Any system for identifying, describing and responding to distress should use language and processes that reflect this position. We should then recognise the overwhelming evidence that psychiatric symptoms lie on continua with less unusual and distressing mental states. There is no easy 'cut-off' between 'normal' experience and 'disorder'. We should also recognise that psychosocial factors such as poverty, unemployment and trauma are the most strongly evidenced causal factors for psychological distress although, of course, we must also acknowledge that other factors—for example, genetic and developmental may influence the magnitude of the individual's reaction to these kinds of circumstances.

Source: Kinderman P, Read J, Moncrieff J, Bentall RP. Drop the language of disorder. Evid Based Ment Health. 2013 Feb;16(1):2-3. doi: 10.1136/eb-2012-100987. Epub 2012 Sep 21. PMID: 23002095.

 

[Pluto]

It is indeed a radical concept.

I've heard this kind of talk before, whereby depression can be viewed as a large degree of sadness rather than the usual bio-chemical-psycho-socio-neurological disorder. It is sensible in that it would encourage a commonsense approach of resolving legitimate grievances in people's lives rather than pumping them full of medication, though it does seem that there are circumstance where classical psychiatry is still effective.

 

[everydayiloveyou]

I think that "disorder" still has its place, especially in communities where some of the really impairing symptoms of mental illness tend to be seen as "part of the territory" or even socially acceptable (e.g. suicide as a way to save face, the normalization of substance abuse, poor management of PTSD developed from experiencing poverty and/or living in violent and insecure areas)

Similarly I agree that sometimes people feel shitty because their life is shitty, it does more harm to blame it all on mental illness rather than to address the root issues like poverty, discrimination, or instability. A careful balance is needed.

Though I wonder how much of this is really about the phrasing or whatever. Maybe mental health professionals just need to be trained better. Some are way too eager to slap on diagnoses just to skip the critical thinking, while others are flippant to their patients' needs and seem to refuse to acknowledge problematic behavior so as long as things steer clear of "harming yourself or others." In the first place those kinds of people shouldn't be given licenses to practice.

 

[motel rooms]

Yesterday I found a paper online, where the authors argue for a radical change in how psychology is thought about:
Here's an excerpt

This isn't terribly radical for psychologists. It's radical for psychiatrists, who keep inventing disorders & pushing meds because they basically work for Big Pharma

 

[reasonablylost]

This isn't terribly radical for psychologists. It's radical for psychiatrists, who keep inventing disorders & pushing meds because they basically work for Big Pharma

In my experience, psychologists are also label and drug happy (albeit less on the drugs). And patients seem to like it honestly, which is understandable, so I don't see things changing very soon.

 

[motel rooms]

In my experience, psychologists are also label and drug happy.

Really? They can't prescribe drugs & they see psychiatrists as rivals

 

[reasonablylost]

Really? They can't prescribe drugs & they see psychiatrists as rivals

They do yeah, but they can refer you to your family doctor (or whatever equivalent in your health system) with a medication recommendation. Just my experience of course. And yes, they are not as drug happy as psychiatrists. Again just my experience. Your milage may vary.

 

[Alwaysbadtime]

It's modern times of beacoup disorders as well as genders and sexual identities. I've been fucked by psychosocial factors listed in paragraph attached. It's ostrasized me from my family getting false diagnosis that negate absolutely everything happening in my existence that gives me extreme stress. People want to just tell someone stressed with things not going their way to seek professional help. There's absolutely nothing they can do except Rx me decent meds for anxiety and they refuse.

I will never forgive those who falsely diagnosed me and didn't listen to me stating that my basic needs for security and longevity are not met or possible.

 

[settheory]

Interesting but society or psychiatric consensus decide what is and what is not a disorder pretty much arbitrarily. By definition disorder is "something that should be treated if it can be treated", so that depends on society's moral beliefs, about what they think "should" be.

 

[noaccount]

Cheers for posting this, Reasonablylost. Thank you. I hope your name's crossed out because things have gotten better for you, and if so or if not, uh I'm here to talk on the off chance that you read this. peace go with you.