Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm not a psychiatrist, but it's my understanding that the DSM (diagnostic manual) is in large part determined by a vote of the American psychiatric Association. So it is and always has been literally politically determined.
Until about 1973 homosexuality was classed as a disorder (my terminology may be imperfect). But today, homophobia is a disorder.
It's always been political, but perhaps it is getting even more so now. IIRC there was a letter signed by 55,000 mental health people, including psychiatrists and psychologist, questioning Trump's mental fitness. But then the author (psychiatrist) of the relevant DSM section weighed in, basically calling the letter BS.
Excuse me if this is ignorance on my part, but to the best of my understanding, autism is indeed a mental problem.
And I'm sure transgender would have traditionally be considered one, too, until fairly recently.
Autism is not a mental problem, it is in fact neurological. Google it!
My personal belief is that transgenderism cannot be defined, I believe it is an imbalance in the genitics, body & mind, b/c it cannot be defined, it is the person's feelings that they are not defined by a gender, a mental illness in some? Maybe? but believe it goes deeper than that....a person desires to self-identify as the opposite of his or her biological sex and to be socially accepted as such. It is a difficult issue to understand and not one size fits all...
My question is spiked by the fact that why only as of recent have autistic people and transgenders been deliberately conflated with the mentally ill? As an autist, it just confuses me how there is this shift back and forth of Lumping us with the mentally ill, then distinguishing us.
As for the transgenders, well there are with LGB folks, but even there are ongoing debates to lump them more with the mentally ill
May I ask what's causing these shifts and is the political culture of today to blame?
Again forgive my ignorance, but I would like to know more out of importance and confusion, what's causing these distinction shifts?
I believe your questions are far from stupid. The numerous combined authors of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) have long been plagued by forces seeking to inject their political correctness into the liberal art of mental disorders. Given that many who enter the social work and other mental health fields tend generally fall more to the left of the political spectrum, it isn't difficult to see why this is the case.
One need look no further than read the varying definitions and respective diagnosis as they changed throughout the 5 versions of the DSM to see how it has been politicized. Some argue that the authors have just been made more aware of "science" (even though there is little science which can be definitively applied to mental disorders) and that was the reason for the "upgraded" definitions, classifications and disorders, but the truth is it all comes down to pressures of political correctness.
But then again, that is just MY opinion, for what it's worth.
I'm not a psychiatrist, but it's my understanding that the DSM (diagnostic manual) is in large part determined by a vote of the American psychiatric Association. So it is and always has been literally politically determined.
Until about 1973 homosexuality was classed as a disorder (my terminology may be imperfect). But today, homophobia is a disorder.
It's always been political, but perhaps it is getting even more so now. IIRC there was a letter signed by 55,000 mental health people, including psychiatrists and psychologist, questioning Trump's mental fitness. But then the author (psychiatrist) of the relevant DSM section weighed in, basically calling the letter BS.
What do you know? We CAN agree on a rare specific issue.
My question is spiked by the fact that why only as of recent have autistic people and transgenders been deliberately conflated with the mentally ill? As an autist, it just confuses me how there is this shift back and forth of Lumping us with the mentally ill, then distinguishing us.
As for the transgenders, well there are with LGB folks, but even there are ongoing debates to lump them more with the mentally ill
May I ask what's causing these shifts and is the political culture of today to blame?
Again forgive my ignorance, but I would like to know more out of importance and confusion, what's causing these distinction shifts?
Just an opinion:
It is difficult to separate a psychiatric disorder from a neurological or development one.
Some may seem biological in nature while others approach it on a neurological basis which is
increasingly appreciated today.
This is to where the category of mental illness is dropped.
High cognition in those with illnesses that streamline into society without a hiccup is commended.
Assimilation is the single most important element that society has become comfortable with referring to as the NORM.
Contribute to society you are accepted.
Do not contribute and it easy to be frowned upon.
Is interesting how autism is technically the only neurological disorder to really be reaching the peripheral of mental health
Honestly, I am going to be honest. Although I understand how strong the self acceptance culture going on in most Western Democracies is currently, I would honestly not be some weak skinned wuss crying if there was a cure for autism, in fact I would say the same for transgenderism and gender dysphoria, while I think it should be right for an individual to identify as whatever gender they want, gender dysphoria is also another one of the several conditions being caused by environmental problems. Food hormones and the plastic we have in our items.
Autism is not a mental problem, it is in fact neurological. Google it!
My personal belief is that transgenderism cannot be defined, I believe it is an imbalance in the genitics, body & mind, b/c it cannot be defined, it is the person's feelings that they are not defined by a gender, a mental illness in some? Maybe? but believe it goes deeper than that....a person desires to self-identify as the opposite of his or her biological sex and to be socially accepted as such. It is a difficult issue to understand and not one size fits all...
Check Autism Spectrum Disorder in DSM 5. It is listed as a mental illness. Shrinks want to label everyone with some mental illness - it's good for business.
Check Autism Spectrum Disorder in DSM 5. It is listed as a mental illness. Shrinks want to label everyone with some mental illness - it's good for business.
Still doesn't make it a mental illness, there is an underlying cause that's neurological. Like say temporal lobe epilepsy, can present as hearing voices, however it's distinct from schizophrenia because there's a clear neurological cause, same with autistics, you can see differences to neuro-typicals using an fMRI.
Still doesn't make it a mental illness, there is an underlying cause that's neurological. Like say temporal lobe epilepsy, can present as hearing voices, however it's distinct from schizophrenia because there's a clear neurological cause, same with autistics, you can see differences to neuro-typicals using an fMRI.
I don't think the neurological cause has been proven. I see a study here https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1025141004.htm
but it takes many studies to prove such a claim. Just like it hasn't been proven for schizophrenia or bipolar. I remember the study that showed smaller brains in people with schizophrenia - but it turned out that the drugs they give people diagnosed with schizophrenia shrink the brain.
I don't think the neurological cause has been proven. I see a study here https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1025141004.htm
but it takes many studies to prove such a claim. Just like it hasn't been proven for schizophrenia or bipolar. I remember the study that showed smaller brains in people with schizophrenia - but it turned out that the drugs they give people diagnosed with schizophrenia shrink the brain.
No the cause hasn't been determined just that there us a neurological difference.
Says it right here in your link
Quote:
A research team studying MRI scans of school-age children's brains found unique patterns of neural communication involving the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for processing social information. In children with ASDs, the amygdala connections with other parts of the brain proved to be weaker with some regions -- and stronger with others -- when compared with typically developing children of the same age.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
