Right now the APA is deciding on the contents of the next DSM. The DSM for those of you who don't know, the DSM is the guide that Doctors use to diagnose mental illnesses. This document is used to patholigize conditions and determine treatment.
As you can tell by its title, the DSM 5 is the 5th version of this document. The DSM is updated from time to time as research requires that it be updated. The DSM needs to be updated as not only science catches up with new ideas, but also as old biases are discarded because they make no sense.
Infact the DSM 3 categorized homosexuality as a mental illness.
Current research is beginning to conclusively point to homosexuality and transexuality as having triggers in genetics.
There are alot of things that don't make sense with the DSM. For instance, did you know that although transexuals have their own category, the non transexual segment of the transgender spectrum are grouped in the same category as paedophiles, oh ya as are most members of the kink community.
This documents has quite a few holes. There are quite a few conditions that should be on there, but jesus, it's more a document to keep the til ringing. The DSM should be made relevant or simply done away with, because currently it has as much scientific background as the salem witch trials.
2 comments:
Hi Mikayla,
I'm feral geographer and I blog at http://www.feralgeographer.ca. Along with Mae Callen of Driving Fast on Loose Gravel (http://maecallen.blogspot.com), I'm creating an active blogroll of queer blogs in Canada and/or by Canadians. The project is called Queer Canada Blogs (http://www.queercanadablogs.ca), and we've added your blog!
Please check it out and let us know if you have any suggestions for other blogs we can add.
Thanks!
feral geographer
(Feel free to delete this comment... I just wanted to contact you, and couldn't find an email address)
Hi Mikayla,
I found your blog on Queer Canada Blogs and just wanted to say hi.
I agree about the DSM...if it's not changed to get rid of all those biases it's a piece of outmoded crap. It seems more like a database of boxes to lump people into and charge accordingly for pharmaceuticals instead of something that will ultimately help people.
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