The American Psychiatric Association is in the process of updating its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM-5. This is the “bible” used by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to diagnosis psychiatric conditions, including antisocial personality disorder. Two members of the committee working on personality disorders have resigned, stating that the proposal displays a “stunning disregard for evidence.”
Dr. Liane Leedom and I had issues with how the first draft described antisocial personality disorder, which was why we conducted a Lovefraud survey back in 2010. Based on the survey results, we submitted Lovefraud’s  comment about sociopaths for the DSM-5. The description was since revised, but apparently there are professionals who are still dissatisfied.
If the professionals can’t agree, no wonder the rest of us are confused.
Two who resigend from DSM-5 explain why, on PyschologyToday.com.
I know not everyone is interested in Literary Theory, and, not everyone is familiar with Virginia Wolffe, but, for those who are interested, this is good stuff, about the effects of trauma on the psyche and how it is expressed in language.
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/modern_fiction_studies/v044/44.3demeester.html
Honestly when I read their email, it reminded me very much of the convoluted mess they have made of the laws and the wording being picked apart and redefined to the point of no law being law any longer.
STOP IT AMERICA! That get back to the basics has a whole new meaning.
What about the dilation of the eyes and brain scan information through science? We all know that black stare of the pychopath. The souless eyes that homicide investigators call the 100 miles stare or is also referenced with sharks eyes, snakes eyes.
It seems there should be some substantial clues by now to get to what we know to be true.
Like OxD brought up big pharma medications for ALL and ANY normal human behavior and forget those inhumane ones as everyone is the same deep down inside. NOT!
I read the article, too, its comments, and the above comments.
More and more I believe that so much of the “authorative” practices in the world are predicated first on personal, financial gain. Therefore, I am wondering if those remaining on the committee are there not to be helpful, but for the prestige that they hope to capitalize on in the future.
When I was married and living in Norway, I miscarried twice one year apart to the day. I went to a MD, told him that I was depressed, and asked if I should see a therapist.
He snapped back that of course I was depressed. I lost two babies a year apart. He’d be a lot more worried if I weren’t depressed. He said that depression was a natural part of healing and that I would get over this. If not, I had another problem and to come back because we’d look at what I needed then. For now, he was going to let nature take its course.
I was so taken aback. It had never occurred to me that being depressed was normal and that I didn’t need any treatment. I needed time to heal.
I still think it wouldn’t have hurt to have spoken with somebody.
Natural process or not, if you don’t know what is going on or if there is an end in sight, it definitely helps to have knowledgable guidance. I’m not somebody who puts a lot of faith in old wives tales or wisdom, which is what I think we’re left with when there is no scientific, research-based information available. I still think that I can benefit more from authorities wiser than the village witch doctor.
These authorities on these committees…when they’re pressured to publish or perish and put titles after titles, then everything becomes all about them. Chances are very good that what I’m going through isn’t high on their list of priorities.
So how do we benefit? From pearls of insight that fall from their self-erected, narcisstistic totem poles in their honor?
Why is it always “all about me, myself, and I”? Doesn’t ANYBODY care what happens to others? Obviously, yes, or these two Americans would not have resigned from that committee and Donna, Liane, et al wouldn’t have written what they did.
After my first Daughter was born, I went for my six week gynocological exam, and was discussing contraception…I told the Dr. I didn’t like “the pill’, because it gave me headaches. He snapped, “well, what do you want, a headache, or to get pregnant again?
Jerk. I was 18…a woman, and needed some guidance. He was a Dr, and God. He had no time to educate me, or help me find an alternative to headaches. His time and expertise was far to precious for the lowly likes of me.
Yep. Narcissist.
Oxy and Kim,
the idea that this condition has no name, yet it has so many names, reminds me of the “Harry Potter” books. Voldemort is he whose name shall not be spoken. So they call him all kinds of other names but don’t use his actual name most of the time.
IMO the books are about spaths. Half the wizard population is evil and working for Voldemort, the uber spath. Reminds me of my life. ick.
Kim,
thanks for the Virginia Wolff link. It was very interesting.
About your doctor, he was probably financially invested in the manufacturer of the pill. He wanted to make sure the stock price stayed high.
Kim Frederick, I appreciate your reference to why we actually have horror stories, movies, books, etc….to examine its effects and explain “horror.”
I had a very heated discussion with my son several months ago about too many “horror” movies, etc. I was in a “bad space,” that day (probably the whole month) and I snapped at him that I was living a true-life-horror story. There’s enough real-life horror out there that simply defies explanation.
With regard to this definition and diagnosis, my personal opinion carries as much water as a strainer, but my belief is that there must be another word that correlates with “evil” that doesn’t carry the heavy other-worldlyness or spiritual undertones. EVIL – yes.
As bizarre as it may sound, the exspath wasn’t particularly overtly “evil,” at all. He developed a pretty good facade. But the things that he chose to do were absolutely evil, on every level. I think that the basic ingredient to this “disorder” is lack of remorse or conscience.
And, for crissakes, let’s STOP calling it a “disorder!!!” This goes all over me because the term, “disorder,” suggests that it can be magically RE-ordered – that there is a definitive lithmus test that will turn a strip of paper orange if the urine is issued from a sociopath’s bladder. “Disorder” also suggests that there is a means to “treat” and “manage” what these people do. Yeah, there is! Spath Island! That is the only method of “treating” these predators by removing them from society and place them somewhere so that they cannot harm others.
It’s all about money, egos, and the secret language of psychspeak.
Well, don’t you think, “Rosemary’s Baby” is a disguised account of the un-speakable horror of having a sociopath for a child? It is veiled in the horror genre, as something super-natural, something outside humanity…it both reveils, and conceals the truth. It presents the truth in such a way that it is seen as fiction, so it innoculates it.
“Rosemary’s Baby” will be viewed differently by the person who views it as metephor, or symbol for something the general public can not accept. Just sayin’.
Kim, Greek Tragedy is essentially “horror” plays….and old Willie Shakespeare wrote “horror” and most books have bad guys and good guys…even “comedy” is seeing someone walking, seeing the banana peel, and knowing the man is going to step on it and break a leg.
Jerry Springer is a successful TV producer because PEOPLE LIKE THAT KIND OF SHIAT!
Some of us learnn from it though, after we LIVE IT.
Yeah, Ox. And what about Jerry Springer? Talk about decadance. This tripe is presented as if it’s the norm. Trash. Jerry takes the stage and interjects humor…he actually pokes fun at the drama, but, nobody seems to get that they are being spot-lighted as freaks, and the masses eat this up like dog’s eat excrement. Jerry’s final moment, resurrects him as a pillar of society who can give guidance to the poor pitiful lost souls, he has just exploited? WTF?
This is a characture of the grotesque, to be sure.
oh jerry is laughing all the way to the bank – it’s all about GREED…greed for more money, more more more..how much money is enough, how much money does one need? then it spills over to power and more money gives more power. sic world