Welcome to the Death of the DSM

7 days ago

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is planning a major overhaul of the DSM, signaling a crisis in psychiatry.
Critics argue the DSM has failed to meaningfully alleviate suffering, relying on arbitrary categories that don't reflect real human experiences.
Public trust in psychiatric diagnoses is eroding, with many realizing their distress stems from trauma, not internal defects.
Psychiatry's claim of a serotonin imbalance causing depression was debunked, revealing a lack of scientific basis for many treatments.
Trauma, abuse, and social factors are increasingly recognized as central to mental distress, challenging psychiatry's medicalized approach.
The DSM's categorical model is criticized for its artificial boundaries and failure to reduce mental health disorders since 1990.
Psychiatry's hope for biomarkers to validate its practices has not materialized, with discoveries often removing conditions from its jurisdiction.
The APA's attempt to rebrand the DSM as more scientific is seen as a tactic to maintain relevance amid growing skepticism.
Survivors and professionals are rejecting psychiatric diagnoses, seeking alternatives that address root causes like trauma and inequality.
The overhaul is viewed not as progress but as psychiatry's attempt to survive amid its declining authority and public scrutiny.

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