Shrinks at War
by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, Dec. 14, 2009
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Shrinks_at_War_7642.htmlYou'd think that if anyone could get along, it would be a bunch of shrinks. Apparently not. At least not when you're dealing with the American Psychiatric Association and its revision of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, the bible of its profession.
The tome, which is used by psychiatrists worldwide, contains a listing of all the conditions or behaviors that the shrinks feel are problematic for humans, as well as ways to treat them. The effort to update the book, designated DSM-V, is being described as a "civil war." It is contentious, to say the least. And well it should be. A lot is at stake.
One of the leading critics of the revision process, Allen Frances, a former editor of the DSM, published his critique in Psychiatric Times. He believes that the shrinks should tread lightly in making changes in conditions and illnesses.
