Wednesday, 10 February 2010
The DRAFT (emphasis added) DSM-V
Zoe Brain

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2010/02/draft-emphasis-added-dsm-v.html

    DSM-5: The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis
    Publication of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013 will mark one the most anticipated events in the mental health field. As part of the development process, the preliminary draft revisions to the current diagnostic criteria for psychiatric diagnoses are now available for public review and comment. We thank you for your interest in DSM-5 and hope that you use this opportunity not only to learn more about the proposed changes in DSM-5, but also about its history, its impact, and its developers. Please continue to check this site for updates to criteria and for more information about the development process.

Areas of particular interest are:

My comment there:

Forgive me if I go on a rant but reading all this psychobabble these so called experts (many of whom have never lived a day as a transgender person) spew out in an attempt to establish criteria to help them label as "mentally disordered persons" those who have a mind-body gender conflict, rubs me the wrong way.

The goal always seems to be determining what is normal, and too often that means sameness. And in the case of gender variance, that's exactly the goal mental health professionals have strived to achieve. We are all unique, even identical twins, who usually differ the most in their personalities – the mind. So I find it laughable when mental health "experts" focus on normal as it relates to sameness. That's not sound thinking.

I can function well in society. I'm reasonably intelligent, skilled in my profession and have very good people skills. I can do quite well as long as people with phobias about transgender people don't discriminate against me. I don't need therapy to understand myself, I need therapy to learn how to deal with people who are phobic and impair my ability to have a decent life. And before I honor their requests to go into therapy for being transgender, I will ask them first to enter into therapy to deal with their phobias. After all, phobia is a mental disorder and it too is in the DSM.

While I'm happy to see the "exit clause" I find it interesting that treating the physical self, not the mind, is the "cure". I will now be able to say, "I used to be mentally disordered then I had vaginoplasty and now I'm not." What's wrong with this picture? I can see it, why can't these so called experts?

This draft for DSM-V still hangs onto the idea there is a mental disorder diagnosis for someone who is unhappy society has pressured them to live a life they aren't happy living, rather than the one they want (and will harm no one). The intent seems to be on addressing societal phobias and not upsetting the masses who are phobic. The message sent: "I'm really not happy with the way you are living your life, even though it harms no one, so you'll just have to change." That's not a reasonable request (demand). And if they think it is, I'd suggest they enter into therapy because they are the ones suffering from a mental disorder.

The rationale for the draft is available here.
One of the troubling things that I've found is on the Severity tab. Question A7 is this:

Quote7. Over the past 6 months, how would you describe your sexual attraction to other people?
a. Sexually attracted to males
b. Sexually attracted to females
c. Sexually attracted to both males and females
d. Sexually attracted to neither males or females
e. Other (please describe): _______________________________________

It makes me believe that they still don't get that gender and sexual orientation are two very different things. I was hopeful for a while. Now, I'm not so sure.

I wish I could download it in pdf form and shred it to bits with changes. 
Guess they aren't as open access as they claim

NMarian

18. In contemporary clinical practice, sexual orientation per se plays only a minor role in treatment protocols or decisions. Also, changes as to the preferred gender of sex partner occur during or after treatment (DeCuypere, Janes, & Rubens, 2005; Lawrence, 2005; Schroder & Carroll, 1999). It can be difficult to assess sexual orientation in individuals with a GI diagnosis, as they preoperatively might give incorrect information in order to be approved for hormonal and surgical treatment (Lawrence, 1999). Because sexual orientation subtyping is of interest to researchers in the field, it is recommended that reference to it be addressed in the text, but not as a specifier. It should also be assessed as a dimensional construct.

Quote from: LordKAT on February 10, 2010, 11:39:30 AM
18. In contemporary clinical practice, sexual orientation per se plays only a minor role in treatment protocols or decisions.

Didn't stop me from getting a sexual disorder diagnosis for being pansexual (with a leaning towards women). \o/
(this was at University of Minnesota, Transgender "care" program (program of human sexuality)

Quote from: Julie Marie on February 10, 2010, 09:58:59 AM
My comment there: ...

LOL Julie that is absolutely brilliant! And too true

Quote from: FlanHusky on February 10, 2010, 11:56:29 AM
Didn't stop me from getting a sexual disorder diagnosis for being pansexual (with a leaning towards women). \o/
(this was at University of Minnesota, Transgender "care" program (program of human sexuality)

notice it says in treatment protocols or decisions, not diagnosis

Quote from: MMarieN on February 10, 2010, 10:48:31 AM
The rationale for the draft is available here.
One of the troubling things that I've found is on the Severity tab. Question A7 is this:It makes me believe that they still don't get that gender and sexual orientation are two very different things. I was hopeful for a while. Now, I'm not so sure.

They are separate, but they are also pretty related. 

Re: Gender Identity Disorder in Adolescents or Adults

I find the sheer over use of the word desire to be of a concern. A portion of the general public are confused on whether it is a condition or a life style choice, using the word desire would imply the latter in my option, very subtle. ggrrrr.

What we need to understand when dealing with these people is there's ego and personal agendas at play here, just like with any powerful committee.

One of the task force members is Ken Zucker, a reparative therapy proponent.  See a write up on him.  And this guy is one of the people in charge of deciding if we are mentally disordered.  Scary!

Zoe Brain commented on my post there (as posted above) by saying, "And if we put it that way, so clearly, maybe, just maybe, this crazy situation will be reformed."  What we all need to realize is this "crazy situation" is in place in part because there are people like Zucker who do what we see as crazy.  What else should we expect?

We'll never be able to eliminate personal agendas and ego from the equation but we can keep hitting them over the head until they start to really listen.  But we need to remember, there's some pretty thick skulls there, so it will take a lot to give them a headache.

Here's more on Zucker: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Zucker

Quote from: Muffin on February 11, 2010, 08:40:45 AM
Re: Gender Identity Disorder in Adolescents or Adults

I find the sheer over use of the word desire to be of a concern. A portion of the general public are confused on whether it is a condition or a life style choice, using the word desire would imply the latter in my option, very subtle. ggrrrr.

If I have cancer and want treatment I could be said to have a "desire" for chemotherapy. That doesn't make chemotherapy a lifestyle.

Do you have any suggestions of what they might have used that it more accurate?