Photography has been a part of the history of psychiatry and mental illness since at least the last quarter of the nineteenth century. French clinicians Henri Dagonet and Jean-Martin Charcot were among the first to use photography in the 1870s to aid in establishing reliable diagnostic criteria for particular maladies. Charcot especially was renowned for taking photographs of patients suffering f
5 Vote(s)
September 15, 2010
Who’s Haunting Whom? The New Fad in Asylum Tourism
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August 20, 2010
The “ADHD Personality”: Its Cognitive, Biological, and Evolutionary Foundations
Last month I posted an essay linking the dramatic increase in diagnosed ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) to our increasingly restrictive system of schooling (see ADHD and School). I presented evidence there that (a) the official, DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD focus primarily on school-related issues such as sitting in seat, completing assignments, and not interrupting teacher
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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August 11, 2010
I probably shouldn’t say this
I have become concerned about Miley Cyrus. In her magnum opus, 7 Things, she discusses a recently ended relationship and highlights seven areas of dissatisfaction with her ex-partner. From this description, I notice that her ex-beau fulfils the diagnostic criteria for ‘borderline personality disorder’ or BPD. To quote Ms Cyrus’s concerns: You’re vain, your games, [...]
11 Vote(s)
11 Vote(s)
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March 5, 2010
The DSM Process: More Questions Than Answers?
Posted on February 3, I asked the question, CAUTION! Who Should Be the DSM5 Diagnostician? I suggested that we needed to pay as much attention to who would be designated as the diagnostician as on the revised diagnostic criteria.
8 Vote(s)
8 Vote(s)
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February 12, 2010
New Proposed Changes Posted For Leading Manual Of Mental Disorders
The American Psychiatric Association today released the proposed draft diagnostic criteria for the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)...
8 Vote(s)
8 Vote(s)
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February 11, 2010
November 28, 2009
Does "Internet Addiction" Really Shrink Your Brain?
Internet addiction is a murky and controversial disorder that is the subject of intense debate over whether it should be included in the new DSM-V. Here are the proposed diagnostic criteria as developed by Dr. Kimberly Young:Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing am
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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September 28, 2009
Fibromyalgia: Time for the rheumatologists to hand over?
The American College of Rheumatologists developed diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia in 1990, the culmination of many years of debate and disparagement of the existence of this pain problem. At the time, it was thought that it was a rheumatic complaint due to the presence of body pain and soft tissue tenderness, so the diagnosis and [...]... SHIR, Y., & FITZCHARLES, M. (2009) Should Rh
12 Vote(s)
12 Vote(s)
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September 10, 2009
Diagnostic Criteria for MDMA abuse and dependence
A recent paper on the test / re-test reliability of diagnostic criteria for MDMA abuse and dependence is fascinating. Foremost because the nature of substance abuse is always a fun topic for discussion when you are dealing with a compound which the users argue so strenuously is perfectly benign. Even more so because the advocacy position tends to put a finer point on the argument about just how t
8 Vote(s)
8 Vote(s)
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Proposed DSM-V changes are now online and available for public comments
6 Vote(s)