Open Letter to the DSM-5

I have been teaching yoga to people ALL ages since 20 years and I am shocked how high the children's stress level is (increasing constantly) and how many kids are taking already medication because of insomnia, nervousness or because they are not easy to "handle" - "hyperactive".

Warum geben wir Medikamente?Antwort: Weil es den Menschen hilft. Oder. Weil es ein ein riesengroßes Geschäft ist.

a friend of mine Paul was misdiagnosed luckily in MA there is no megan's law or jessica's law so he can stop the side effects. i understand ppl don't want to lose their jobs, but the system is not good

I am a pediatrician and developmental trauma disorder is not a concept paper! It is real... I see it in traumatized kids all the time! Add DTD to the dsm!!! Kids are paying a very high price for your ignorance and arrogance!!!

Keep up the great work.

I think that more research is needed before the possible iatrogenic-effects of any psych-misdiagnosis travel any further afield, thank you.

No estoy de acuerdo con el DSM5, tampoco con las versiones anteriores, creo que es una plataforma para la industria farmaceutica, no se tienen en cuenta aspectos como el entorno social, familiar e histórico del individuo, tan fundamentales para entender la complejidad de la psicología humana

I have always opposed the DSM-5. It's unnecessary.

I can definetly say that no psychiatrist can define and diagnose the brain problem because they are not brain surgery doctor. If the Asperger and ADHD are caused by brain problem, why neurosurgery doctor doesnt define and diagnose? They are the professional of brain problem, not any psychiatrist. That is the huge trick to ordinary people. Psyhiatrist is not neurosurgery doctor and has no any professional skill and qualification. So they must not diagonse the brain problem to any people. It is a huge fraud.

I am concerned that the entry for "delusion" includes an exemption for religious belief. Can the authors of the DSM provide Logical, Objective, Verifiable Evidence (L.O.V.E.) for the existence of any deities to justify this special exemption, or are they suffering from a delusion? The burden of proof lies with the authors of the DSM, and I expect that as "people of scientific integrity" that they will either satisfy this burden by providing evidence for deities that withstands the scrutiny of scientific peer-review that publications like The Lancet would be willing to publish, or remove the special exemption due to a lack of evidence prior to the publishing of the next edition of the DSM. Sincerely, and with the utmost respect for all who value and strive to practice impartiality to its fullest, Fidem Turbāre, the non-existent atheist goddess.

I chose the topic of mental health for a college paper I was writing two years ago. Through research I found the whole APA task force voting mental disorders in and out of existence very absurd. I have researched this issue since the first paper I wrote about mental health, the APA and the DSM. How can so many people see a big problem with what is happening and this be the first attempt and petition I have came across? Thankful that someone is trying to do something in hopes of saving more adults and children from losing their brain functions and lives to dangerous drugs. We are the first civilization in history to drug our children for unwanted behavior and it's time we stopped!

mind my language, I am not going to hold back. Dammit I can't even express how irritated and frustrated I am that the DSM-5 had still not changed the personality disorders section. Despite of all the good suggestions the possibilities. Instead they moved it to section 3 like some sort of extra attachment or something. Two fucking decades of research and still the same old same. We are a scientific field dammit, its not politics, who cares whether its profitable for big pharma or not. Where is the scientific integrity of this taskforce? Fuck it I can't write right now, I'm just too pissed of that politics and pharmaceutical companies can have this much influence on something that should be governed by science and research and expertise. This is just a big failure in the progression of the psychiatric field. A big failure that will have a tremendous impact on the field. I have given up my hope in the DSM. I had hope for ten fucking years and now this!

I AM OK WITH YOUR POSITION

DSM-V is a gross over-simplification of the complexity of individuals across this nation. I will oppose (and resent) its implementation at every step.

This letter touches on many of my impressions of this manual and of the training I attended on how to use it.

The need for sound empirical data would be my biggest concern

not a mental health professional, but have studied psy and thinking of moving forward with a phd...I understand the problem with lowering diagnostic thresholds.

I am agree with your opi nion

Science of psychiatry and psychiatry in practice must perform a general and basic revision of their concept and methods.

it is short-sighted and dangerous to prescribe people for life events that are inevitably upsetting and distressing. However with time grieve does pass. I can only see that there is a monetary and tie-in with the pharmaceutical industry to medicate the "griving".