The “bible” of psychiatry…

I’m not big on labels. The DSM, often referred to as “the bible” of psychiatry, when you get down to it, is a thick collection of things we made up to describe the myriad ways humans get messed up and messy. I recognize that it serves a purpose. It provides a framework for conceptualizing mental illness, gives us a common language for describing symptoms, and can be a relief for someone to be able to put a name to what they are experiencing. Not to mention, a diagnosis is required by insurance companies for coverage of services. But overall, I find its usefulness is limited. And I notice that when we aren’t arguing about the existing ones, we’re always coming up with a new label.