Rarely do they ask or ever know what the experts rely on in their diagnosis and treatment strategies. The authors detail the slip-shod methods that underlie the DSM's explosive growth.
Today there is a diagnosis to fit almost anyone.
In their investigation of the DSM, the authors developed three themes. The first is the increasing 'pathologizing' of everyday behavior - the DSM is sweeping increasing numbers of human problems into the realm of psychiatric disorders . . . . For one, it may mean that diagnoses based on the DSM are unreliable. Most mental health professionals who come into contact with parents use the DSM as a guide, including therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Parents are well advised to be wary of expert advice based on the DSM and to seek several opinions from a variety of sources.