…All around us, more of what was once understood as part of life has come to be seen as something requiring treatment. Psychiatrists including Allen Frances, who led the task force that developed an earlier version of psychiatry’s diagnostic manual, have warned of “diagnostic inflation.” Prolonged grief now has its own diagnostic category. Newer diagnoses that were intended, in part, to reduce the overdiagnosis of childhood bipolar disorder may also place more childhood behavior, such as tantrums, on the spectrum of mood disorders.
As the boundary blurs between a disabling disorder and ordinary distress, people may start to view their suffering through a clinical lens. But often, distress functions less as a symptom than as a signal. Feeling anxious does not mean you have an anxiety disorder. It could point to circumstances that are worth changing.
Before turning to therapy, consider reaching out to someone you trust, volunteering, joining a community activity or reconnecting with a group that once mattered to you...
No comments:
Post a Comment