There is a book called the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) the American Psychiatric Association puts out that gives all current psych diagnoses, the criteria to meet them, etc. They don't update it all that often, so when they do it is a huge deal.
The next edition will be out in 2013. Right now they are accepting comments from healthcare providers, psych patients and the general public about the proposed changes.
I'm so grateful to have had a chance to give input, as they actually intend to shove mixed episodes (depression and mania together) into mania, which takes away the power of describing this, because it is not a type of mania, it is far worse than mania.
So please look around and give them feedback.
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3 comments:
What a great opportunity to help others. Do you want to say more about the procedure that you're using to give input?
As you make good use of your life experiences to help others, you're a great example of this scripture:
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
I may be wrong, but I think that they are still going to be able to qualify a episode as mixed, it is just going to get noted different than the present version of the manual. I agree that mixed episodes are truly hell- but I've seen people do things when straight manic that has totally destroyed their lives.
Michal-
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Jean-
You're correct, however they are making it a sub-type of mania. While I agree that mania can do hideous things, I also know that mixed isn't just a form of mania. I've had subtypes of mania, both euphoric (about twice) and dysphoric (normal),and with psychosis, and making mixed equivilant to those in severity is my objection. (Obviously psychosis is different than the other two). Mixed is a hell all of its own and as such I really hate to see it fade into something not important enough to be it's own thing. I have been told that mixed is as bad as psychosis, that it is really a form of psychosis, and that's how I've always thought of it--I rarely get psychotic but I get my own version of it, mixed. I also know that the way things stand, if I tell someone in psych my diagnosis is bipolar I primarly mixed they react differently than "just Bipolar I". I remember a few years ago when nothing was helping and I'd been mixed for what felt like 6 years or so. I was suddenly facing the last options of meds and the probability of disability long-term until a new med came along that helped me (thankfully it did before the last option). But I was sobbing with Dr. Brain and she told me that mixed episodes are about the hardest things she sees people deal with. I don't want it to lose that definition because it's hard enough to explain this stupid disorder without the specificiers that do help becoming unimportant.
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