The New Revised DSM V - fresh off the press!

Ever Changing... The Mental Health World Will See the  DSM V Hits the Shelves May 22, 1913.

Analysts, Clinicians, Psychologist, Therapist, and Mental Health Professionals will be over joyed or in anguish over the new changes of the diagnostic DSM IV  anguish.  Many of us rely on the DSM IV to have an accurate assessment of clients.  The analyst in private practice might not be so hands on with the day-to-day usage of the DSM; however, many clinicians that are governed by county and state agencies and insurance panels rely on the "clinical bible."  So what does this mean to the consumer?

Possibly, very little on the overall picture (there are some issues with billing but for the average person - little.  Well, for the interns, and non-licensed, or the ones in school it could mean that the innocent and new therapist will have a better handle on the DSM (generally speaking).  For some therapist that were trained with the DSM IV there will be an adjustment or learning curve.  Most of us struggle and resist change.  Luckily, the changes are not significant enough to impair the practice with the analyst/analysand.
A good analyst that is aware and has not memorized the DSM V is far better than a poor analyst that can  repeat the changes by memory.  Earlier in the year I did a mini training of the proposed changes and Hypersexual disorder was suspected to make the cut.  Personallly, I am glad that this did not become a recognized diagnosis.  I also assumed that "Cutting" would become a diagnosis, along with Excoriation (skin-picking) Disorder, under the obsessive compulsive disorder; or under the Impulse Control Disorder (as in Trichotillomania).  For more information on the DSM V and the changes from the DSM IV the official manual will be available to the public May 22, 2013.  It is hard to say that there are significant changes (Hoarding is a new and welcomed and needed diagnosis); however, with these changes they might still be relatively slow and in some cases antiquated as it has taken some 20 years for the new manual. 



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