Did anybody know that there's over 400 labeled disorders that psychologists have created to give people? isn't that rediculous!? i just learned about it in my psych class and that's just crazy. it's like they are trying to say that we are messed up people and need to annouce what's wrong with us. what do you guys think?

Yeah, they are evil, just creating those disgusting disorders to bother us, who do they think they are? the ancient greek gods?

Lol, that was funny Kiesel!

Well, if psychologists didn't make those things up, they would be out of a job and so will i!

The reason psychologists come up with definitions for over 400 disorders is because otherwise there is a much higher liklihood that someone will be misdiagnosed and therefore not recieve treatment for their disorder, or sometimes worse, recieve the wrong treatment entirely. The DSM has only become more specific with each revision in order to better help psychologists better treat their patients.

Oh, didn't you know? Psychological disorders are the "in" thing nowadays. I see kids and peers alike bragging about that its time to take their meds. Too bad I didn't inherit my dads manic depression, otherwise I'd be the talk of the town.

MisterHipster

lol, that was funny Kiesel!

I thought you hated me.

I dunno how you guys are picturing this...but its not like a group of psychologist got together and went "how can we make everyone else's lives more miserable?"....

I'm kinda agreed with Kirjavaa on this, but on the other hand wich standarts are these psychologist go after? What is the perfect human? What is the perfect, healthy mind? These "disorders" are what makes up our personality, that is what makes us human. I know there's some serious disorders like paranoia, that can really harm the person and the ones around. But I think it's funny when people go to special "threatment" hospitals to "cure" the depression they're having. In the end it's only up to you to cure this depression your havin', and not just swallow the pills that make your brain pulses grow. Brain is still a very complex thing, it is far from being discovered completely, and it's nothing to play with. Some1 will say that there's some people that need help dealing with they're depression (or sumthing else), but as I said it's up to the person and only him/her to fix it. Okay, this post got too long and too complicated so I think I'll just stop now :P

VietBoiTin

i dunno how you guys are picturing this...but its not like a group of psychologist got together and went "how can we make everyone else's lives more miserable?"....

funny stuff

xEULt

I'm kinda agreed with Kirjavaa on this, but on the other hand wich standarts are these psychologist go after? What is the perfect human? What is the perfect, healthy mind? These "disorders" are what makes up our personality, that is what makes us human. I know there's some serious disorders like paranoia, that can really harm the person and the ones around. But I think it's funny when people go to special "threatment" hospitals to "cure" the depression they're having. In the end it's only up to you to cure this depression your havin', and not just swallow the pills that make your brain pulses grow. Brain is still a very complex thing, it is far from being discovered completely, and it's nothing to play with. Some1 will say that there's some people that need help dealing with they're depression (or sumthing else), but as I said it's up to the person and only him/her to fix it. Okay, this post got too long and too complicated so I think I'll just stop now :P

anti depressants work for some people, people are sometimes depressed because of chemical imbalance in the brain so... ya, pills are good. not everyone can fix themselves.

xEULt

I'm kinda agreed with Kirjavaa on this, but on the other hand wich standarts are these psychologist go after? What is the perfect human? What is the perfect, healthy mind? These "disorders" are what makes up our personality, that is what makes us human. I know there's some serious disorders like paranoia, that can really harm the person and the ones around. But I think it's funny when people go to special "threatment" hospitals to "cure" the depression they're having. In the end it's only up to you to cure this depression your havin', and not just swallow the pills that make your brain pulses grow. Brain is still a very complex thing, it is far from being discovered completely, and it's nothing to play with. Some1 will say that there's some people that need help dealing with they're depression (or sumthing else), but as I said it's up to the person and only him/her to fix it. Okay, this post got too long and too complicated so I think I'll just stop now :P

To answer your question, the psychologist's definition of a disorder is any mental condition which imapirs an individual's ability to function in their everyday lives. For example, lets take the depression that you brought up. Someone who is sad, lonley and listless for a couple of days or having a mood swing because of some major life event is not experiencing clinical depression in the sense that they should start taking medication for it. They may need some counseling and someone to talk to if they don't have anybody that they can talk with, but other than that it's not going to keep them from living their lives once they feel better in a few days. On the other hand, if you have someone who is so depressed that they don't keep in touch with their loved ones anymore and do nothing but sleep every day from morning to night while skipping work or school to the point where they're going to fail or get fired, or reach a level of depression where they are seriously considering suicide, then yes that requires treatment. Psychologists are not trying to abolish individuality or trying to mess with people's brains...they're doctors, and they're trying to help people. And by identifying the traits of the disorders that exist, they can more precisley diagnose and help people get better sooner.

I'm considering becoming a psychologist myself, which is the reason why I have to know all this. Not to mention my mother in law has her own practice and my fiance is very well versed in this and considering it as well.

Wow, Kirjavaa seems pretty knowledgeable in this subject.

Can't wait 'till neuroscience and psychology link together. Using a cyberbrain would be awesome.

Interesting..

Dude I totally went through the same thing in my psychology class today lol!

I think at least 1/4 of the diagnosis are excusses, but there are some that are extremely true. I've known many people with Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (sp). Both are not fun...

And I agree with kaishi

anti depressants work for some people, people are sometimes depressed because of chemical imbalance in the brain so... ya, pills are good. not everyone can fix themselves.

I don't have depression but I was put on anti-depressants because at the time it was the best thing they could find that would take care of the nausia I was having, and I must say that I haven't been the same since I stopped taking those pills. They do correct the chemical imballence in you body, but it kinda threw me into a loop because I wasn't depressed to begin with and I just don't act the same and can't pay as close attention as I did on the medicen. Idk it's just odd...

But then again the argument of mind over matter could be brought up in they psychological field. I forget the percentage, but the placebo effect is relitivly high. So if a person thinks this so called anti-depressant is going to fix them and it's just a sugar pill then they'll probably feel better because they think it's working. Plus if people put their mind to do something, they can do it.

And I don't know why people would brag about their psychological problems, that's just odd to me... I would rather hide something like that because depending on what it is, it could effect their personal life and career life as well.