The DSM-IV
The DSM. #IV that is. Not 1. 2. Not 3. This is #4. Fascinating reading. All the answers in one big book. Every single mental illness that there is. Known to man anyway. It’s all there. In black and white for the world to read.
It would seem like it would have to be a pretty big book. The DSM-IV. Someone had a tiny one though. Just the other day. She said it was “cute.”
Cute. That’s not a word that I would associate with a book filled with mental illnesses. How strange language is. How strange. Isn’t it? Cute.
It’s a book. Just a book. To some. To me it’s people. That’s my problem. To me it’s people. It’s not a book.
I bet you don’t think you’re in that cute big book. Do you? Only crazy people are in that book. Right?
Everything in that book is a person. A person. Get it? They might be sitting in a room. Waiting on line in the grocery store. Your boyfriend. In a hospital room writhing in pain. They might live right next door. Could be driving a car. Operating on you. Driving you somewhere. Teaching your child. My child. Lying in bed with you. Sitting in a car next to you. Standing near you. At a party. In a bar. They could be your boss. My boss. My brother. Your sister. My Mother. Your uncle. Every single one of them. They’re all in that book. Even you. Even me.
You just don’t know it. Do you? Really? You must read the DSM-IV. Diagnostic Statistical Manual. It’s a book. If you’ve been to therapy your shrink read it. Why? Cuz you’re in it. If you go to therapy. You’re in it. Even if you don’t. You’re still in there.
We’re all in there.
But only crazy people are in that book. Just like you. Just like me.
Still sound like just a book?
I didn’t think it would.
Just wait until #5 hits the stands. It’s coming. Soon. To a therapist’s office near you.
It would seem like it would have to be a pretty big book. The DSM-IV. Someone had a tiny one though. Just the other day. She said it was “cute.”
Cute. That’s not a word that I would associate with a book filled with mental illnesses. How strange language is. How strange. Isn’t it? Cute.
It’s a book. Just a book. To some. To me it’s people. That’s my problem. To me it’s people. It’s not a book.
I bet you don’t think you’re in that cute big book. Do you? Only crazy people are in that book. Right?
Everything in that book is a person. A person. Get it? They might be sitting in a room. Waiting on line in the grocery store. Your boyfriend. In a hospital room writhing in pain. They might live right next door. Could be driving a car. Operating on you. Driving you somewhere. Teaching your child. My child. Lying in bed with you. Sitting in a car next to you. Standing near you. At a party. In a bar. They could be your boss. My boss. My brother. Your sister. My Mother. Your uncle. Every single one of them. They’re all in that book. Even you. Even me.
You just don’t know it. Do you? Really? You must read the DSM-IV. Diagnostic Statistical Manual. It’s a book. If you’ve been to therapy your shrink read it. Why? Cuz you’re in it. If you go to therapy. You’re in it. Even if you don’t. You’re still in there.
We’re all in there.
But only crazy people are in that book. Just like you. Just like me.
Still sound like just a book?
I didn’t think it would.
Just wait until #5 hits the stands. It’s coming. Soon. To a therapist’s office near you.
posted by Mike at 8:22 AM
4 Comments:
my son was just diagnosed:
bipolar I
borderline personality disorder
anti-social personality disorder
i know about bipolar .. not the others. i'm thinking they aren't very good either.
Sorry about your son, Raven. It's very difficult.
From what I've read/studied (which hasn't been a great deal yet) someone with borderline personality disorder is often times depressed, and is often ruled by their emotions - shifts in moods - anger or rage that is inappropriate. They are also highly self destructive (which could be your son's drug addiction), most have a feeling of not knowing who they are, what they want, often have career goal problems, and chaotic intense relationships.
What's strange to me is that people with BPD are often known as being fun, witty, charming, even the life of the party - but something will set them off - depression or a life event - even
stress.
I'll have to look up anti-social behavior - also with BPD there is specific criteria that must be found in the DSM-IV in order for the diagnosis to occur.
Hey Mike.
Page 67, half way down.
I think that's me!
Did you know that the original meaning of the word "cute" was fat? For example, a "cute" baby was a chubby one. It's only because chubby babies are so cute that "cute" came to mean what it now means.
So a book listing all the illnesses in the world would indeed have to be cute.
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