Reply #90: Totally agree

[juslikagrzly]

except that you need to add power into the equation. In the DSM-IV TR, as with earlier editions, everyday common behaviors MAY be classified as disorders if they supposedly meet the "clinically significant impairment" criteria eg. caffeine use, for god's sake.

I'll say it again, it's a freakin mess.

IMO, the psychology field has already swallowed a lot of the kool-aid with the EST (empirically supported treatment) issue being pushed where it counts; graduate training and internship. We already are seeing the results in the sort of students attracted to psychology. I realize I'm generalizing, but psych students used to be much more comfortable with ambiguity, focused on the therapeutic relationship as key, etc. Nowadays, we get more and more students who don't want to critically think through an issue, or spend time getting to know their client, they just want to know how to "fix" the problem.

Irvin Yalom, a respected teacher, writer, researcher and therapist stated that he was happy to be near retirement age because graduate training is now turning out technicians rather than therapists.

One area we are neglecting to mention in all this is the power of insurance corporations. When HMOs and PPOs first started gaining steam, I got out of private practice. It is MUCH cheaper for an insurance company to cover mental health as long as it's a pill, and not longer-term, more expensive, relationship based talk therapy.

Sad, sad, sad.