DSM Revision Petition
Target:
American Psychiatric Association
Sponsored by:
The DSM Revision Petition is gathering signatures from individuals and organizations calling on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to require that all diagnoses in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) be based on empirical research. The DSM Revision Petition will collect signatures from June 2008 through December 2009.
The DSM Revision Petition is gathering signatures from individuals and organizations calling on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to require that all diagnoses in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) be based on empirical research. The DSM Revision Petition will collect signatures from June 2008 through December 2009.
We, the undersigned, support the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) own goal of making its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) a scientific document, based on empirical research and devoid of cultural bias. A diagnosis of a mental disorder can have a severe adverse impact on employment opportunities, child custody determinations, an individual's well-being, and other areas of functioning. Therefore we urge the APA to remove all diagnoses that are not based upon peer-reviewed, empirical research, demonstrating distress or dysfunction, from the DSM. The APA specifically should not promote current social norms or values as a basis for clinical judgments.
We signed the "DSM Revision Petition" petition!
# 1,681:
5:42 pm PST, Jan 5,
Jason Lynch, Massachusetts
A fetish is not a psychological disorder!
A fetish is not a psychological disorder!
NELA
# 1,680:
11:25 am PST, Jan 5,
Name not displayed, Minnesota
I am all for removing these biases from legitimate psychiatry. It has ruined a friend of mine as for 8 years he has felt ashamed, depressed and self destructive because some "therapist" diagnosed him as sexually deviant and egodystonic and told him to repress his urges.
I am all for removing these biases from legitimate psychiatry. It has ruined a friend of mine as for 8 years he has felt ashamed, depressed and self destructive because some "therapist" diagnosed him as sexually deviant and egodystonic and told him to repress his urges.
# 1,679:
9:20 am PST, Jan 5,
Brian Carey, Massachusetts
# 1,678:
8:20 pm PST, Jan 4,
Name not displayed, Massachusetts
# 1,677:
7:20 am PST, Jan 4,
Name not displayed, Vermont
# 1,676:
11:23 pm PST, Jan 3,
Name not displayed, Alabama
# 1,675:
11:01 pm PST, Jan 3,
Brad Slocum, Mississippi
If sexual orientation isn't listed any longer then Normal sexual behavior shouldn't be listed either.
If sexual orientation isn't listed any longer then Normal sexual behavior shouldn't be listed either.
# 1,674:
6:10 pm PST, Jan 3,
Name not displayed, Massachusetts
# 1,673:
7:49 am PST, Jan 2,
P. Chad Neal, Missouri
As a licensed psychologist, I fully support the removal of paraphilias from DSM-V.
As a licensed psychologist, I fully support the removal of paraphilias from DSM-V.
# 1,672:
7:45 am PST, Jan 1,
J Rich, Massachusetts
New England Leather Alliance http://www.nelaonline.org
New England Leather Alliance http://www.nelaonline.org
# 1,671:
8:42 am PST, Dec 28,
Name not displayed, Connecticut
Since 2003, I have been coping with a legitimate DSM diagnosed mood disorder. Engaging in BDSM provides therapeutic release for me - I have been able to give up destructive behaviors such as self-mutilation, overeating and heavy drinking that I had turned to before. Moreover, including private personal choices such as lifestyle BDSM in the DSM decreases the legitimacy of a DSM-based diagnosis for those of us actually suffering from psychological conditions whose problems must be recognized as significant and meriting treatment. Those of us who have psychological conditions need the APA to stand by us in helping gain societal recognition that mental health problems are in fact medical conditions. By leaving supposed "conditions" which are not disorders but personal choices in the DSM, the APA calls into doubt the legitimacy of real psychological conditions which many in today's society already do not want to treat as actual health issues.
Since 2003, I have been coping with a legitimate DSM diagnosed mood disorder. Engaging in BDSM provides therapeutic release for me - I have been able to give up destructive behaviors such as self-mutilation, overeating and heavy drinking that I had turned to before. Moreover, including private personal choices such as lifestyle BDSM in the DSM decreases the legitimacy of a DSM-based diagnosis for those of us actually suffering from psychological conditions whose problems must be recognized as significant and meriting treatment. Those of us who have psychological conditions need the APA to stand by us in helping gain societal recognition that mental health problems are in fact medical conditions. By leaving supposed "conditions" which are not disorders but personal choices in the DSM, the APA calls into doubt the legitimacy of real psychological conditions which many in today's society already do not want to treat as actual health issues.
# 1,669:
11:42 pm PST, Dec 26,
April Jones, Massachusetts
# 1,668:
10:30 pm PST, Dec 26,
Name not displayed, North Carolina
# 1,667:
10:40 am PST, Dec 25,
Name not displayed, Florida
# 1,666:
10:29 pm PST, Dec 24,
Name not displayed, Kansas
# 1,665:
5:11 pm PST, Dec 23,
Patricia Kuehner, Illinois
# 1,664:
2:15 pm PST, Dec 23,
Danielle Rochford, New Hampshire
If Kinky is a disease, then being non-kinky should be a disease
If Kinky is a disease, then being non-kinky should be a disease
# 1,663:
10:12 am PST, Dec 23,
Jennifer Benyamine, New York
# 1,662:
5:39 am PST, Dec 23,
Mary C., Connecticut
I do not believe that an activity or participation into a way of life that promotes and encourages self-confidence, self-worth, mental well-being despite being out of the 'norm', should be classified as a mental disorder. Its imperative for the APA to conduct scientific research to gather proper empirical data that will no longer place people under a blanket diagnosis based upon personal, uninformed opinions, and social morays. Here's a start for your research: prior to my participation into the BDSM lifestyle, I was anorexic, bulimic, a cutter, and did not care about myself or others. I now value myself and others, have high self-esteem, am not anorexic, bulimic and have not cut myself in over 5years. I found my place in society, where I belong.
I do not believe that an activity or participation into a way of life that promotes and encourages self-confidence, self-worth, mental well-being despite being out of the 'norm', should be classified as a mental disorder. Its imperative for the APA to conduct scientific research to gather proper empirical data that will no longer place people under a blanket diagnosis based upon personal, uninformed opinions, and social morays. Here's a start for your research: prior to my participation into the BDSM lifestyle, I was anorexic, bulimic, a cutter, and did not care about myself or others. I now value myself and others, have high self-esteem, am not anorexic, bulimic and have not cut myself in over 5years. I found my place in society, where I belong.
# 1,661:
6:10 am PST, Dec 22,
Tim Schneider, Georgia
NCSF - ncsfreedom.org
NCSF - ncsfreedom.org
# 1,660:
2:58 pm PST, Dec 21,
Max Lee, New Jersey
# 1,659:
10:36 pm PST, Dec 20,
Name not displayed, Rhode Island
# 1,658:
2:18 pm PST, Dec 20,
Name not displayed, New Hampshire
# 1,657:
8:26 am PST, Dec 20,
Laurel Schwingel, Maine
# 1,656:
10:54 pm PST, Dec 19,
Name not displayed, United Kingdom
# 1,655:
5:47 pm PST, Dec 19,
Name not displayed, Connecticut
It was only a little more than 20 years ago that homosexuality was considered a mental illness and look how far we've come since then. It's time to change how people are diagnosed and treated. As a society we are evolving on every level and psychiatric diagnosis is a science and should be treated as such, using fact, not personal biases, skewed results... It is time to rewrite the rules, so to speak...literally and figuratively.
It was only a little more than 20 years ago that homosexuality was considered a mental illness and look how far we've come since then. It's time to change how people are diagnosed and treated. As a society we are evolving on every level and psychiatric diagnosis is a science and should be treated as such, using fact, not personal biases, skewed results... It is time to rewrite the rules, so to speak...literally and figuratively.
# 1,654:
1:16 pm PST, Dec 19,
Name not displayed, Massachusetts
I strongly urge the revision committee to recognize the diversity of human sexuality by removing sexual fetishes as diagnosis.
I strongly urge the revision committee to recognize the diversity of human sexuality by removing sexual fetishes as diagnosis.
# 1,653:
9:57 pm PST, Dec 17,
Name not displayed, Wisconsin
# 1,652:
6:47 am PST, Dec 17,
Annalisa Smithson, United Kingdom
Thank you for seriously considering the importance of eliminating cultural bias from the field of pyscyological medicine. The detrimental effects of misdiagnosis are simply too enormous to allow one of the primary APA resources (the DSM) to include research that is not based on empirical evidence.
Thank you for seriously considering the importance of eliminating cultural bias from the field of pyscyological medicine. The detrimental effects of misdiagnosis are simply too enormous to allow one of the primary APA resources (the DSM) to include research that is not based on empirical evidence.
# 1,651:
9:31 pm PST, Dec 16,
Name not displayed, Kansas
