Shyness and eccentric behavior will be defined as mental illnesses in the new DSM manual

What is going on, with all this?

Unfortunately this trend is nothing new; it is set up to sell more drugs and have people medicated in order to fit in a narrow mold. It is dangerous and will also be used to marginalize anyone who does not fit in.

People who are marginalised can then be ignored or scapegoated. The DSM has always had this political sociological component to it. Earlier versions once considered homosexuality a mental disorder to be cured, as well as outrage (called hysterics) in women.

It is also very dangerous because it becomes impossible to tell genuine illnesses that need treating from those things that are not illnesses.

I was aware if the DSM/homosexuality aspect, but not aware of the women/hysterics aspect.

I had not also connected, consciously, the political/sociological perspective as it seems I had not considered it deeply enough.

melodiccolor wrote:Unfortunately this trend is nothing new; it is set up to sell more drugs and have people medicated in order to fit in a narrow mold. It is dangerous and will also be used to marginalize anyone who does not fit in.

People who are marginalised can then be ignored or scapegoated. The DSM has always had this political sociological component to it. Earlier versions once considered homosexuality a mental disorder to be cured, as well as outrage (called hysterics) in women.

It is also very dangerous because it becomes impossible to tell genuine illnesses that need treating from those things that are not illnesses.

Absolutely! I feel that it is an incredible shame that 'stigma' is still such an issue in this day and age that the 15% be labeled 'handicaped' as such. It is no small wonder then... that after years of this kind of mistreatment/misjudgement...we may simply 'alienate' ourselves purposely because it just seems so ridiculous to even try to 'get along' with the other 85%. It starts to become like "Why bother? I'll feel better and less triggered if I just keep myself distanced." Although, I do not totally subscribe to that 'idea'...I could see why most might!
It's like, what came first...'introversion' and how we/they deal with it...or being 'molded' through the years by our experiences with the 'general populace' and their crappy attitudes toward hsp's.
Ah but...they can sell so much of new medicines that haven't even had a generation or two of trial periods...just to make a buck! Why not 'program us' with more 'learned eggheaded bullshit' and 'experiment'...huh?
hmm...