2. What is the dsm?
• DSM= Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of
Mental Disorders
• Created by The American Psychiatric Associaton
• The fifth edition will be released in 2013
3. Concerns with the
dsm5
• Methodology with diagnoses
• Sexism
• Drug treatment
• Lack of transparency with development
4. • Expansive claims with abuse of authority and
giving themselves the power to decide who is ill and
who is not
5. Borderline
Personality Disorder
• Diagnosis in the 1980 edition of the DSM
• Most frequently diagnosed personality disorder
• approx. 75% of labelled patients are women.
6. how does the dsm describe
borderline personality disorder
• Problems controlling anger • Troubles with inmate
relationships
• Instability
• Stress disrupts self
• Impulsiveness concept
• Feelings of emptiness • Anger
• Self damaging behaviour • Depression
• Mood reactivity • Anxiety
• Instability in maintaining daily • Loathing
routine
7. • Over 100 ways to combine B.P.D.
• Over the last 50 years, the DSM has based
symptoms from emotion more frequently which
contributes to the sex bias because women are said
to be “more emotional”
• This has led to women being institutionalized and
medicated involuntarily
8. Sexual “dysfunctions”
• Female Orgasmic Disorder - Absence or delay in orgasm following a “normal” sexual
excitement stage
• The DSM5 modification includes
• Reduced intensity and delay in frequency or abscence but does not take into
consideration: sexual preference, past abuses, compatibility, connection, lack of
pleasure/intimacy
• The DSM5 includes “lack of desire”. This could be natural and not abnormal based
upon factors such as grief, fatigue, relationship problems, etc.
• Diagnosing sexual dysfunctions is flawed because scientists have little understanding
of human sexuality
• Sexism makes the dysfunctions biased.
9. questions
• When diagnosing women with “sexual
dysfunctions”, how do you feel this will further
oppress us?
• How would you help a client you are working with
to understand the biases and flaws within varying
diagnoses?
