hey :-) yeah i agree... i find myself endorsing enough unhelpful thoughts without having lists shoved in my face and being told i must endorse those particular ones *by definition* ;-)

'slightly dysfunctional' :-)
i like that, i like that a lot :-)

in class...

yeah. i have had similar experiences... i got permission to take a couple papers for non credit and... well... i found it really very hard to shut my trap. because... yeah i think our experience gives us something naturally that people without that experience have to learn...

because... you are right. it is a matter of degree. in fact... i have heard a rumour that there is a major restructuring of the DSM in the pipeline. and what they are going to do... is to get rid of the 'categorical' approach (where you either meet criteria or you do not) and they are going to replace that with a symptom based approach where people meet each individual symptom to a greater or lesser extent.

i'm not sure how that is supposed to go really... i wouldn't think they would list all the symptoms and assess the client on each one... methinks dx would take too long... but i dunno... heard it was in the pipeline anyway. and the very point... was to emphasise that mental illness is just one end on a continuum of functioning, as you note.

:-)

i think... you should do what it is that you want to do and ***** what other people have to say... i mean... maybe you will find that really you don't want to do that... because... it is too hard on you. and that isn't a coment on your mental health. fact is it would be too hard on a lot of people...

i...

thought about being a psychologist...
have thought about being a psychiatrist too...
the latter might possibly be in the pipeline at some point
(mostly because i'm a study a holic and studying for that length of time has terrific appeal)
but...

i think it would be too hard on me.

i love theory :-)
so i confine myself to that...
not so good with the validation :-(
though i see the sense in it...
theory is one thing...
practice is another...
story of my life...
sigh

:-)