I love that this thread has remained so civil! I still stand behind my opinion psychiatry tries to mimic science but it is not a true science, unless you also want to include numerology as a science too. And the DSM is the farthest thing from a science book one can get. It is politically influenced and based entirely on opinions. That it has been revised so many times and even now can not be agreed on speaks volumes on that point. Sigmond Fraud often called the Father of Psychiatry practiced dream interpretations and was convinced everything was related to our relationship with our mother. I do believe one day our knowledge and technology will eventually qualify psychiatry as a true science. But until then we are all guinea pigs

But I do have a question for DocJohn I hope he addresses.

Would you agree it is more important to treat the symptoms of mental illness based on just the symptoms rather then based on the diagnosis which could be wrong and change often.

These diagnosis all seem related with each person simply having more traits of one then another and some having several more then others. What I mean is one can have traits from many different diagnostic illnesses. It can never be so neat and simple as to say, oh you are this or oh you are that. What we can say is you have these symptoms more then other symptoms.

I think too many people, professionals and consumers get too hung up on the diagnosis.

Just my 2 cents