Posted by ed_uk on December 1, 2004, at 12:02:26
In reply to Re: The artificial nature of psychiatric diagnosis, posted by vwoolf on December 1, 2004, at 11:27:07
Hi Vwoolf,
The criteria listed in the DSM as symptoms of ADHD can be very problematic for a child at school. It would be quite possible to define ADHD by a different set of symptoms however.
In many ways, it is impossible to 'rule out' ADHD because it is not a specific entity. Each individual symptom can be problematic in its own right but the diagnosis itself is an artifical construction of the APA.A diagnosis of ADHD is not necessary in order for a person to be helped.
If your son struggled in school due to a poor attention span then that alone is a valid reason for not achieving.
The symptoms listed in the DSM under ADHD have a tendency to occur together. This is why they were chosen as the official criteria. It would be quite possible, however, to invent many new DSM diagnoses on the same basis, in fact I could invent a new disorder now!
DSM criteria for Edwards' syndrome.
At least 3 of the following criteria muct be present on a regular basis for at least 6 months...
1. Has a tendency to daydream in class
2. Finds it difficult to 'get started' with schoolwork.
3. Displays excessive pleasure seeking behaviour
4. Gets bored easily
5. Frequenly gets tired at schoolWhat I am trying to say is that everyones mental health problems are individual. This is why the DSM categories are so artificial.
Regards,
Ed.
Regards,
Ed.
poster:ed_uk
thread:422741
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041201/msgs/422853.html