When I start to dig into how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM for short) works, I get easily tripped up over how political it seems. Just like in my day job, the way in which research is perceived, internalized and deployed – or, conversely, ignored and shelved – has everything to do with which disorders qualify to be in the manual of acceptably billable diagnoses.

PTSD? General Anxiety? Gaslighting?

Bi-polar? Formerly known as Manic Depressive?

What we call things, how we describe and differentiate experiences and emotional reactions, this is the official hand-book of what we know and agree upon, as Mental Health Medical Help Providers. Which brand of neurosis or psychosis fits? If this doesn’t qualify as panic disorder, it could just be general anxiety….If I hear about it in a commercial- hey, do I have overactive bladder, or restless leg? Those symptoms could describe me sometimes! Or, am I just super suggestible?