Is anybody normal anymore?

Mental health experts are warning that an updated version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which helps doctors diagnose mental illness, could mean that virtually nobody is classified as normal. Set to be published in 2013, the new DSM might include diagnoses for “disorders” like toddler tantrums and binge eating, resulting in people previously seen as healthy being told they are ill. “Technically, with the classification of so many new disorders, we will all have disorders,” experts said in a joint statement. “This may lead to the belief that many more of us ‘need’ drugs to treat our ‘conditions’ — (and) many of these drugs will have unpleasant or dangerous side effects.” They cited examples of new additions like “mild anxiety depression,” “psychosis risk syndrome,” and “temper dysregulation disorder.”

Reuters