DSM 5

ANOIKSIS RECENTLY MADE SEVERAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION'S DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL 5 PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS WORK GROUP: AS A RESULT THEY HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT OUR ANOIKSIS COMPETITION FOR A NEW NAME FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA AND HAVE ACCEPTED PART OF OUR PROPOSAL.

Anoiksis is of course not the only group that has proposed a syndrome. Moreover our suggestion for a new name - "dysfunctional perception syndrome" or simply "perception syndrome" - has not been accepted by the APA so far. But the DSM 5 Work Group is reasonably enthusiastic about the idea of a new name for schizophrenia and one that would certainly be based on the concept of a syndrome. That is a step in the right direction.

The Work Group at present favours the term "psychotic syndrome": we in Anoiksis find "perception syndrome" much less stigmatising. Thus we need to mobilise public opinion in support of our proposal.

There will be another opportunity for us (together with our supporters) to influence the APA during the second round of consultations that will take place in June 2011. We need to work hard now to publicly promote "perception" in place of "psychotic". "I am a psycho"
sounds weird. I have a "perception syndrome" affords less room for discrimination.

Published 12 july 2010

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