The Future of Mental Health Diagnosis Goes Beyond the Manual

February 28, 2022

(Wired) – But what if the conversation went a different way—less Buzzfeed quiz, more detailed character study? Perhaps, instead of a specific label, you should be grouped with other people who struggle to prioritize long-term consequences over short-term gratification—a big tent that includes not only ADHD but also those with substance use problems and even some personality disorders. Or maybe you don’t need to be labeled at all. Instead of selecting a diagnosis from a big book, a therapist could help you see how what might feel like an internal struggle is really a response to your life circumstances and the power structures that surround you. These are just two of the visions of psychiatry proposed by renegade psychologists and philosophers working to imagine a different future, free from the unscientific and often-stigmatizing diagnostic labels plaguing the field today. (Read More)