As a side note, there are some psychiatrists who are lobbying the APA to add "introversion" to the DSM as a mental illness. - Rochelle

oh good grief. since when is it not okay to be someone who wants to mind her own business? I wish a few more folks were introverts. some folks need to be... - Kamilah Gill

That's interesting. I wouldn't consider being an introvert a mental illness. I thought it was just a personality trait since a lot of introverts are not paralyzed by the idea of social interaction. - Trish R

When a fear (like being with large groups of people) prevents you from doing things in life, then it becomes a phobia and needs to be treated as such. - Alex Scoble

Trish, the same psychiatrists are also trying to get other personality traits included. In their opinion, anything that isn't "average" should be listed as "abnormal". - Rochelle

@Rochelle Then I guess I better go ahead and book my photography session for the cover of the next edition of "Abnormal Psychology." - Trish R

There's a whole lot of drama around the new DSM version. Not only the introversion/personality traits stuff, but drama about including (or excluding) transexuality, transgender, etc. One thing that likely WILL be included is Internet addiction. - Rochelle

I kind of wonder what the point of a diagnosis is if there isn't any treatment, though. Unless it's so that it makes it easier for psychiatrists to say, "You're screwed. Deal with it." I suppose prognosis and risk stratification will have to do. - Victor Ganata

Victor, there's always treatment. Whether it's effective or not is another thing. Therapists will always make money providing treatment to clients who need someone to listen to them complain. - Rochelle

I guess I meant when there isn't any cure. A lot of times, there isn't even any palliation. While you *can* employ treatment, a lot of these conditions won't respond. - Victor Ganata

I have to say, I'm very much against diagnosis for diagnosis sake. If a diagnosis is not demonstrable by molecular biological mechanisms, or even at least by a falsifiable, rigorously specific constellation of signs and symptoms, then it's pretty much useless, and all it does is allow insurance companies to deny claims on the basis of pre-existing conditions. - Victor Ganata

illness can come in many flavors - Noah David Simon