Nonconformity and Freethinking Now Considered Mental Illnesses

From TheMindUnleashed.org:

THE MIND UNLEASHED

on 16 November, 2013 at 20:18

Is nonconformity and freethinking a mental illness? According to the newest addition of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it certainly is. The manual identifies a new mental illness called “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD. Defined as an “ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior,” symptoms include questioning authority, negativity, defiance, argumentativeness, and being easily annoyed.

The DSM-IV is the manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental illnesses and, with each new edition, there are scores of new mental illnesses. Are we becoming sicker? Is it getting harder to be mentally healthy? Authors of the DSM-IV say that it’s because they’re better able to identify these illnesses today. Critics charge that it’s because they have too much time on their hands.

New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior. In the past, these were called “personality traits,” but now they’re diseases. And there are treatments available.

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There you have it. I am mentally ill. And chances are, if you're reading this blog, you're probably mentally ill, too. But don't worry - our loving brothers and sisters in the pharmaceutical industry have likely got the cure for what ails us. (Read full article at the link at the top of this entry).

AA