New York, Feb 11 : The proposed changes in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual surprisingly do not include Sex Addiction, obesity and Internet addiction. But binge eating and gambling have been given a place.
Among the proposed changes is the creation of a new category of behavioral addiction disorders, though at the moment the category includes only gambling. Internet addiction and Sex Addiction would be included in the appendix to encourage further research
The final guide, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, will not be published until 2013. The last revision was in 1994. The APA’s diagnostic manual is widely used by doctors and insurers to across the world to treat mental illness.
If Sex Addiction is not listed that means insurance will not cover therapy for someone who is being treated for Sex Addiction. This has been a serious issue for both patients and therapists. Presently therapists must either fudge on the diagnosis that is submitted for insurance or tell their patients that they will be responsible for the full cost of therapy as their insurance will not cover the sessions.
The APA will reportedly ask psychiatrists and the general public for feedback via the Internet. The draft document of the manual will be displayed so doctors and the public can comment until April 20 at www.dsm5.org.
If you would like to read the draft and/or make a comment just click the link above. You will have to register and they will send a password to your e-mail. Then you can sign in and access the draft and give your opinion. I registered easily as an RN, but I don’t know if they have a criteria for registering. If anyone has trouble registering just send me an e-mail through the contact page and I’ll send you my password and user name.
The science of Psychiatry is now where the science of Medicine was before germs were discovered. ~ Malcolm Rogers