Its dangerous and harmful because it leads to inappropriate interventions. Every intervention has a different profile of what harm it could cause. And sure it’s a problem if medical professionals don’t listen to people. But it’s equally a problem to attempt to pathologize something that coping mechanisms and therapy could alleviate. I’m specifically using subjective language here because it IS subjective. Every individual case is different and I don’t have a particular opinion on yours or the author of this tweet. This tweet just reminded me (as it did with many other posters that didn’t quite get the response I did) that pathologizing everything is also a challenge. You don’t need to treat things that don’t cause problems, essentially. It seemed to me to be a pretty uncontroversial position.
Its dangerous and harmful because it leads to inappropriate interventions.
What interventions? You seem to be assuming that people who are saying “hey, I have condition X” are running out and getting treatment without getting diagnosed. And how is this different that “appropriate coping mechanisms”?
I’m completely sympathetic to the argument that people should absolutely deal with their issues rather than blame some random condition they think they have.
But the vibe I get here is that you believe only Qualified Medical Professionals ™ should be allowed to find and provide treatment, not the patient themselves. That they should not have agency in making decisions about what they have and how to deal with it. And from personal experience, this doesn’t work. And from very bitter and damaging personal experience of the LGBTQIA+ community it’s frightening.
I’m of the opposite position. A disorder is a medical diagnosis that is treated by medical professionals. Making diagnosises into social categories is what I’m absolutely against because it conflates what a diagnosis is. I don’t want to see the normal spectrum of human functioning and coping to be medicalized. I want people to feel secure in finding their best way to function outside of a medical context if appropriate. That was frankly the problem with having homosexuality as a disorder in the DSM. It was pathologized inappropriately.
Your restating of your position here is much clearer. I don’t agree with it because I don’t believe it’s actually being medicalized as you say and I believe that people function and cope just fine, but I do better understand where you are coming from. Thanks for taking the time.
Its dangerous and harmful because it leads to inappropriate interventions. Every intervention has a different profile of what harm it could cause. And sure it’s a problem if medical professionals don’t listen to people. But it’s equally a problem to attempt to pathologize something that coping mechanisms and therapy could alleviate. I’m specifically using subjective language here because it IS subjective. Every individual case is different and I don’t have a particular opinion on yours or the author of this tweet. This tweet just reminded me (as it did with many other posters that didn’t quite get the response I did) that pathologizing everything is also a challenge. You don’t need to treat things that don’t cause problems, essentially. It seemed to me to be a pretty uncontroversial position.
What interventions? You seem to be assuming that people who are saying “hey, I have condition X” are running out and getting treatment without getting diagnosed. And how is this different that “appropriate coping mechanisms”?
I’m completely sympathetic to the argument that people should absolutely deal with their issues rather than blame some random condition they think they have.
But the vibe I get here is that you believe only Qualified Medical Professionals ™ should be allowed to find and provide treatment, not the patient themselves. That they should not have agency in making decisions about what they have and how to deal with it. And from personal experience, this doesn’t work. And from very bitter and damaging personal experience of the LGBTQIA+ community it’s frightening.
I’m of the opposite position. A disorder is a medical diagnosis that is treated by medical professionals. Making diagnosises into social categories is what I’m absolutely against because it conflates what a diagnosis is. I don’t want to see the normal spectrum of human functioning and coping to be medicalized. I want people to feel secure in finding their best way to function outside of a medical context if appropriate. That was frankly the problem with having homosexuality as a disorder in the DSM. It was pathologized inappropriately.
Your restating of your position here is much clearer. I don’t agree with it because I don’t believe it’s actually being medicalized as you say and I believe that people function and cope just fine, but I do better understand where you are coming from. Thanks for taking the time.