#Deviant Distressful Dysfunctional autism symptoms is

[chicago-geniza]

Everybody please clap I went to the asthma diet study and then to two pharmacies in wholly disparate areas of Chicago and went to T-Mobile and found out how to fix my phone even if they didn't have the requisite component in stock and discovered insurance needs to renew the prior approval on my T for the new year so I sent it to my doctor for review and discovered I am locked out of my state benefits online account and the email tech support was singularly unhelpful so am calling the Humboldt Park office in the morning to see if a human being can sort it out, vaguely recall I do NOT need to renew Medicaid but want to make absolutely sure so will call THAT number first thing in the morning too; also - replaced my busted headphones at the student store so I didn't have a meltdown, picked up a notebook and some Post-Its, impulsively swung by the uni library and discovered my card still worked and checked out Cayhill on Benjamin, Nietzsche on tragedy, and two Ernst Bloch books in translation, also cased their periodicals for dissertation research; nobody is there! It's so quiet and still. They have Dialog and their microfiche stores are un-fucking-believable. I'm going to start reserving a cubicle--there's a word for library cubicle that sounds like cassock, that's my middle-word, the monkish studiousness, hunched over illuminating manuscripts, it's my mnemonic, like the image the word passes through by association before I remember--carrel, that's it. (Sp?) Passel, tassel. Bundles of papers, tops of scholars' caps and trails of tapestries in halls of learning, it's the phonetic associations, it's never semantic for me, really. Diogenes in a barrel. Etc. K calls it constellation thinking, which I prefer to the pathological tone with which people cut the phrase "free association." It's fun to write like this, how I think! Freewheeling at any rate. Kept thinking of that quote about how we are dancing animals put on earth to fart around, like. Yeah. Truly my mind woke up when I spent a day with the common cold under a gray sky running stupid Kafkaesque errands and dilly-dallying about it. An old woman came up to me and complained about the parking and the traffic and her bad leg and her bad doctor and the bad weather. We commiserated, comrades in misery, each with our bad legs and our bad doctors under the weight of the sullen sky. I love the city, I love the bus driver who greeted everyone cheerfully despite the dreariness, I love that three people on the train platform were wearing the same shoes as me, these Adidas sneakers I got at the thrift store seven years ago. It is so much easier to be open and kind when I do not feel like a prey animal all the time. Did not think this post would arrive at "encomium to anxiety medication and Going Outside [which I am able to do because of anxiety medication]" but here we are lol

[sparklyeevee]

Okay, looking at it now; Autism requires "clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning", although since the preceding criterion mentions that autism may not become apparent until social demands exceed limited capacities, and may be masked later in life, I assume there's some flexibility on "current".

DID requires "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning".

In the Use of the Manual section (page 20, for anyone who cares to check my work), also includes the following information on what constitutes a disorder

Each disorder identified in Section II of the manual (excluding those in the chapters entitled "Medication-Induced Movement Disorders and Other Adverse Effects of Medication" and "Other Conditions That May Be A Focus of Clinical Attention") must meet the definition of a mental disorder. Although no definition can capture all aspects of all disorders in the range captured by the DSM-5, the following elements are required:

A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other important activities. An expectable or culturally approved response to a common stressor or loss, such as the death of a loved one, is not a mental disorder. Socially deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) and conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are not mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict results from a dysfunction in the individual, as described above.

Gonna include a couple of other quotes here from pages 20 and 21.

Until incontrovertible etiological or pathophysiological mechanisms are identified to fully validate specific disorders or disorder spectra, the most important standard for the DSM-5 disorder criteria will be their clinical utility for the assessment of clinical course and treatment response of individuals grouped by a given set of diagnostic criteria.

That's from page 20

However, in the absence of clear biological markers or clinically useful measurements of severity for many mental disorders, it has not been possible to completely separate normal and pathological symptom expressions contained in diagnostic criteria. This gap in information is particularly problematic in clinical situations in which the patient's symptom presentation by itself (particularly in mild forms) is not inherently pathological, and may be encountered in individuals for whom the diagnosis of "mental disorder" would be inappropriate. (Italics mine).

Page 21

Which is all by way of saying that the DSM-5 is pretty clear that humans just Experience Things sometimes, that it's only a problem if it's a problem, and that there aren't a lot of things you can only experience if you have a specific disorder.

https://www.systemspeak.org/blog/2019/9/12/structural-dissociation-discussion

This is a discussion article from System Speak about Power To The Plural’s “structural dissociation is ableist” article. While interviewing a professional, they go over the misinformation in PTTP’s article, and even get input from one of the creators of the structural dissociation theory. They tackle some common myths and misconceptions that the plural community is spreading about dissociative disorders and the theory of structural dissociation.

Some topics include:

OSDD is not a “lesser” version of DID

All alters are equally important & real

You don’t have to be distressed by your alters to be diagnosed with DID or OSDD

Structural dissociation applies to ALL trauma-related disorders, not just DID and OSDD

Final fusion is not the primary treatment goal for DDs; it’s a choice & it should not be forced onto you

This is an important read if you feel like the concept of trauma-related structural dissociation and its treatment somehow invalidates plurality.

[irasnotes-blog]

Break the Stigma: Mental Health and Technology

The world has long been fighting a battle against mental health. Bills are being enacted and different technological advancements are being researched and developed in order to aid the field of psychology, neuroscience, and the like.  In the Philippines, 17 to 20 percent of Filipinos suffer from a psychiatric disorder, according to the National Statistics Office (2016). In the late quarter of 2017, the Senate passed a law, dubbed as the Mental Health Act of 2017. This is a sign of the growing awareness of the people to delve into the matters of the mind and doing what is possible to solve the problems that come with it.

Understanding Mental Health and Illness

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” However, some believe that this definition shies away from the conceptualization of mental health, portraying it as an absence of mental illness which can lead to misconceptions and potential misunderstandings in defining the actual state if a healthy mind.

Thus, scientists have proposed a newer, more inclusive definition: Mental health is a dynamic state of internal equilibrium which enables individuals to use their abilities in harmony with universal values of society. Basic cognitive and social skills; ability to recognize, express and modulate one's own emotions, as well as empathize with others; flexibility and ability to cope with adverse life events and function in social roles; and harmonious relationship between body and mind represent important components of mental health which contribute, to varying degrees, to the state of internal equilibrium.

Mental illnesses or disorders, are defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-IV) as a “mental disorder is a psychological syndrome or pattern which is associated with distress (e.g. via a painful symptom), disability (impairment in one or more important areas of functioning), increased risk of death, or causes a significant loss of autonomy; however it excludes normal responses such as grief from loss of a loved one, and also excludes deviant behavior for political, religious, or societal reasons not arising from a dysfunction in the individual.”

Using Technology in Psychiatric Treatment

Technology has opened up a new avenue for the public, doctors, researchers, and scientists in mental health support and data collection. With mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart watches provide new ways to access, monitor, and further understand the meaning of mental welfare. Nowadays, people often associate poor mental health with the excessive use of gadgets and other forms of technology. It may be true, but fortunately, researchers have found ways to incorporate mental wellness apps into our mobile phones available on-the-go.

The use of such technologies as a supplement to mainstream therapies for mental disorders is an emerging mental health treatment field which could improve the accessibility, effectiveness and affordability of mental health care. As technology evolved, psychiatrists began to employ virtual reality as a means for the mentally ill to cope will their conditions. And with proper support, digital interventions are as effective as face-to-face treatments (Andersson et al., 2014; Cuijpers, Donker, van Straten, Li, & Andersson, 2010).

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We often associate AI as a non-sentient being conversing with us as virtual assistants, like Siri or Alexa, helping us with the mundane tasks of everyday life. But in reality, AI goes beyond that constraint. Now, artificial intelligence is being used to revolutionize mental healthcare.

AI applications like Tess by X2_AI, IBM’s Watson, and Google Deepmind AI are called psychological AI. They interact with the users with the aim of providing psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. According to IBM Research: “Cognitive computers will analyze a patient’s speech or written words to look for tell-tale indicators found in language, including meaning, syntax and intonation. Combining the results of these measurements with those from wearables devices and imaging systems (MRIs and EEGs) can paint a more complete picture of the individual for health professionals to better identify, understand and treat the underlying disease, be it Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s disease, PTSD or even neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD.”

Through artificial intelligence, mental assessments and treatment can ber very possible at the comfort of our own homes.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual Reality is an effective way to immerse patients in an artificial state that allows them to simulate the experience without physically going through it again for them to be able to cope and adjust – the best way being through virtual reality.

Psious, a Spanish-American behavioral health technology company whose main product is the PsiousToolsuite, a virtual reality platform aimed at bringing value to mental health treatment. This application allows the user to enter into a therapy session at the comfort of your present location, like the office break room, for instance. Psious was developed primarily as a means of exposure therapy. The gizmo can simulate a free-fall experience for someone who is afraid if heights without having to actually go through the process of parachuting across the sky.

In the study “Virtual reality therapy for agoraphobic outpatients in Lima, Peru” (Suyo, M.I., et al., 2015), the proponents tested eight patients of both sexes with clinical diagnosis of agoraphobia. Subjects were exposed to virtual reality environments generated by Psious Virtual Reality application for agoraphobia treatment and skin conductance (measured in microsiemmens) and scale of subjective units of anxiety (SUDS) were recorded while the patient was exposed to virtual environment that provoke anxiety; they was measured by 5 sessions. They drew to the conclusion that all eight patients had clinical improvement, six patients improved more than 50%, with statistically significant results

A study spearheaded by Dr. Albert Rizzo (2006) entitled “BRAVEMIND: Advancing the Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan PTSD Exposure Therapy for MST” (Rizzo, A., 2006), focuses on helping patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Bravemind simulates a war zone, like Iraq, to activate "extinction learning" which can deactivate a deep-seated "flight or fight response," relieving fear and anxiety. Along with PTSD, Bravemind can also treat traumas of sexual abuse.

Mobile Apps

Mobile mental health apps are on the rise because they give us an affordable and accessible solution, not to mention, anonymity. Developers have created different mobile applications that cater to different needs like insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, and the like. There are also applications for meditation and breathing exercises to help the user calm down in times of stress. There are established digital treatments for depression, anxiety disorders, and even insomnia (Andersson & Titov, 2014). They are self-help programs designed either to be used on their own or with some form of support. These treatments vary in their content, clinical range, format, functionality and mode of delivery. For inspiration, positivity and mood tracking apps also exist, along with apps that allow the user to vent about their feelings to get them off their chest.

One notable app is called Mindstrong. It monitors smartphone behavior with permission from the user. According to Dr. Thomas Insel (2017), one of the researchers behind this app, if a user starts typing more rapidly than normal, their syntax changes, or they indulge in impulsive shopping sprees that might be an indicator that they're manic. If they don't respond to texts from family and friends, they might be depressed. Together, this data collection could create what is referred to as a "digital phenotype," which could be described as a personalized mental health map.

Conclusion

Various studies have shown the importance and benefits in using technology to overcome, or at least alleviate, mental illnesses. The world is a long way from completely figuring out and solving these problems, but with the help of the constant evolution of technology, it might be very possible in the not too distant future.

Mental health is a serious matter that should be given utmost attention and concern. It might be seen as impossible to eradicate this problem, but as St. Francis of Assisi said, “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

REFERENCES

Andersson, G., Titov, N. (2014). Advantages and limitations of Internet-based interventions for common mental disorders. World Psychiatry, pp. 4-11

Andersson, G., Cujipers P., Carlbring P., Riper H., Hedman, E. (2014). Guided internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry, pp. 288-295

Farr, C. (2017, May 10). Former Alphabet exec is working on an idea to detect mental disorders by how you type on your phone. Retrieved January 20, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/10/thomas-insel-ex-alphabet-mindstrong-track-mental-health-smartphone-use.html

Nimh.nih.gov. (2017). NIMH » Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment. [online] Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future-of-mental-health-treatment/index.shtml [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Research.ibm.com. (2018). With AI, our words will be a window into our mental health- IBM Research. [online] Available at: http://research.ibm.com/5-in-5/mental-health/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Rizzo, A. (2016). BRAVEMIND: Advancing the Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan PTSD Exposure Therapy for MST.

Stein, Dan J; Phillips, K.A; Bolton, D; Fulford, K.W.M; Sadler, J.Z; Kendler, K.S (November 2010). "What is a Mental/Psychiatric Disorder? From DSM-IV to DSM-V". Psychological Medicine. London: Cambridge University Press. 40 (11): 1759–1765. doi:10.1017/S0033291709992261. ISSN 0033-2917. OCLC 01588231. PMC 3101504 Freely accessible. PMID 20624327.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental health: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville: U.S. Public Health Service; 1999.

Vásquez Suyo, M.I. et al. (2015). Virtual reality therapy for agoraphobic outpatients in Lima, Peru. European Psychiatry , Volume 33 , S397 - S398

World Health Organization. Promoting mental health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice (Summary Report) Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004.

[circular-bircular]

???

DSM-IV:

The classification of Mental Disorders: “Mental disorders have also been defined by a variety of concepts(e.g., distress, dyscontrol, disadvantage, disability, inflexibility, irrationality, syndromal pattern, etiology, and statistical deviation).”

“In DSM-IV, each of the mental disorders is conceptualized as a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition, this syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable and culturally sanctioned response to a particular event, for example, the death of a loved one. Whatever its original cause, it must currently be considered a manifestation of a behavioral, psychological, or biological dysfunction in the individual.”

On the Sexuality Argument, before anyone mentions it: “Neither deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) nor conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual, as described above.” [i.e. DID/OSDD is a disorder regardless, as the conflict is a symptom of dysfunction DUE TO being a system].

From the page explaining dissociative disorders: “The essential feature of the Dissociative Disorders is a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment. The disturbance may be sudden or gradual, transient or chronic.” [Emphasis mine]

“Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder) is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of the individual's behavior accompanied by an inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.”

So… not sure where you’re getting “it didn’t have distress criteria.” It absolutely did.

Moreover, about your statement about not wanting a core aspect of your identity to be medicalized…

I absolutely want core aspects of who I am to be medicalized. I am autistic. If autism were not medicalized, I would not have access to the help I need in order to like. Function. If DID (a disorder that, for me personally, is a very real and core aspect of who I am) were not medicalized, I would not be receiving the help I need currently.

At this moment in time, I go to therapy once a week. It costs me 20 dollars per session. This is because the therapist is billing my insurance for therapy “for my DID.” Note: I am not yet diagnosed. This is medically recognized DID. If DID were not medicalized - not medically recognized by the DSM, for instance - than I would be paying closer to 200 dollars (at least) per hour, as it would not be covered by insurance.

Do you see how this directly affects my life? I consider DID part of who I am. I also DESPERATELY want it medicalized.

So confused how this argument started with you saying that anti-endos (“sysmeds”) are just like transmeds because they want a disorder to be medicalized, unlike transmeds, who want something that is SOLELY an identity to be medicalized.

Speaking as someone who is frequently called a sysmed, despite the fact that I fully believe in endogenic plurality and do not believe their experiences should be medicalized, the term is useless and is used as an insult, not a true label, and the fact that the insult was co-opted from transmed makes it transphobic as it is relying on system being defined as an identity, when it has not meant an identity in the DID/OSDD community for a long time. Either you are changing definitions, or you are suggesting that being trans is similar enough to being a disorder that the arguments are interchangeable. Hence - transphobia.

It's down right mind boggling how little reflection sysmeds have when they say "its transphobic to call us sysmeds, cause being trans is an identity and the other is a disorder."

Like, take a second. Ask yourself, what would a transmed say in response to that? What does a transmed think about being trans? Have fucking young or sheltered are you to not know about the amount of fucking hate and vitriol that was/is thrown around about needing dysphoria, a diagnosis, or to transition?

Gods Jack needs to get that post of its written up about this.