Dx Revision Watch
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Submission by ME Association of Denmark
DSM-5 Task Force, Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group
Response on the Proposals for Somatic Symptom Disorder
The ME Association of Denmark wishes to strongly advise against the acceptance of the proposed category Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) into version 5 of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a complex, chronic, multi-system disease that is currently not well known in the medical community and many doctors will not recognize it when a patient presents with it. It is our concern that instead of getting a correct diagnosis of ME, a patient would instead get a diagnosis of SSD. And they would then receive inappropriate and possibly harmful treatment.
We have several cases in Denmark where an incorrect diagnosis of functional somatic syndrome and the inappropriate treatment of exercise have left teenaged patients permanently bedridden. ME patients suffer from a unique and proven form of exercise intolerance called PENE: Post-Exertional Neuroimmune Exhaustion. http://www.meassociation.org.uk/?p=7173
We have countless cases where an incorrect diagnosis and treatment have negatively and permanently impacted the ME patient’s health and quality of life.
ME can be extremely debilitating and usually prevents patients from working, going to school or even caring for themselves. Many patients go years and even decades before they receive a correct diagnosis. Given the circumstances, it is only human to worry about your illness and to try to find out why you are ill. The absolute subjectivity of the criteria for SSD makes it likely that even more ME patients will be misdiagnosed with a psychological disorder if SSD is taken into use. We fail to see how the proposed category would benefit any patient.
We also find it extremely worrisome that SSD can be added to any physical diagnosis and we can only see this as an attempt to create patients for the psychiatric industry.
In Denmark, it is our experience that once a patient has received a psychological diagnosis of this type, they are then blocked from any further examinations and tests. Danish doctors are trained by a program called the TERM model to understand all new symptoms as an expression of the patient’s psychiatric problems. Thus, they are encouraged to ignore symptoms of physical disease. (TERM model page 49)
Our concern is that the category of SSD will make it much easier to give a psychiatric diagnosis and that many physical diseases will therefore be ignored.
The idea of science should be to move forward and to objectively elucidate the cause of disease. The creation of the category of Somatic Symptom Disorders would be a big step backwards.
Best regards,
Rebecca Hansen
Chairman
ME Association, Denmark
DSM-5 Task Force, Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group
Response on the Proposals for Somatic Symptom Disorder
The ME Association of Denmark wishes to strongly advise against the acceptance of the proposed category Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) into version 5 of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a complex, chronic, multi-system disease that is currently not well known in the medical community and many doctors will not recognize it when a patient presents with it. It is our concern that instead of getting a correct diagnosis of ME, a patient would instead get a diagnosis of SSD. And they would then receive inappropriate and possibly harmful treatment.
We have several cases in Denmark where an incorrect diagnosis of functional somatic syndrome and the inappropriate treatment of exercise have left teenaged patients permanently bedridden. ME patients suffer from a unique and proven form of exercise intolerance called PENE: Post-Exertional Neuroimmune Exhaustion. http://www.meassociation.org.uk/?p=7173
We have countless cases where an incorrect diagnosis and treatment have negatively and permanently impacted the ME patient’s health and quality of life.
ME can be extremely debilitating and usually prevents patients from working, going to school or even caring for themselves. Many patients go years and even decades before they receive a correct diagnosis. Given the circumstances, it is only human to worry about your illness and to try to find out why you are ill. The absolute subjectivity of the criteria for SSD makes it likely that even more ME patients will be misdiagnosed with a psychological disorder if SSD is taken into use. We fail to see how the proposed category would benefit any patient.
We also find it extremely worrisome that SSD can be added to any physical diagnosis and we can only see this as an attempt to create patients for the psychiatric industry.
In Denmark, it is our experience that once a patient has received a psychological diagnosis of this type, they are then blocked from any further examinations and tests. Danish doctors are trained by a program called the TERM model to understand all new symptoms as an expression of the patient’s psychiatric problems. Thus, they are encouraged to ignore symptoms of physical disease. (TERM model page 49)
Our concern is that the category of SSD will make it much easier to give a psychiatric diagnosis and that many physical diseases will therefore be ignored.
The idea of science should be to move forward and to objectively elucidate the cause of disease. The creation of the category of Somatic Symptom Disorders would be a big step backwards.
Best regards,
Rebecca Hansen
Chairman
ME Association, Denmark
