In Defense of the DSM There are numerous controversies on the DSM, Big Pharma, and psychiatry. There are different theories that support both sides of the issue. There are people who will argue that diagnosis of mental disorders can be empirically supported through a biological standpoint; such as having the ability to detect differences in brain activity with individuals living with a mental disorder. On the other hand, there are others who claim there is no scientific evidence to diagnosing a patient with a mental illness; these individuals argue that diagnosis is in the “eye of the beholder”, which in this case is psychiatrics. Question 1: Is there any empirical evidence towards the DSM (such as scientific evidence for mental illness)? …show more content…
It is claimed psychiatrists only analyze their clients based on mere observation in sessions averaging from 15 to 20 minutes. However, according to an opposing documentary “Ride the Tiger: A guide Through the Bipolar Brain”, there is indeed scientific evidence that shows how brain imaging can detect a “bipolar marker” which can be found in the prefrontal cortex (2016). This has been discovered by researchers by connecting the theory that the core of bipolar symptoms is being more susceptible to make risk-taking decisions; individuals with this marker in their prefrontal cortex receive big thrills from risk-taking situations. Although this is not the case for all mental disorders, this does show that it is possible to find empirical evidence through