The Pros And Cons Of Overmedication

254 Words2 Pages
With more than 300 disorders listed in the DSM 5, many without a clear biological etiology, it is easy to understand why a number of mental professionals now claim that the overmedication of patients has become a concern and that this practice needs to be reevaluated. The Manual for Mental Disorders is an indispensable tool used by psychiatrists, counselors, the courts, insurance companies and others as a reference guide to identify mental disorders and their symptoms. Conditions added to the DSM which have been pathologized like sleep apnea and caffeine withdrawal headaches are prompting clinicians to rely on lab tests and science to make their diagnoses. According to the NIMH, the DSM “diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of