People also seem excited about the new symptom cluster for PTSD, which is negative alterations in mood and cognitions. They feel that these cognitive changes reflect ways that people with PTSD often feel most affected by their trauma exposure.
A couple of things that leave folks scratching their heads are some of the changes in gender dysphoria and caffeine-related issues. These issues don’t seem to get a resounding positive or negative reaction, but they are causing people to think.
Changes in the language of gender dysphoria include wording that indicates that we are now looking at gender as being on a spectrum, not just as the two choices of either male or female, but some alternative gender. This is a departure from the way most people have conceptualized gender until this point.
The confusion in the area of caffeine use comes from the fact that we have choices of caffeine intoxication or caffeine withdrawal, but there is no option of caffeine use disorder. People have wondered why we have intoxication and withdrawal, but not a use disorder.
You’ve asked a good question, and now’s the time to become familiar with the changes that are part of the DSM-5. I encourage you to read up on the revisions and prepare yourself well for this dramatically different way to diagnose people.
Martha Teater is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Waynesville, NC. She was a collaborating clinical investigator for the DSM-5 field trials for routine clinical practice. She can be contacted at martha@marthateater.com or http://www.marthateater.com.