Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Deception #19: Disease Models, Diagnostics and the DSM IV


What’s keeping us stuck? Why are we so weakness focused? We have a culture that is focused on what’s wrong and much of that can be attributed to psychiatric and medical models being introduced into education and the workplace.

Many 10 year olds could give you reasonable working definitions of “Attention Deficit Disorder” (A.D.D.), Attention Deficit Hyper-Active Disorder (A.D.H.D.), and some even Bi-Polar Disorder. Yet, how many of them could describe their own talents, innate abilities, and gifts? We are a culture that is focused on what’s wrong with us.

There is a long history on this. Much of it has been reinforced by Freudian Psychiatry and has led up to a mental health “bible” that is completely focused on mental illness. Listing over 250 mental health issues and illnesses, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM IV) is now in it’s 4th edition with a 5th one coming.

Medicine is similarly focused. Doctors have historically been oriented toward fixing what’s wrong with you. This focus is often without regard to additional problems brought on by the cure. Diagnostics in both mental and physical health are often driven by pharmaceutical companies hoping to cash in on the treatment.

All of this can be directly traced into both education and the workplace with all the focus on fixing weakness. Report Cards and Performance Reviews have been designed to access what’s wrong and fix it. Skill development and knowledge acquisition are often recommended without regard to complementary natural talent.

Some of this is changing. Positive psychology is infusing a strengths focus in social work designed to amplify what’s well with a patient. Alternative medicine is doing the same with the body. The 800 page Character Strengths and Virtues was published in 2004 as balancing point to the DSM IV. Harvard educator Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence concepts are seeping into the classroom.

The strengths philosophy, which began trickling into the workplace decades ago is now forming a few significant streams, and will certainly become a roaring river. Get ready for a great ride!

Your Moment of Truth: Success comes from amplifying what you can do, not eliminating what you can’t do.
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