Jon Ronson Chapter 10

In chapter 10 of Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test, Ronson listens to Lady Margaret speak about mental disorders and wonders how so many mental disorders came to in the first place and if there are problems with it. Ronson then talks about Robert Spitzer, the man responsible for editing the DSM, DSM-II, and DSM-III. The DSM-III was put together by a group of people coming together, sitting down, and throwing out possible items to add to the list and symptoms that were associated with the disorder. Eventually it leads to doctors using the DSM-IV to diagnose many patients with a mental disorder. It became so out of control where many doctors began misdiagnosing children with three common disorders such as autism, attention deficit, and childhood bipolar. The misdiagnosing only allowed these doctors to prescribe medication that wasn't needed in the first place. In one instance, it eventually resulted in an overdose of medication in a child.

These last few chapters really made me think. I always knew there were certain disorders that people were diagnosed with, and it's a bit funny that the people I know that have been diagnosed were actually diagnosed with the three most common disorders mentioned in chapter ten. It just made me very upset thinking that people are being diagnosed with disorders that were initially just made up in someone’s head to try to understand people's behaviors, and then they are being forced to take medication that they don't need. It isn't fair to people when some people are being misdiagnosed or charged for something they didn't do and then being locked away from society for it, or given medication that is useless. Realistically, I think life would be better if people didn't worry as much on diagnosing people with disorders that they can't say for sure are even a disorder and focus more on helping society be less judgmental and stop thinking people are so different for not doing what society says is normal. However, that doesn't mean I think that society shouldn't care if someone murders another person because they were doing something other than what is normal. I just think society puts too much stress on behaviors in society.