Sally Satel, psychiatrist, scholar and co-author of the forthcoming book “Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience,” challenges the authority of the soon-to-be-published DSM-5, the diagnostic “Bible” in the psychiatric world.
The DSM is an imperfect guide to predicting what treatments will benefit patients most, she writes, because of the multiple and complex factors that contribute to mental illness. The following is a selection of her longer New York Times article (Why the Fuss Over the DSM-5, 5.11.13).
Ben Feiler’s lovely New York Times piece (
In a response to the recent discussion in the New York Times about the growing numbers of children and teens being diagnosed with Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder, Ted Gup (author and fellow of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University) writes poignantly about a system “that devalues talking therapy and rushes to medicate, inadvertently sending a message that self-medication, too, is perfectly acceptable.”
While complaining may provide us an opportunity to “unload,” and even help us feel connected to one another as we share our grievances, excessive complaining can create an internal cycle of negativity and become a heavy burden to those close to us. By challenging thoughts and feelings that are attached to maladaptive behaviors, we work to transform these habits (such as excessive complaining) into positive actions that serve us better in the long run.
With contemporary culture’s focus on individual satisfaction, the traditional couple relationship is much more difficult to achieve. With more and people opting to live on their own, is the very idea of couplehood passé? 
A