L.J. Davis

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM ), compiled and published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), is a complete reference book of mental disorders and illnesses. L.J. Davis argues in the following viewpoint that according to the DSM, all types of perfectly normal behavior are classified as mental disorders. Many of these so-called psychiatric disorders are the result of physical diseases, he maintains, that should be treated by doctors who specialize in hard science. Furthermore, Davis contends that the APA’s reason for identifying all these behaviors as mental disorders is to earn fees for its practitioners. Davis is a contributing editor to Harper’s Magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. To what three things does Davis compare the DSM"
2. How many mental disorders were described in...