The DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) is a text published by the American Psychiatric Association that outlines the details and criteria of all recognized mental health conditions. The book is used by mental health professionals to evaluate and diagnose patients. In the first essay of The Collected Schizophrenias, "Diagnosis," Wang includes the full lists of criteria required for a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to provide background information for readers who may not be aware of exactly how this condition manifests. Wang also explains that, while the DSM-5 has its critics, she personally takes comfort in her diagnosis because it provides an explanation of her symptoms, and demonstrates that she is not "pioneering an inexplicable experience" (5).

Stanford University

After she was dismissed from Yale because of her mental health issues, Wang attended Stanford University for the remainder of her undergraduate years. During this time she...