What’s your take? I’m not sure if I know of an historic case of it like IDK maybe 200 or 150 years ago but nowadays I have several cases near of autistic people, so what do you think is old or new?

    • Victor@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 months ago

      The definition and classification of mental disorders are key issues for researchers as well as service providers and those who may be diagnosed. For a mental state to be classified as a disorder, it generally needs to cause dysfunction.[15] Most international clinical documents use the term mental “disorder”, while “illness” is also common. It has been noted that using the term “mental” (i.e., of the mind) is not necessarily meant to imply separateness from the brain or body.

      According to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), published in 1994, a mental disorder is a psychological syndrome or pattern that is associated with distress (e.g., via a painful symptom), disability (impairment in one or more important areas of functioning), increased risk of death, or causes a significant loss of autonomy.

      In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) redefined mental disorders in the DSM-5 as “a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.”

      I dunno, sounds to me like autism fits fine with “mental illness”, possibly depending on the severity/placement on the spectrum. Note that mental illness isn’t something easily defined. I just pulled the quotes above from Wikipedia.

        • Victor@lemmy.world
          0·
          2 months ago

          Being included in the DSM doesn’t automatically classify something as a mental illness

          No, but those descriptions of a mental illness I thought fit autism fairly well. 🤷‍♂️ That’s what I meant.

          • kewjo@lemmy.world
            1·
            2 months ago

            would you consider left-handedness a disability? just because someone struggles with things that suit the majority doesn’t mean it’s an illness

    • Victor@lemmy.world
      01·
      2 months ago

      autism isn’t a mental illness. It’s a difference in brain structure

      Define mental illness?

        • Victor@lemmy.world
          0·
          2 months ago

          This seems incredibly disingenuous when you can just go search the internet for the definition

          The F? That’s what I did, and posted in the other comment. :⁠-⁠P

          I think there’s a definition of “wrong” here as well. That’s a very subjective definition. My god son has autism, and he has problems in school, and it makes life difficult for his parents and siblings. That’s not “wrong”? It creates harm in some definition.

          I dunno, I’m not trying to blame autistic people or make them seem bad or worth less or something, I’m just saying that it sure feels like an illness sometimes. I also suspect I have some ultra mild placement on the spectrum, and it can be challenging in certain situations.