Revised psychiatry manual targets autism, substance disorders

Recently the American Psychiatric Association has revised the guidlines--known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--that define what qualifies as Autism. They have included Asperger's syndrome in the autism spectrum. Asperger's symdrome is shown to be on the milder side of the autism spectrum. The new criteria mandates that the symptonms begin in early childhood and that deficits be measured in two areas: social interaction/communication and repetitive behaviors/fixated interests. The guidelines have also been revised for psychosis risk syndrome which sometimes preceeds schizophrenia. Scientists have combined "substance abuse" and "substance dependence" to create the term "addiction and related disorders," with the subheading "substance use disorders." There will also be a division of neurocognitive disorders into "major" and "minor" and new classifications for learning disorders.

I think it was definitely time to update the classifications and definitions of some of the disorders. They were a bit outdated and no longer fit the modern world of psychiatic problems. However I feel that the addition of Asperger's syndrome to the autism spectrum only increases the already immense width of it. Now nearly any slight social issue can be labeled as "autism." I also think that people are unnecessarily ignorant about modern psychological disorders. Adults and children alike should be educated on these subjects to avoid making potentially fatal mistakes in both written and spoken conversation.