When we talk about health there are some words like disease, syndrome, symptom, disorder. Not all these words belong in the clinical psychology. I would like to talk to you about three words.
Symptom.
This is the easiest one to explain, because it is a familiar word, and you probably at least once answered the question: "What are the symptoms?". But the doctor asked you in a more simple way: "What’s wrong?". In the field of clinical psychology, the symptom is something that is capable of generating psychological suffering (and is attributable to a syndrome).
This is the easiest one to explain, because it is a familiar word, and you probably at least once answered the question: "What are the symptoms?". But the doctor asked you in a more simple way: "What’s wrong?". In the field of clinical psychology, the symptom is something that is capable of generating psychological suffering (and is attributable to a syndrome).
Symptom example:
- I am very sad, I have been for a long time, and I cannot get rid of this sadness.
- For more than a month I have slept little and badly, this affected my daily life. I can’t work and I always feel tired.
- I tend to get into fights with my classmates. I don’t want to, but I can’t help it, and I feel terrible about it.
Syndrome.
To understand this word, you have to act like a psychologist for a minute. Mrs A. shows up and tells you she’s feeling down, she spends all her time in the house watching TV, she doesn’t want to eat, she really sleeps a lot. As an experienced, you think Mrs A. is depressed.
Bingo. This is the syndrome. A set of symptoms that make you think of a specific "thing" that later (under certain conditions) we will call a disorder. You didn't consult a book to arrive at this assumption, you thought that based on the known symptoms, investigating a depression can be a starting point. Attention, this does not mean that you have diagnosed depression.
Disorder.
Here’s the new word (maybe). At this point you can no longer pretend to be a psychologist, you really must be one. If we take Mrs A.'s case, the on-duty psychologist, after the interview, studies the case. Open the diagnostic manual for mental disorders (DSM-5) and see what criteria allow you to systematically define whether Mrs A. suffers from a depressive disorder.
To understand this word, you have to act like a psychologist for a minute. Mrs A. shows up and tells you she’s feeling down, she spends all her time in the house watching TV, she doesn’t want to eat, she really sleeps a lot. As an experienced, you think Mrs A. is depressed.
Bingo. This is the syndrome. A set of symptoms that make you think of a specific "thing" that later (under certain conditions) we will call a disorder. You didn't consult a book to arrive at this assumption, you thought that based on the known symptoms, investigating a depression can be a starting point. Attention, this does not mean that you have diagnosed depression.
Disorder.
Here’s the new word (maybe). At this point you can no longer pretend to be a psychologist, you really must be one. If we take Mrs A.'s case, the on-duty psychologist, after the interview, studies the case. Open the diagnostic manual for mental disorders (DSM-5) and see what criteria allow you to systematically define whether Mrs A. suffers from a depressive disorder.
The psychologist is going to ask specific questions about the characteristics of the symptoms (e.g.: frequency, duration, etc.), and investigate whether there are other symptoms. In addition, if the psychologist decides that Mrs A. is suffering from a depressive disorder, they are also going to be able to define what type of disorder it is, determine if there are any comorbidities (other associated disorders), and theorize about a possible treatment.
An important note.
I am sure that someone among the readers would have heard of an expression "mental illness". Can you say, for example, tha Mrs A. is suffering with depression? There is a long debate here. Is the word "illness" correct?
I don’t want to get into a long, complex, and maybe boring discussion about ethics. I’m telling you that the clinical psychology uses the word "disorder". And the most important thing is to use the verb "to have" and not the verb "to be". What do I mean?
I am sure that someone among the readers would have heard of an expression "mental illness". Can you say, for example, tha Mrs A. is suffering with depression? There is a long debate here. Is the word "illness" correct?
I don’t want to get into a long, complex, and maybe boring discussion about ethics. I’m telling you that the clinical psychology uses the word "disorder". And the most important thing is to use the verb "to have" and not the verb "to be". What do I mean?
We don't say "they are depressed", "they are autistic", or "they are dyslexic"; but rather, we say that they have a diagnosis of depression, autism, or dyslexia. It may seem like a small distinction, but it's important to avoid labeling individuals. A psychological disorder certainly affects a person's life, but it doesn't define who they are. In addition to "being" depressed, they may also be intelligent, enjoy thriller movies, and play the violin very well. Having a diagnosis of a mental disorder means having a problem that limits one's potential to live happily, but it doesn't define a person's identity. Imagine if, instead of using the term "disorder", we used the word "illness"; it would be very easy to label someone as "mentally ill".
Did you know these words? Were they exactly what you expected? Have you heard the expression 'mental illness' or "psychological disorder" more often?
If you want me to describe in my own words a topic of psychology, please request it in the comment section.
Cited sources: DSM-5 - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
The last paragraph contains personal opinions and has no sources cited. These opinions represent the thoughts of the author of the post.
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