The DSM-V Revision Changes takes the sting out of sadism

Many battles won over the years are done so by tireless hard work.  Often this is thankless.  I originally thought about editing this post by Leigha Fleming from National Coalition for Sexual Freedon (NCSF) but due to the heartfelt passion expressed and the history told I am leaving the entire article for your reading.  Please enjoy the news of the proposed revisions to the DSM-V regarding the language related to 'Sexual Sadism' vs 'Sexual Sadism Disorder'.  This details important history, passion and struggle.  Ms T

WON! The DSM-V Revision Changes!

by Leigha Fleming
Hi folks....
So I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you some HUGE news...
I sat in my car today... in the garage, responding to phone calls and reading/writing emails.
I spent a good part of that time crying-- with relief and happiness... and gratitude. Let me tell you why.
The proposed revisions to the DSM-V are out on the official DSM-V website as of this morning. See Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders

The victory is this: the revision committee is giving us exactly what we asked for. ALL the paraphilias are being renamed from, e.g. 'Sexual Sadism' to 'Sexual Sadism Disorder', explicitly to acknowledge that the paraphilias themselves ARE NOT disorders and bring their misleading names into alignment with the other behavioral disorders already in the DSM. (e.g. eating isn't a disorder, but bulimia is an eating disorder.)
This is exactly how Homosexuality (302.0) was 'deleted' from DSM-II -- by a rename to 'Egodystonic Homosexuality' which was the disorder of being unhappy to be gay. What made it a 'deletion' and the 'winning' of a political battle was in large part the Gay Activists Alliance saying so very publicly. Egodystonic Homosexuality was itself eventually dropped from the DSM.

NCSF is moving swiftly to publish press releases declaring victory and complimenting the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Working Group for seeing thing our way. To capitalize on this and make it sociopolitically relevant, we absolutely must control the 'frame' of how the change is understood. It's a 'deletion' if we SAY it is.

I want to be clear... NO OTHER ORGANIZATION... no other group ... worked on the paraphilias revision section as directly and completely as NCSF has. There have certainly been individuals who have worked for it.. but no other organization has. Susan Wright in particular has to be credited for her tireless work on this issue. Our survey, our reports, our communication to the committee was listened to. We have made a HUGE victory and an incredibly important first step in the removal of the paraphilias section in its entirety.
We'll start issuing press releases at the beginning of next week. The DSM-V isn't set in stone yet... it's open to a public comment period through April. We have to move quickly and capitalize on our success with this.

As I sat in my garage in the car this evening.. I thought about all the people over the years who have had the DSM used as a tool of discrimination and punishment....
The Revolution is coming.. and NCSF is leading the way.
Thank you all for your continued involvement and support.
Best,
Leigha Fleming Board Chair 822 Guilford Ave #127 Baltimore, MD 21202 410.539.4824 (office) 443.280.0457 (direct) www.ncsfreedom.org http://www.twitter.com/ncsf http://ncsf.wordpress.com

Kinky is not a Diagnosis - Petition for changes to DSM-V

This is the petition that started the proposed changes to the DSM-V changes.  For those that enjoy the whole story, feast your eyes on this!  Ms T
Kinky is NOT a Diagnosis

NCSF [National Coalition for Sexual Freedom] is proud to announce that 3,241 people signed the DSM Revision Petition from June 2008 to December 2009. The petition is now closed and has been sent to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the members of the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V). Thank you to everyone who participated in this historic effort!

The diagnoses in the DSM-TR-IV subject people who practice BDSM, fetishes and cross-dressing to bias, discrimination and social sanctions without any scientific basis. NCSF often sees individuals who suffer distress and impairment in their social and occupational lives (ie. interpersonal difficulties) because their desires conflict with current societal standards. These standards stem in a large part from the DSM. itself: pathologizing unusual sexual interests has led to more discrimination and discouraged individuals from seeking treatment for physical and mental health problems. This codification of  'cultural aversion' was the same reason that ego-dystonic homosexuality was included in the DSM, and then removed when it was finally recognized as such by the APA.

Some of the comments made on the petition include:

#604: 'BDSM is no more an illness or dysfunction than boxing, skydiving or participating in any extreme sport.'

#1680: 'I am all for removing these biases from legitimate psychiatry. It has ruined a friend of mine as for 8 years he has felt ashamed, depressed and self destructive because some 'therapist' diagnosed him as sexually deviant and egodystonic and told him to repress his urges.'

#1902: 'Psychiatry should serve human wellness, not police human diversity.'

#2224: 'Historically, diagnoses of insanity have been used to marginalize those with unusual sexual preferences. This has to stop.'

#2566: 'I just had an acquaintance lose custody of her child to her now-vengeful ex due to 'kink' and a bad judge. It’s time to take more bias out of the DSM.'

'The politicization of sexuality is common in this country,' says Leigha Fleming, Board Chair of NCSF. 'There is no basis in scientific fact for the categorization of BDSM and affiliated behaviors as inherently pathological or unhealthy. Social conservatives shouldn’t be allowed to carry their agenda into the DSM. It wasn’t appropriate when homosexuality was classified as a disorder by the APA and it’s not correct now for the DSM to classify consensual adult sexual expression like BDSM, cross dressing, etc. as disorder. The DSM was never meant to be a political weapon used to marginalize sexual minorities. The overwhelming response by our constituents necessitates our involvement in this critical issue.'
To see the hundreds of comments that petitioners made on the petition, click here: www.thepetitionsite.com/1/DSMrevisionpetition

To find out more about the DSM and the Paraphilias section, read the NCSF & ITCR: The Foundation for NCSF’s 'White Paper on the DSM Revision' at www.ncsfreedom.org

For more information, email: susanw@ncsfreedom.org
Thanks to NCSF for this post.