Understanding Mental Disorders

Book excerpt: "Understanding Mental Disorders: Your Guide to DSM-5-TR explains mental disorders, their diagnosis, and their treatment in basic terms for those seeking mental health care and for their loved ones. The book is a practical guide to the disorders described in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The most recent edition of DSM is the fifth edition text revision, referred to as DSM-5-TR. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) developed Understanding Mental Disorders: Your Guide to DSM-5-TR to help people whose lives have been touched by mental illness. The book was written to help people better understand mental disorders and how to manage them. The APA also publishes DSM. The purpose of DSM is to create a common language for health care providers who diagnose mental illnesses. Understanding Mental Disorders can be a helpful resource when talking with a health care provider before or after a diagnosis is received. The content of this book mirrors that of DSM-5-TR-it describes symptoms, risk factors, and related disorders. It defines mental disorders based on their symptoms and explores special needs or concerns. This new edition of Understanding Mental Disorders reflects changes made to DSM-5-TR and has been fully updated. Understanding Mental Disorders was first published after the publication of DSM-5. Understanding Mental Disorders is designed to help combat mental illness through education about the disorders and their symptoms, know when to seek help, and what to expect from treatment"--