You'd better not be odd today or you might be labeled: ODD
I think I've just come across another Dumbing Down of society. It seems that modern psychiatry has a new disorder that has been installed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM.
Just what might this be you ponder; well it appears that anyone who deviates from the Norm can be declared mentally ill! Or, if someone does not conform to what those in charge defined to be Normal, they can be declared mentally insane or having "oppositional defiant disorder" ODD. Don't you just love labels with abbreviations!! So now it's not PMS but ODD....
The DMS does give a little latitude with the diagnosis in that there needs to be an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior. However, this brings back memories of a time when people were forced in to submission with electroshock therapy. I remember my aunt's sister-in-law was turned into a drooling 50 year imbecile after so many electric shocks when her husband had her committed. I was too young to know the details but I'm pondering if menopause might have had something to do with it.
What is frightening is that children who throw temper tantrums or fight with siblings could be declared mentally ill and subjected to who know what kind of treatment. As a child, if I tried to throw a tantrum or cause a fuss, I was sent to my room and privileges were taken away. Since I had rather be outside playing, I learned early on that tantrums didn't work.
At what point will someone exercising freedom of expression be silenced like in the USSR with mind-altering drugs. Furthermore what will become of inventive minds like Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell whose unconventional ideas seemed crazy in their day.
This ODD is definitely something scary to ponder and sounds like we might be getting even closer to Orwell's 1984.
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