Recovery Refresh

Oct 23, 2021

Recovery Refresh: Episode 02 - What Your Doctor Thinks They Know About Addiction and the Folly of the DSM

In this episode Dr. Sharma discusses what is taught in medical school and residency training about "Substance Related Disorders and Addictive Disorders" from the psychiatric lens and why the "Bible of psychiatry" gets it all wrong when it comes to addiction. -- Topics discussed in this episode further include: -What defines a "disorder" vs a "disease" -How psychiatry and the DSM only define "disorders" -How psychiatry and the DSM are only able to identify "what" but not "why" -How psychiatry does not define addiction and instead defines "substance related disorders and addictive disorders" -How psychiatry's focus on substance manifestations of addiction leads clinicians to be oblivious to recognizing behavioural manifestations of the disease -What the Foulds' diagnostic hierarchy of psychiatry is and how psychiatry fails to properly use this (link to an example of the diagnostic hierarchy https://www.revisepsych.co.uk/diagnosis) -Reviewing addiction as a chronic, brain disease -Reviewing the ABCDE characteristics of addiction -How patients end up with "Laundry lists" of psychiatric diagnoses and continue to suffer -Common dysfunctional brain circuitry involved irrespective of substance or behavioural manifestations of addiction -The evolutionary importance of the reward circuitry -How the D and E characteristics of addiction are lifelong -How the characteristics of addiction can manifest early in life, prior to any substance use but with current classifications of "substance related disorders" via the DSM this is often not understood by clinicians -And more -- Visit his website for more information: IshanSharmaMD.com If you have questions, comments, or topic suggestions, you can follow Dr. Sharma on Instagram and send him a DM @IshanSharmaMD Please like, comment, subscribe, and share with others who you think would find value in this. Thanks for listening!

34 min