Patients won’t be the winners

I can see several potential winners if this category of somatic symptom disorder is accepted.1

Firstly, the manufacturers of “mood stabilisers,” antidepressants, and so on, which are already aggressively marketed to treat physical pain from neurological ailments, arthritis, and traumatic injuries, and pain allegedly caused by depression. There will scarcely be a patient who is not eligible to take one of these dubious miracles of neuroscience.

Secondly, physicians who have to discount patients’ complaints about the side effects of these “wonder drugs” (and many others). How fantastic to have a diagnostic code for the mental illness that leads patients to report these effects.

Lastly, corporate lawyers, human resources flaks, and insurance bean counters everywhere, who will gain scientific credibility for their claim that “there’s nothing wrong with the plaintiff, and it didn’t happen here.”

The psychiatric profession balks at giving us two months to get over the death of a loved one. How long will they allow us for the loss of livelihood and chronic pain from a crippling injury or disease? Will they come up with a scale? Three months for a whole leg and seven weeks for a major part; 2.5 weeks for a thumb and 10 for a hand, perhaps? After that, please report to the Department of Psychiatry for thought reform, either cognitive behavioural or the chemical variety. Lord help us.