You know, I did bring that book (and another one on pain and IC) in to him, left them there for a couple of weeks (he said he was interested in reading them) but the thing is, he's a new psychologist, still in rotation, and he's going to do everything "by the book." The DSM-IV says that the symptoms we have - the bladder symptoms, and also anyone who has endometrial symptoms, and anyone who has cramps with their period - are all hysterical in nature. Well, they don't use the word hysterical anymore, they use the word somatoform, but it's just a substitute for the old category of hysteria.
So if you have those symptoms, it has to get coded under somatoform disorder, by the book.
I think part of the problem is, the psychological books/coding manuals have not kept up with the new medical knowledge. We know that endometriosis is real, we know there is a physical reason for menstrual cramps, and we know IC is real, as is IBS - but all of those are still regarded in the diagnostic manual as psychological problems rather than physical illnesses.
I wonder why they haven't changed their manual? The last manual came out I think in 2004, surely it was known by then these diseases are real...?
I guess there just isn't any political pressure to change how the codes are.
After all, we are only hysterical women, we don't matter.
Blessings,
Lori
So if you have those symptoms, it has to get coded under somatoform disorder, by the book.
I think part of the problem is, the psychological books/coding manuals have not kept up with the new medical knowledge. We know that endometriosis is real, we know there is a physical reason for menstrual cramps, and we know IC is real, as is IBS - but all of those are still regarded in the diagnostic manual as psychological problems rather than physical illnesses.
I wonder why they haven't changed their manual? The last manual came out I think in 2004, surely it was known by then these diseases are real...?
I guess there just isn't any political pressure to change how the codes are.
After all, we are only hysterical women, we don't matter.
Blessings,
Lori
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