43. "first sentence of your wiki link" In response to In response to 36
"A spectrum disorder is a disorder that includes a range of linked conditions, sometimes also extending to include singular symptoms and traits."
_also extending to singular symptoms and traits_
the whole world becomes involved. the definition is far too broad to be meaningful. it is hard to categorize people especially when the tools are self-report, clinician assessments.
advances in brain imaging and IDing genes associated with autism, schizotypy, etc will likely give us better precision. but are a very ethically thorny area.
would u like to know whether your teenager is at risk for a psychotic break at some point in young adulthood? maybe so, maybe no. but its likely we can begin to put probabilities on such things soon. people are more comfortable with the current model of diagnosis but it is not always very accurate or usefully descriptive.
i am not against talk therapy. im against certain forms you could say. i think there is a lot of promise in certain modalities getting honed better and taught more widely. eg ifs parts, various somato-sensory modalities, etc. normalization of psilocybin as a "medicine". more cautious normalization of MDMA. more investigation into ketamine.
there is a problem with therapist education and quality though. not everyone with a cert is going to be capable of providing the same care. some people have a gift, others not so much. some of the 'others not so much' apply the dsm-v and psychopharmaceuticals in a rote way that is not ideal. sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn't. but it often circumvents deeper interventions, a deeper understanding of and relationship with the patient that, if fostered, could lead to better results, more lasting change for the better in the person seeking help.