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DSM-5 Insanely Simplified: Unlocking the Spectrums within DSM-5 and ICD-10
The release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Version 5 (DSM-5) marked one of the biggest changes to the field of mental health diagnosis in over 20 years. DSM-5 Insanely Simplified provides a summary of key concepts of the new diagnostic schema including a section on the upcoming ICD-10. DSM-5 Insanely Simplified utilizes a variety of devices to help clinicians memorize complex criteria and ideas about the different diagnoses. Cartoons, mnemonic devices, and summary tables allow clinicians and students to quickly grasp and retain broad concepts and subtle nuances related to psychiatric diagnosis. DSM-5 Insanely Simplified fosters quick mastery of the most important concepts introduced in DSM-5 while offering an entirely new way of looking at mental health along a continuum. This new approach avoids simply "labeling" clients by placing them along spectrums that range from normal to problematic symptoms. Mental health professionals as well as laymen interested in a deeper understanding of emotional well-being will appreciate the synthesis of deep psychology and modern approaches to diagnosis.
Steven Buser trained in medicine at Duke University and served 12 years as a physician in the US Air Force. He is a graduate of the two-year Clinical Training Program at the CG Jung Institute of Chicago and is a co-founder of the Asheville Jung Center. In addition to a busy psychiatric private practice he serves as Publisher for Chiron Publications. He is active in the community and strives to integrate faith and spirituality into psychotherapy. He resides in the mountains in Asheville, NC with his wife and two children.
Len Cruz is the Editor-in-Chief of Chiron Publications, a book publishing company specializing in psychology, mythology, religion, and culture and a co-founder of the Asheville Jung Center. He is a psychiatrist who resides in Western North Carolina.
Luke Sloan was a 5th grade student in Asheville, NC when he completed the illustrations for this book. When he's not drawing, Luke enjoys playing soccer, reading books, snow-skiing, and just plain having fun!
Steven Buser trained in medicine at Duke University and served 12 years as a physician in the US Air Force. He is a graduate of the two-year Clinical Training Program at the CG Jung Institute of Chicago and is a co-founder of the Asheville Jung Center. In addition to a busy psychiatric private practice he serves as Publisher for Chiron Publications. He is active in the community and strives to integrate faith and spirituality into psychotherapy. He resides in the mountains in Asheville, NC with his wife and two children.
Len Cruz is the Editor-in-Chief of Chiron Publications, a book publishing company specializing in psychology, mythology, religion, and culture and a co-founder of the Asheville Jung Center. He is a psychiatrist who resides in Western North Carolina.
Luke Sloan was a 5th grade student in Asheville, NC when he completed the illustrations for this book. When he's not drawing, Luke enjoys playing soccer, reading books, snow-skiing, and just plain having fun!
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2015
373 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 28, 2017
Needed an editor and proofreader, in addition to not being a DSM simplification, but rather a Jungian interpretation of DSM, which is a different enterprise.
April 8, 2017
Sammanfattar och förklarar förändringarna inför DSM-V. Gillade illustrationerna av grundtankarna, med 8 olika spektra att känna igen sig i, t.ex.
How strong are your dreams and visions?
där skalan är från "I have no dreams or visions" till "Aliens have invaded my house"
eller
How much pleasure do you seek?
på en skala från "Ascetic monk with no possessions" via "Healthy enjoyment of wine and song" till "Party all night! Multiple drug addictions".
How strong are your dreams and visions?
där skalan är från "I have no dreams or visions" till "Aliens have invaded my house"
eller
How much pleasure do you seek?
på en skala från "Ascetic monk with no possessions" via "Healthy enjoyment of wine and song" till "Party all night! Multiple drug addictions".
January 7, 2021
If "DSM-5 Insanely Simplified" doesn't speak for itself the contents of the book certainly do. The book very often has four/five page chapters, including graphics, on very select takeaways from the DMS-5. The DSM-5 itself is 947 pages long-- as such, this particular book is dangerously reductive.
Diagnostic criteria aren't mentioned in this book. In fact, titles for the disorders are entirely missing as well. The core of how disorders are conceptualized contains one or two spectrums, which effectively reduce disorders to one or two features alone. For example, in the six page chapter on personality disorders personality is constructed along two extremes: neurotic and the personality disordered. The defining feature of these disorders is the degree to where people place blame (extreme blame towards self= neurotic, whereas extreme blame towards others = personality disordered), the author's say. This chapter also appeals to the New Testament saying, "Contrary to the new testament teaching, these people see the spec in the other person's eye while entirely missing the log in their own." For reference, in the DSM-5 there are nine different characteristics a person with a BPD diagnosis may have (a minimum of five are required). There are several more associated features that help clinicians better understand the disorder and offer appropriate treatment . No mention of any of that is in this book, it's a bit shocking.
The authors don't have recognized PhDs in psychology, and are associated with the Asheville Jung Centre. I personally have nothing against Jungian psychology, I enjoy it. However, the institution is not an accredited one, meaning it is not verified as being in line with the ethics and standards of the American Psychological Association. It shows.
Overall, this is truly an "Insanely Simplified" book, which runs the risk of over simplifying mental health to the point of increasing stigma.
Diagnostic criteria aren't mentioned in this book. In fact, titles for the disorders are entirely missing as well. The core of how disorders are conceptualized contains one or two spectrums, which effectively reduce disorders to one or two features alone. For example, in the six page chapter on personality disorders personality is constructed along two extremes: neurotic and the personality disordered. The defining feature of these disorders is the degree to where people place blame (extreme blame towards self= neurotic, whereas extreme blame towards others = personality disordered), the author's say. This chapter also appeals to the New Testament saying, "Contrary to the new testament teaching, these people see the spec in the other person's eye while entirely missing the log in their own." For reference, in the DSM-5 there are nine different characteristics a person with a BPD diagnosis may have (a minimum of five are required). There are several more associated features that help clinicians better understand the disorder and offer appropriate treatment . No mention of any of that is in this book, it's a bit shocking.
The authors don't have recognized PhDs in psychology, and are associated with the Asheville Jung Centre. I personally have nothing against Jungian psychology, I enjoy it. However, the institution is not an accredited one, meaning it is not verified as being in line with the ethics and standards of the American Psychological Association. It shows.
Overall, this is truly an "Insanely Simplified" book, which runs the risk of over simplifying mental health to the point of increasing stigma.
September 28, 2015
DSM-5 Insanely Simplified is a concise review of the changes involved in DSM-5 and the upcoming ICD-10. The beginning of the book is an interesting synopsis of the history and development of the system of diagnosis that has evolved into DSM-5.
The way the authors explain the spectrum is brief and to the point, but it also invites the reader to deeper thought about the implications of this new schema. Sophisticated readers will appreciate that there is a depth psychology perspective that underlies the effort to Unlock the spectrums in DSM-5 and by extension, ICD-10.
The idea that things in mental health exist along a spectrum and that we are all to be located somewhere along these spectrums. Everyone can be viewed through this spectrum lens that seems like a more comprehensive and gracious perspective.
The way the authors explain the spectrum is brief and to the point, but it also invites the reader to deeper thought about the implications of this new schema. Sophisticated readers will appreciate that there is a depth psychology perspective that underlies the effort to Unlock the spectrums in DSM-5 and by extension, ICD-10.
The idea that things in mental health exist along a spectrum and that we are all to be located somewhere along these spectrums. Everyone can be viewed through this spectrum lens that seems like a more comprehensive and gracious perspective.
November 19, 2021
3.5 stars, perhaps? In a rush to acquire some CEU credits, I swiftly read through this manual in less than 24 hours, (it's user-friendly enough to enable a deeper read than a mere frantic skimming), and appreciated the emphasis on mental health dwelling on a spectrum, something the authors illustrate beautifully with the imagery of the lotus flower on with the various disorders on the periphery and optimal mental health within the apex.
The authors acknowledge that oversimplification is a danger in this approach, and I did spot a notable example. Namely, mapping mental health on a spectrum implies that each of us only fall at *only one* point on the line. For instance, they show one spectrum with "neurotic" types, (the self-blamers) to the left and "obnoxious" types, (the blame-shifters) to the right. Yet consider that co-dependent clients may blame themselves in some instances and blame-shift in others, either way to unhealthy excess. In a second case, they show OCD and ADHD at opposite ends of a spectrum, neglecting how the two often exist as comorbidities. In fact, the tendency to hyperfocus is often a major symptom of ADHD, making single line on a spectrum a gross oversimplication of a complex mental health picture. A little clarification in this area would help clinicians maximize this book a useful professional resource.
The authors acknowledge that oversimplification is a danger in this approach, and I did spot a notable example. Namely, mapping mental health on a spectrum implies that each of us only fall at *only one* point on the line. For instance, they show one spectrum with "neurotic" types, (the self-blamers) to the left and "obnoxious" types, (the blame-shifters) to the right. Yet consider that co-dependent clients may blame themselves in some instances and blame-shift in others, either way to unhealthy excess. In a second case, they show OCD and ADHD at opposite ends of a spectrum, neglecting how the two often exist as comorbidities. In fact, the tendency to hyperfocus is often a major symptom of ADHD, making single line on a spectrum a gross oversimplication of a complex mental health picture. A little clarification in this area would help clinicians maximize this book a useful professional resource.
May 25, 2025
Although the DSM-5 has been updated since this book's publication, this book serves well as a quick refresher for those who have been out of grad school for a few years (like me). This book provides information about changes to the DSM-5 that were made at the time, and a basic presentation of the spectrum of diagnoses. Do not expect a detailed listing how different diagnoses manifest, however. The illustrations were cute, and I appreciate the emphasis in remembering that "people are NOT their diagnoses."
May 22, 2017
Quick and Easy to Understand
Wonderful, quick, and easy to understand book in some of the most used diagnosis. Nice review for the LCSW exam. I would recommed this book to anyone wanted to learn the basics of diagnosis and need a quick overview.
Wonderful, quick, and easy to understand book in some of the most used diagnosis. Nice review for the LCSW exam. I would recommed this book to anyone wanted to learn the basics of diagnosis and need a quick overview.
October 6, 2018
Very informative.
May 7, 2020
This book is a simple version to help remember parts of the dsm or to look at it a different. I appreciated the updates from 4 to5. Light read.
October 26, 2020
Explain lots of thing
March 6, 2021
Great Explanation
The authors simplified the DSM by putting major symptoms into 8 categories and used illustrations to help retain the information.
The authors simplified the DSM by putting major symptoms into 8 categories and used illustrations to help retain the information.
August 13, 2021
An easy to read breakdown of mental illnesses and their spectrums following the DSM-5 guidelines, with cute pictures to boot. A great resource for non-psychologists.
February 12, 2022
This really was over simplified,i did enjoy the illustrations though
November 1, 2024
good book
Made DSM5 less complicated. The breakdown of the 8 spectrums, and the cartoon characters, helped to study for my LCSW.
Made DSM5 less complicated. The breakdown of the 8 spectrums, and the cartoon characters, helped to study for my LCSW.
September 22, 2017
Good refresher and some interesting information on the changes between the DSM-IV and DSM-V
The title has to be considered very tongue in cheek... :)
The title has to be considered very tongue in cheek... :)
March 6, 2017
A nice summary of the DSM for the non professional
A nice summary for a non professional. Not that helpful if you see clients/patients. I did enjoy the cartoons. It was not what I was looking for.
A nice summary for a non professional. Not that helpful if you see clients/patients. I did enjoy the cartoons. It was not what I was looking for.
November 23, 2024
Simplified version!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews