For years, the DSM has been criticized as a codification of human behavior that has been given too much credence as a measure of dysfunction. Like Freud-speak, Shakespeare and the Bible, its vernacular has weedled its way so deeply into our language, consciousness and culture that its labels and categories have become almost ubiquitous. So ubiquitous in this case, in fact, that there has come to be an increasing imperative on the part of some professionals to justify the veracity of what could easily be construed as nominal observations with official sounding language.
Frankly, my dismay and disappointment at finding this article on the front page of CNN.com, via Oprah.com, has left me quite uncharacteristically speechless.
Although Douglas LaBier's position on empathy deficit as a social condition is not untenable, labeling a failure of relationship and communication skills driven by a lack of emotional maturity and/or failure of social intelligence -- see, now I'm doing it -- an actual disorder seems, to me at least, a questionable misapplication of language and, for that reason, somewhat beyond the pale.
As I have no real comment -- read on, and draw your own conclusions.
Empathy deficit disorder -- do you suffer from it?
An Addendum: Upon reflection, I'd like to add (see my reply to the comment below) that the difficulty I am having with the position of empathy deficit as a disorder is that calling something that is a sweeping rend in the fabric of culture -- namely our lack of compassion and empathy (not to mention just plain old fashioned good manners) -- a disorder seems to trivialize it. Slapping a label on something so huge, to my mind, makes it less than what it is.
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EDD - hidden in plain sight
Michael, perhaps you're fortunate enough never to have needed the social and welfare services of your local authority, or stood in line at an unemployment centre, or needed the police as a victim of crime, or been hospitalised in a public facility, or become disabled, or homeless (just think 'Katrina' for example), or any number of situations where the massive legions of public 'service' providers and bureaucrats hold power over your life and, but for the grace of God, have themselves narrowly escaped any or all of those misfortunes.
Routinely, people who have encountered any of these situations find that they can easily become a specimen, a hapless sub-human to whom anything can be done, upon whom any amount of casual, callous abuse can be heaped.
Such unfortunate people soon find that there certainly is a massive deficit in empathy amongst the general populace. In fact, it's so pervasive and epidemic that most of us do not even notice it now. (And let's not even get started on the millions of children who die or are maimed each week as a result of famine, war, poverty. All the endless atrocities of endless wars and conflicts. Etc.etc. While the rest of us turn a convenient blind eye.)
No, I am sure that Empathy Deficit Disorder is real and at devastating levels. May I, with great respect, suggest that you might revisit what 'empathy' really means and perhaps also spend a week at a public employment bureau, or a police station, or a state facility for those with learning difficulties or paraplegia, or at public hospital - the possibilities are almost endless. Tell the staff that you're doing research into 'how badly behaved service users are, how they are ingrates and abusive, how demanding they are'. That'll immediately yield a tremendous welter of staff tales of their routinely callous and punitive treatment of service users - and usually delivered with a smirking sneer - before you even begin your observations.
As a regular reader of your blog, and others here, I genuinely look forward to your report back.