Diagnostic Criteria

[Mononoke]

It specifies "sustaining" faith (which may or may not be religious, as someone said). I assume that this means that when you lose it, you are no longer feeling sustained, fulfilled, whatever. That could easily be related to depression or other mental disorders, surely. If you lose faith but come to a point where you are still sustained and contented, I wouldn't think there's any issue and I wouldn't think it'd apply.

[Darth]

Hey, at least they're no longer saying homosexuality is a mental disorder. Baby steps.

I don't put a great amount of stock in psychologists or the field of psychology, I've sat through many psych prereq units. The worst one so far has been qualitative psychology, wherein every lecture the lecturer has a go at the scientific fucking method, and every 10 minutes he decides to have a go at John Howard/his administration, who hasn't been prime minister of Australia since 2007. Social psych wasn't much better.

After sitting through their bullshit I'll never go to a psychologist, straight to a psychiatrist for me, even if they do want to drug me up.
Actually that's not fair, just be sure to know where your psychologist is coming from, freudian/jungian (and you would be surprised how many there are), run away, other approaches I've read are quite effective.

[downbeatplumb]

This has been bothering me for some time. Perhaps some of you will have different views on the subject which will help to reconcile my botheredness…
My issue is with the diagnostic criteria for complex-PTSD (which I've been diagnosed with). Which can be found on the wiki page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_pos...s_disorder
Behind the hide tag there's a list of the 7 proposed diagnostic criteria, it's longish, so I hid it. The bolding is mine.

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The following criteria were used while C-PTSD was under consideration for inclusion in the DSM-IV.[1]
1. A history of subjection to totalitarian control over a prolonged period (months to years). Examples include hostages, prisoners of war, concentration-camp survivors, and survivors of some religious cults. Examples also include those subjected to totalitarian systems in sexual and domestic life, including those subjected to domestic battering, child physical or sexual abuse, and organized sexual exploitation.
2. Alterations in affect regulation, including
persistent dysphoria
chronic suicidal preoccupation
self-injury
explosive or extremely inhibited anger (may alternate)
compulsive sexuality or extremely inhibited sexuality (may alternate)
3. Alterations in consciousness, including
amnesia or hypermnesia for traumatic events
transient dissociative episodes
depersonalization/derealization
reliving experiences, either in the form of intrusive post-traumatic stress symptoms or in the form of ruminative preoccupation
4. Alterations in self-perception, including
sense of helplessness or paralysis of initiative
shame, guilt, and self-blame
sense of defilement or stigma
sense of complete difference from others (may include sense of specialness, utter aloneness, belief no other person can understand, or nonhuman identity)
5. Alterations in perception of perpetrator, including
preoccupation with relationship with perpetrator (includes preoccupation with revenge)
unrealistic attribution of total power to perpetrator (caution: victim's assessment of power realities may be more realistic than clinician's)
idealization or paradoxical gratitude
sense of special or supernatural relationship
acceptance of belief system or rationalizations of perpetrator
6. Alterations in relations with others, including
isolation and withdrawal
disruption in intimate relationships
repeated search for rescuer (may alternate with isolation and withdrawal)
persistent distrust
repeated failures of self-protection
7. Alterations in systems of meaning
loss of sustaining faith
sense of hopelessness and despair[31]

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Guess where my problem lies? The 7th criteria: Alterations in systems of meaning, loss of sustaining faith…
Surprise! I'm an atheist. I recognize my lack of belief, at least in part and definitely in my early years, is/was related to my experience.
My issue is, why is a lack of faith a diagnostic criteria for a mental illness? If anything, my grip on reality has been more sustaining than faith ever could be for me. I view atheism as acceptance of the reality that a deity, in all likelihood, does not exist. I'm offended (not really the right word, perhaps, perplexed, annoyed, or displeased are better words?), that my lack of belief helps to qualify me for a mental illness, when being an atheist alone isn't a reason for diagnosis of any mental problems.
Most of the support groups, therapists, etc. I've encountered for treating C-PTSD attempt to establish some form of faith based system, and I don't have faith. Does this imply in order to overcome the C-PTSD one must establish a faith?
I'm rambling, but I'd love to hear thoughts on this.

I would surmise that it is because it is a sudden change in your thought process.

If you look at the list it is mainly about alterations in how you think and a loss of faith is just another one.