The Psychological Disorder Of The American Psychiatric...

Reaction Paper Prepared by: Xiaoying Zhang Prepared for: Dr. Chapman Introduction The fifth edition released by the American Psychiatric Association concerning the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was announced in May of 2013. This version differs because DSM-5 combines two disorders that have been previously identified in DSM-4, which are alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence, into one type of disorder. DSM-5 labels this as alcohol use disorder, or AUD, which is then further subdivided into three classifications: mild, moderate, and severe (Alcohol Use Disorder, 2015, p. 1). In this paper, I will discuss the psychological disorder of my uncle’s neighbor who is suffering from alcohol use disorder. For†¦show more content†¦28). This gives credence to AUD as a psychological disorder due to the attitudinal changes that can be evidenced as a result to consumption of alcohol. I have witnessed the effects of AUD firsthand in the person of Mr. Lee, who is my uncle’s neighbor and who lives in the same block where our family resides. He works at a local canning factory as a supervisor in the production area for more than three decades, and is generally always seen in the company of other Asians likewise employed in the said factory. Most probably in his middle forties, Lee is married and has three children aged 12, 8, and 4, who are all studying at a community school not far from our places of residence. Lee’s wife works as a janitress at a nearby small arcade that sells imported herbal goods, Asian massage services, an acupuncture clinic, and thrift shop. Generally, it is easy to perceive Lee as a normal family man belonging to the lower middle class whose only concern is in providing for the everyday needs of his wife and children, in terms of food, shelter and education. I can say that I know Lee quite closely because I often see him in the street or in one of his friends’ front lawn every time I go visit my uncle, which is only about 20-minute walk from my house. More so, my perception of Lee is supplemented by the stories my uncle tells me, which despite of somewhat being amusing for my uncle, is a bit unnerving on my part. In this respect, it had been mentioned in several