Image: “delicate soul who cannot tolerate stimulation”

Elizabeth Thomsen writes “Yesterday’s Boston Globe column by psychiatrist Elissa Ely opened by suggesting that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatry, instead of describing pathology, should describe strengths, or perhaps identify needs that could be met. Interesting…but here’s her first
example:

“For instance, a delicate soul who cannot tolerate stimulation might carry a diagnosis of ‘Should-Have-Been-a-Librarian.'”

See for yourself:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/121/oped/Diagnos ing_strengths+.shtml

http://tinyurl.com/3hmnk

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May 2, 2004 by Uncategorized 6

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6 Responses

  1. Fang-Face says:
    May 2, 2004 at 1:29 am

    Fun game, let’s play
    A psychiatrist who is so ignorant that it leaves us feeling incredulous could be listed as: Quack. Good thing for her she was writing off the subject. (That’s a literary device.)

    As a matter of fact, there is already a term to describe “a delicate soul who cannot tolerate stimulation”, people who are hypersensitive to the point where a thing of beauty can cause such emotional pain that they break down weeping every time. That term is autistic.

    Reply
  2. slashgirl says:
    May 2, 2004 at 4:36 am

    stimulation
    Apparently, she’s never been behind the scenes at any library or she’d KNOW there’s lots of stimulation. Sometimes too much.

    I like Fang-Face’s term for her…appropriate. If I wilted at stimulation, I wouldn’t make it past the first bell of the day at my job.

    People should know what they’re talking about before spewing ridiculous stuff like that…

    s/

    Reply
  3. tomeboy says:
    May 2, 2004 at 8:59 am

    Who is Hypersensitive Here??
    Perhaps a better DSM defintion for librarians should be…thin-skinned hypersensitive types, devoid of humor with skivvies prone to bunch.

    Reply
  4. slashgirl says:
    May 3, 2004 at 4:28 pm

    Re:Who is Hypersensitive Here??
    I don’t think I’m “hypersensitive” (again, if I was, I wouldn’t make it past recess at my job). I see nothing wrong with replying to something that wasn’t intended as humour that is continuing on the stereotype of our profession. Well, I’m assuming it wasn’t meant as humour as the rest of the article wasn’t funny to me.

    I have a wonderful sense of humour, quite dark (I adore Edward Gorey, especially the Gashleycrumb tinies)but something has to actually be FUNNY in order to get me to laugh.

    As for my knickers being in twist–trust me, they’re just fine.

    I can’t speak for Fang-Face of course…but I see nothing hypersensitive about either of our replies…Although his was funny.

    s/

    Reply
  5. vapid says:
    May 3, 2004 at 5:18 pm

    Re:Fun game, let’s play
    “As a matter of fact, there is already a term to describe “a delicate soul who cannot tolerate stimulation”, people who are hypersensitive to the point where a thing of beauty can cause such emotional pain that they break down weeping every time. That term is autistic. ”

    No its not. Its called Stendahl’s syndrome.

    Reply
  6. vapid says:
    May 3, 2004 at 5:23 pm

    Re:stimulation
    Fear of stimulation would be a very bad personality trait for any library position i’ve ever heard of.

    Just as well this person isn’t putting herself forward as a typical psychiatrist, or we’d have to classify someone with a fear of knowledge or accuracy ‘should have been a psychiatrist’.

    Think along the lines of Freud’s theory of the female sexuality, mind you, and there is a pretty solid precedent there….

    Reply

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