Divisions among the "Disabled"; Footnote to Marta Russell

Carrol Cox cbcox at rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu
Thu Jun 18 14:36:49 PDT 1998



>
> Carrol Cox wrote:
>
> >The term "hysteria" is as outmoded as spontaneous combustin.
>
> Yes, now we say "histrionic personality disorder." And unlike wombs, men
> can have it too.

Which is some gain actually: "hpd" is itself a way of paraphrasing facts, not an explanation. But it carries on its face that emptiness. The "personality" part does something else: it offers (still *not* an explanation) the provisional estimation that it is a class of disorders that probably have different dynamics (and causes) than "affective" disorders (e.g., depression) or cognitive disorders (e.g., schizophrenia).

Classification is *not* in itself science, hardly much of a beginning even, but it certainly helps not to try to find a common explanation for the rotting of peaches and the dissolution of meteors. Not knowledge, but a provisional guide to expanding knowledge. And it also makes it easier to dismiss cockamamie diagnoses such as "multiple personality disorder," which doesn't even name anything.

And I say this even knowing that *probably* the terminology will change again, and I can't predict in advance that the terminological change will be more than fashion, but neither can anyone predict in advance that it *won't* be more than fashion.

Carrol



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