Date of Award
Fall 12-14-2020
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English and Linguistics
Department Chair or Program Director
Richards, Gary
First Advisor
Levy, Ray
Major or Concentration
English (Creative Writing Concentration)
Abstract
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the DSM, is the book that helps psychologists diagnose mental illnesses. Its weakness lies in its categorical approach, a labeling system without exceptions for individuals. Many psychologists agree that it should be changed to support less black-and-white criteria for mental illnesses. I want to tackle this issue through a series of three nontraditional essays that use the DSM criteria as building blocks for the scenes of the story. Each piece will feature a character with a specific mental illness, with the focus being on building a three-dimensional character out of the two-dimensional and categorical structure that the DSM provides. This project attempts to go beyond the limits of the DSM by showing that people cannot be limited by labels of their disorders—that they exist to be so much more than their illness.
Recommended Citation
Snyder, Emma, "Dimensions of the DSM" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 407.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/407