Before I do that it might be worthwhile just briefly explaining what DSM-IV is.

Essentially its a just a big book that came out of an enormous committee. The committee was an attempt to get around this business of there being 500 names for every mental disorder and everyone who wrote about every disorder meaning something different. The committee would set down what it meant to have that disorder, and everyone conducting research at least would agree to abide by that description. Everyone agreed that this would be a good idea and DSM III was born. (There had been DSMs I & II, but they only got serious about this with DSM III).

Great idea in theory, but of course DSM is an American thing and the rest of the world doesn’t like Americans on principle, so there is now a competing system - ICD-10, which of course has slightly different names and criteria.

Unfortunately though DSM is easier for you to get hold of (its in all good bookstores) so I’m going to talk DSM.

You should remember three things though:

1. there is nothing magical about it, its only the result of a committee.

2. you are not expected to remember the criteria (I can’t)

3. it’s meant primarily for research, and while its useful clinically, people rarely fall neatly into its boxes. People are, not surprisingly, more complicated than can easily be explained in 886 pages.