Awais Aftab is a psychiatrist, scholar and the author of the Substack newsletter Psychiatry at the Margins, where he explores philosophical and scientific debates in psychiatry today. In our interview, we discuss the ongoing controversies within and outside of psychiatry around the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the “bible” of diagnosis. Awais guided me through the fascinating history of the DSM, why so many psychiatrists today hate it, and what the future looks like for diagnosis. 

Awais Substack:

psychiatrymargins.com

Newsletters mentioned in the episode:

psychiatrymargins.com/p/diagnosis-as-self-understanding-and

psychiatrymargins.com/p/are-critiques-of-dsmicd-as-devastating

psychiatrymargins.com/p/psychopathology-exhaustion-and-identity/

Self Conscious Instagram:

instagram.com/selfconsciouspod/