WHAT THE DSM IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders) is a nosology; this means that it is a system of classification of diseases and disorders which primarily present mental and behavioral symptoms, although not exclusively (see, for instance, somatoform disorders), with independence of their etiology, most of them unknown. The DSM has, aside from other characteristics, a double sense; it is at the same time “the classification”, that is, the list of accepted diseases included under certain categories and “the system ” for diagnosing them, or what is the same, the diagnostic mechanics of such disorders, which in this case is done through diagnostic criteria and a multiaxial system. The diagnostic criteria are basically the confirmation of the presence of behaviors and mental produce such as thoughts (deliria), personality traits (impulsivity), etc. It i