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Psych Student Pokes Fun at Mental Illness with Disorder Tee Shirts



First there was Tom Cruise attacking psychiatric labeling and now there'ss Noah Lang'ss line of Disorder Tees (www.disordertees.com), which pokes gentle fun at psychological disorders. Blogging mental health professionals have rallied against the T-shirts, saying that they mock those who suffer from mental illness.



Don'st let a diagnosis ruin your life! states the website which enjoys its first anniversary in December. Join the Revolution and fight back with one of our very funny Disorder Tees from paranoid issue shirts to delusional issue tees and conduct disorder problem t-shirts! The real alternative to medication.



Lang, who is studying for his Master'ss Degree in Psychology from Florida International University, designed ten T-shirts to show how ridiculous these designations really are. For example, the front of the attention deficit disorder T-shirt says, I don'st have A.D.D. I just can'st focus, while the back says, 314.00 attention deficit disorder. Another example is the front of the ADHD tee which states Sure, I can sit still! I choose not to because you bore me and 314.01 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on its back. The 314.00 represents A.D.D.'ss numeric designation in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) IV, the manual used by mental health professionals to diagnose people with mental illness.



Oddly enough, the DSM does not contain one single statistic of anything. In fact, the criteria and classification system of the DSM are based on a process of consultation and committee meetings. Therefore, there are no objective, biological verifiable standards to which it adheres.



Saying labeling is disabling, Lang believes that those who are being treated for mental illness shouldn'st let a diagnosis ruin their lives. If a person -- child or adult -- can confront their condition with a smile, they'sre well on their way.



In fact, Lang has found that, when compared to those in other countries, Americans are hypersensitive about mental illness. In my travels, I'sve found that people in other countries are more self-accepting. Other people don'st define themselves by a psychological diagnosis. As further proof, Lang notes that links to his website has been featured on Dutch, German, and Hebrew sites.



Lang has also found support at home for his T-shirts. Jon Stewart, Howard Stern, and Steve-O are friends on Lang'ss MySpace page, and Miami radio personalities have also climbed on board with support. Lang anticipates that his T-shirts will sell well this holiday season, and dismisses the criticism of his detractors. I'sve been accused of everything short of eating babies, he says. The bottom line is that the ability to see humor in your situation is the first step to healing.






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