Series

DSM Psychology Exam Skills.

10 parts · 10 written and not yet released.

1. Part 1· written, not yet released

   DSM Criteria: Use an Order of Operations

   A five-part reading order that prevents symptom counting from becoming premature diagnosis. The method: anchor → threshold → time → impact → gates.

2. Part 2· written, not yet released

   Place the Diagnostic Family Before Naming the Disorder

   A family-first method that reduces random recall and narrows the comparison set. The method: find the dominant organising feature → check the family gate → compare within the family → re-open when exclusions demand it.

3. Part 3· written, not yet released

   Cardinal Features vs Supporting Symptoms

   A way to weight diagnostic evidence instead of treating every symptom as equal. The method: cardinal feature → supporting feature → discriminator → weight the pattern.

4. Part 4· written, not yet released

   Duration Cues: The Quiet Details That Break Diagnostic Ties

   A time-course method for spotting high-yield differences between otherwise similar presentations. The method: onset → duration → episode structure → temporal relationship → use the calendar.

5. Part 5· written, not yet released

   The Six-Step Differential: Rule Out Before You Rule In

   A descending differential funnel that clears alternative causes before selecting a primary diagnosis. The method: credibility and context → substances and medication → medical and neurological causes → primary psychiatric alternatives → residual checks → name only after the gates.

6. Part 6· written, not yet released

   Anxiety Differentials: Ask What the Fear Is Organised Around

   A feared-object method for separating common anxiety presentations. The method: specific object or situation → social evaluation → panic and its consequences → escape or help difficulty → diffuse future threat → apply gates.

7. Part 7· written, not yet released

   Bipolar vs Depression: Find the Episode Arithmetic

   An episode-first approach that prevents current low mood from erasing longitudinal history. The method: current state is not the whole course → establish change from baseline → build the episode → check causes and boundaries → use longitudinal evidence.

8. Part 8· written, not yet released

   PTSD, Acute Stress and Adjustment: Start With the Gate and Clock

   A gate-and-clock method for trauma and stressor-related near-neighbours. The method: qualifying exposure → symptom organisation → clock → adjustment pathway → grief and other alternatives.

9. Part 9· written, not yet released

   Specifiers, Severity and Course: The Layer After Diagnosis

   A second-pass method for adding meaningful precision after the base criteria are established. The method: base diagnosis first → specifier → severity → course → why it matters.

10. Part 10· written, not yet released

    From DSM Reasoning to a Defensible Clinical Handover

    A concise way to communicate the leading diagnosis, evidence, uncertainty and next assessment step. The method: lead with the pattern → show the gates → give the differential → state uncertainty → recommend the next step → use the program if useful.