What is the DSM-5 and ICD-11?

What is the DSM-5 and ICD-11?

Author: Owls Education Company May 7, 2025 Duration: 2:38

🎙️ Mental health conversations often involve a lot of terms, diagnoses, and classifications — but where do they come from, and why do they matter?

I'm Dominic Lawson, creator of Mental Health Rewritten. Throughout this show, we'll be referencing two major diagnostic tools that shape our understanding of mental and behavioral health:

🔹 DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition)
Published by the American Psychiatric Association, it's the primary diagnostic guide used by mental health professionals in the United States.

🔹 ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision)
Developed by the World Health Organization, the ICD-11 classifies all medical conditions worldwide — including mental and behavioral disorders — and is used across many countries for diagnosis, treatment, and insurance coding.

On Mental Health Rewritten, we incorporate both tools to provide a well-rounded, accessible understanding of mental health.
When a diagnosis is mentioned during an episode, you'll hear a special cue — signaling a clear, listener-friendly breakdown of what the diagnosis means, how it's classified, and why it matters.

Because mental health isn't just about definitions — it's about the people behind them.
We're here to demystify the language of mental health, humanize the diagnoses, and rewrite the narrative together.

🎧 Season 1 launches May 14, 2025.

Subscribe today and join us for real stories, real understanding, and real change.

đź”— Apple Podcasts, Spotify with exclusive content on Instagram (@mentalhealthrewrittenpodcast).


🧠 And always — take care of yourself. You matter.


Dominic Lawson has collected thirty-three awards for his work in audio, a fact that becomes immediately understandable within minutes of tuning into Mental Health Rewritten. This isn't a lecture series or a clinical rundown, but a series of deep, nuanced conversations that treat complex subjects with the care they demand. Produced by the Owls Education Company, the podcast navigates topics often left in the shadows-sex addiction, the nuances of substance abuse, the realities of eating disorders, and the deep impact of racial trauma-with a clarity that feels both educational and profoundly human. The structure of each season is deliberate, building understanding episode by episode rather than offering scattered advice. What you'll hear is a host who listens as much as he guides, facilitating discussions that rewrite the old, stigmatized narratives surrounding mental and behavioral health. It’s a space where difficult questions are met with expertise and empathy, making it an essential listen for anyone looking to move beyond surface-level understanding. The entire Mental Health Rewritten podcast serves as a testament to the power of informed conversation in fostering genuine self-improvement and wellness.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 28

Mental Health Rewritten
Podcast Episodes
Mental Margins: The Cost of Silence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Mental Margins: Janet Bentley Discussing Intimacy and Shame [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:19
In this deeply personal bonus segment from Episode 104 Starting The Conversation About Sexual Anorexia, we hear more from Janet Bentley, a woman navigating the silent emotional toll of sexual anorexia within her marriage…
Mental Margins: Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:23
In this segment, Janet reflects on her lifelong struggle with intimacy and the emotional walls built from trauma, exploring the complex relationship between Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD) and sexual anor…
Sex: Starting the Conversation Around Sexual Anorexia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:03
Kyle sits awake at 2 AM, the glow of his laptop revealing a single word in the search bar: "avoidance." He scrolls past harsh phrases like fear of intimacy and sexual withdrawal that feel like accusations. Then one term…
Mental Margins: Internal Barriers & OnlyFans Reveal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:19
In this special reflection episode of Mental Health Rewritten, host Dominic Lawson celebrates 40 days of the podcast's journey with over 1,000 subscribers and nearly 13,000 downloads. Dominic shares heartfelt gratitude f…
Mental Margins: Sex Education & Understanding Predators [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:45
In this segment from episode 103, Rewriting The Conversation Around Sexual Assault, psychotherapist Havi Kang explores how societal perceptions around trauma, sexual assault, and mental health are evolving, highlighting…
Mental Margins: Trauma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:38
In this segment, host Dominic Lawson pauses the narrative to ground the discussion in clinical reality. With the term "trauma" now widely used in cultural and digital discourse, this segment brings clarity to its true cl…
Mental Margins: Men, Shame, and Assault [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:45
In this segment of Episode 103, "Rewriting the Conversation Around Sexual Assault," Mental Health Rewritten explores the often-overlooked experiences of men who have survived sexual violence. With poignant insight from H…
Mental Margins: Complex PTSD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:21
In this segment, hosts Dominic Lawson and Dan Woerheide explore the enduring psychological toll of sexual assault, turning their focus to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). Dan reflects on the harrowing process of forensic exams for…
Sex: Rewriting the Conversation Around Sexual Assault [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:22
In this powerful and necessary episode of Mental Health Rewritten, we open with a deceptively simple question: "Is this sexual assault?" From that moment forward, we begin a journey that challenges long-held beliefs abou…