Hypochondriacs rejoice: There may actually be something wrong with you, and in due time, there will be a drug to cure your every ailment.

On Feb. 10, the American Psychiatric Association launched DSM5.org, a Web site proposing changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the psychiatrist’s bible for diagnosing mental illnesses.

Major revisions to the new edition include modifications in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome, gender identity disorder, mood disorders, risk syndromes, psychotic disorder and substance-related disorders.

However, new conditions mean new therapies. Those therapies will instigate rivalry among pharmaceutical companies to develop the latest and greatest drug, while pouncing on new patients.

Drug companies have just been given the golden ticket for doling out more pills to Americans.

When medication is absolutely necessary, there is no need for critique.

However, drugs are often assigned to a disorder and not the patient.

Then pharmaceutical companies only look out for their pocketbooks, which should not be an end result of the new revisions.

Revisions were undoubtedly needed to maintain accuracy and consistency in diagnoses, but with change comes criticism.

The DSM-5 Task Force has proposed the additions of binge-eating disorder and hypersexual disorder.

Even with supporting evidence, these additions and other changes diagnose common practice in American society.

DSM-5 defines disorders, but refrains from providing medical and therapeutic solutions.

The site states that an “accurate diagnosis leads to appropriate treatment.”

With tantalizing drug ads in America, pharmacies are the new candy store and their candy is the treatment of choice.

The chemical imbalance and symptom management involved with mental disorders needs intervention, especially when the symptoms interfere with daily life.

However, patients and mental health professionals are often bombarded by enticing pharmaceutical advertisements with hopeful results (along with an endless list of warnings and side effects), and can over-prescribe.

Over-prescribing and adding more dollars to the drug industry shouldn’t be the outcome of the DSM-5’s work.

Perhaps we should invest in pharmaceutical companies.

Soon they’ll rule Wall Street and be safe from economic tragedy as long as prescription pads stay hot and people pop pills.