Abnormal Psychology and Mental Disorders
What is Abnormal Psychology?
Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that examines abnormal behavioral, emotional, and thinking patterns. or which may or may not be understood as predisposing to a mental disorder. Many behaviors may be considered abnormal, but this specialty deals with behaviors in general clinical contexts.
Mental Disorder Study involves:
- Definition: What do you mean by “mental disorder”?
- Classification- How to differentiate between different mental disorders?
- Explanation: How to understand mental disorders?
- Treatment: How to treat mental illness?
Definition
In general, the concept of “mental disorder” can be defined as:
- Culturally independent, bio-medical, value-free concept.
- Culturally relative, value-based, social concept.
Definitions to be Discussed:
Mental disorder as a:- “statistical deviation” “dysfunction” “personal discomfort” “maladaptive behavior” “norm or value violation”
1. Mental Disorder as a Statistical Deviation
When ability, behavior, or experience is extremely different from the average.
Problem:
- We like to use the term disorder to describe some statistically frequent conditions.
- “Positive” and “negative” deviations are indistinguishable.
- We don’t want to classify all “negative deviance as a disorder.”
2. Mental disorder as a dysfunction
→ A person has a mental disorder when the mental process is not intended to perform natural functions.
Problem:
- Natural selection does not “design” processes.
- A wide range of adaptive functioning exists for many processes across people and situations (fear responses).
- Many things that we call a disorder may actually be adaptive responses.
3. Mental disorder as a personal discomfort
→ If one is facing personal hardships.
Problem:
What about someone who takes drugs or believes they are receiving messages from outer space – what kind of suffering?
4. Mental disorder as a bad behavior
→ If one engages in behavior that prevents him from meeting the needs of life.
Problem:
There are situations that people should not adapt to. This approach emphasizes “fitting in” as ultimately important
5. Mental Disorder as a “Norm/Value Violation”.
→ If one experiences and exhibits behavior that is inconsistent with society’s norms and values.
Example:
- Behavior i.e. harmful to self or others.
- Poor real communication.
- Emotional reactions of an inappropriate nature.
- Erratic Behavior
Problem:
- What if the breach is the result of external circumstances?
- Such criteria are too arbitrary and open to abuse.
Types of Mental Disorders / Abnormal Psychology
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Attention Disorder (Deficit or Hyperactivity)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Dissociative Disorders
- Dual Diagnostic and Integrated Treatment of Mental Illness & Substance Abuse Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Major Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Anxiety disorder; is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Suicide
- Tourette’s Syndrome
Few Disorders in Depth
- Hypochondria
Characterized by the preoccupation with normal body sensations and their interpretation and body functions.
Physicians’ reassurances only increase the hypochondriac’s constant anxiety about their health.
- Anxiety disorders
Real or imagined fears that are difficult to overcome or control.
14% of children aged 9-16 experience an anxiety disorder each year.
- Bipolar disorder
Extreme changes in mood, energy level, and behavior.
Manic: Extremely high.
Depression: Very low.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Repetitive behaviors (compulsions) such as hand washing, cleaning, counting, and checking are often performed with the hope of preventing or driving away obsessive thoughts.
Performing the so-called “rituals”, described earlier, provides relief for a while, and not performing them increases anxiety.
- Depression
- Prolonged feelings of helplessness/sadness or depression.
- Clinical depression: >= 2 weeks
- Depression clip
→ Types of depression
- Major: Acute (lasts for years)
- Mild: less severe (lasts weeks or months)
- Adjustment Disorder: Reaction to a specific life event (divorce, break-up, job loss, etc.)
→ Causes and effects of depression
The reasons can be physical, psychological, and social
Medical conditions
Traumatic events
Social or environmental: poverty or physical/mental environment.
→ Symptoms of depression
- Constantly sad and “empty” feelings
- Feeling hopeless and/or pessimistic
- Feeling guilty, worthless, and/or helpless
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in activities/hobbies that were once enjoyable
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, and decision making
- Insomnia, waking up early morning, or prolonged sleep
- Overeating, or loss of appetite
- Suicidal thoughts
- Persistent aches, headaches, cramps/digestive problems
6. Panic disorder
→ An uncontrollable panic response to normal situations of non-threatening nature.
Symptoms of Panic Disorder:
sweat; hot or cold flashes; suffocating or smothering sensations; racing heartbeat; difficulty breathing; Vibrating chest pain; faintness; numbness nausea disorientation; A feeling of losing control, or losing one’s mind.
Panic attacks usually last 10-15 minutes. A person may feel somewhat anxious after experiencing a panic attack.
7. Phobias
Irrational, unintentional, and inappropriate fear in normal circumstances.
People often experience panic attacks when they encounter a situation or object about which they feel fear.
8. Post-traumatic disorder
An anxiety disorder occurs after experiencing an event of a traumatic nature that causes intense fear, helplessness, or panic.
Examples: war, natural disaster, rape, accident, etc.
Mental disorders can be serious but they can be treated. Treating disorders takes time, persistence, and patience.
