Return to Abnormal Psychology

It has been awhile since I shared anything from my course in Abnormal psychology. Not sure, but I think I wrote a lesson on the first chapter or maybe the first two. Right now I believe I am going to give a short review on the first two chapters. So what is Abnormal Psychology? There are four concepts of this subject such as does the issues do harm or is destructive and are they not socially accepted. The core concepts are that issues and concerns are repeated and examined in and about an abnormal behavior. It is the context in which a particular behavior occurs along with the circumstances of the situations that occur that causes the behavior(s).

Abnormal psychology gives insight into what will make the problem allowable. Could it be the demographic variables, as in age, gender or class or is it something else. There is a continuum between normal and abnormal. But there is an exaggeration of normal behavior such as take anxiety but there is a difference from the unusual to the abnormal.

There is an idea of cultural/historical relativism and what has changed over time and with different cultures. There are limitations and advantages of diagnosis that leads to stigmatization and labeling. There is one main and important idea that we all must remember and it is what is 'multiple causality' which is when there are multiple causes and predisposing factors that are leading to the problem. One must look for precipitating or triggering factors for they could be biological issues that cause any social messages received. Is there a connection between the mind and the body. Are there cognitive and physical changes that help in the interrelatedness.

What is abnormality? Well, here is the criteria and advantages of this idea. Here are some characteristics are there any physically damaging behaviors like starving oneself or cutting oneself. Is there emotional suffering or harm that is intense. Does it interfere significantly in daily life. Does it indicate that one no longer is in touch with reality and is there a loss of control of thinking in other words are there delusions or false beliefs.

In this subject one must learn and remember this word HIDES:

H is for help seeking when the person seeks help;

I is for irrationality is when the person exhibits out of control behavior;

D is for deviance/unusualness or different from the norms that are clear;

E is for emotional distress what type or degree of discomfort is experienced or feeling;

S is for significant impairment or maladaptive.

How much interference is needed for impairment to have such a problem. Will culture effect the issue, but there are exceptions that are specific and useful. Can deviance be useful and let us think outside the box. In this area of psychology teaching occurs in the various situations that are presented like the technical capabilities for there are exceptions to the rule.

There is a man by the name of David Rosenham that says being sane in insane places. This helped to illustrate the damages of labeling. Diagnostics helps in limitations of help seeking. Subjective discomfort one may not always be aware of various feelings in life situations, but who determines this discomfort or the absence of discomfort of even feeling nothing at all? Maladaptive behaviors cause someone to suffer distress or interfere with daily functioning.

There are people out there that are 'Savant' people who are talented in one area and challenged in others. There are professional ideas as in forensic medicine or history that are not normally done for deviant persons will not usually conform to normally in said culture, as in help seeking, irrationality, significant impairment, and emotional distress.

Perspectives of Abnormality, so what is Abnormal psychology for it is the scientific study with the objectives of describing, explaining, predicting, and controlling behaviors that are strange or unusual from the bizarre to the commonplace. In this study of psychology one must be careful of 'Medical Student Syndrome' which is when you think you have this problem when you don't. You will have an exaggerated susceptibility to a disorder for one tends to read into things and making comparisons to oneself because of the universality of these problems and compare you to others functioning. Do not make assumptions!

(This is another course that I had taken in my degree in Human services that gave me a minor in Psychology. If you like this article please like, comment or even a give a tip. I would greatly appreciate it.) Thank you for reading.