By Valondra Tiller 11/16/2011

What is DSMThe method used to classify psychological disorders is called the Diagnostic Guide to psychological disorders (DSM) as well as the Statistical Manual. The most current edition used is referred to as the Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IVTR), which uses a multiaxial system of assessment. This system provides information about an individuals overall functioning; it is not just a diagnoses. The classification of mental disorders is broken into 5 components Axis I and II is what most people are diagnosed with some people have the combination of both axis I and II diagnoses. Axis I has to do with clinical syndromes, Axis II personality disorders, Axis III general medical conditions, Axis IV psychosocial and environmental problems, and Axis V global assessment of functioning.

Healthcare professionals apply a number of criteria in helping to determine behavior they consider to be a disorder or abnormal like; unusualness behaviors associated with psychological disorders may be unusual but faulty p erception or interpretation of reality, which include hallucinations and ideas of persecution is somewhat relative to unusualness regarding their systems like; seeing things, hearing things and voices, and believing someone is out to get you when you know they are not. Significant personal disorder having to do with a persons life situation may be considered abnormal but it relates to ones fear, anxiety, depression, and other psychological states. Self-defeating behavior is caused when someone basically degrades themselves continually a behavior or mental process that leads to an individuals self-misery examples forms of drug abuse and chronic drinking that impair ones health and ones work and family life. Dangerousness mental process or behavior that is hazardous and or harmful to ones self or others, example would be an individual who threatens suicide or to bring harm to others even loved ones. Then theres social unacceptability in a given culture and example of this would be North American Indian tribes believe that they hear the voices of their dead ones calling out to them as they ascend to the afterlife and in contemporary American society this behavior would be viewed as abnormal, so this is considered what is normal in one culture may be viewed as abnormal in another culture.

Anxiety DisorderAnxiety disorder has many different types disorders which are Phobias Panic Generalized anxiety Obsessivecompulsive disorder Traumatic stressdisorder

Somatoform DisorderSomatoform Disorder two has forms Conversion Hypochondriasis

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia has three types Paranoid Disorganized Catatonic

Personality DisorderPersonality disorders is has 10 different types according to the DSM but they are classified into three classes Class A :Odd or eccentric behavior Class B: Behavior that is overly dramatic, emotional, or erratic Class C: Anxious or fearful

ReferencesUniversity of Phoenix. (2010). Psychological Disorders. Retrieved January 12,2011 from University of Phoenix, PSY210 website