Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology:

What is Abnormal Behavior???

Any behavior that goes against what society deems to be normal either due to infrequency, norm violation, or personal suffering.

EX: In Europe, I can give a friend the thumbs up to show approval, but in Italy, I might get attacked.

Impaired Functioning

Impaired Functioning is when people have difficulty in fulfilling appropriate and expected family, social, and work-related roles

This can be due to a psychological disorder that is either naturally occurring (such as schizophrenia), a handicap, or a self-inflicted disability (drug abuse).

The Biopsychology Model of Abnormality

In the Biopsychology Model, mental disorders are caused by a combination of interacting biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

EX: Currently, the media is trying to convince us that the biggest contributor of dysfunction in many ghettos is racist police. If this is true, the police could be seen as a part of the Biopsychology Model.

The Neurobiological Model of Abnormality

In the Neurobiological Model, also called the medical model, psychological disorders are seen as reflecting disturbances in the anatomy and chemistry of the brain and other biological processes

The Psychological Model of Abnormality

In the Psychological Model, mental disorders are seen as being caused by psychological processes

The Sociocultural Model of Abnormality

In the Sociocultural Model, disorders are caused by cultural factors, such as ethnicity, age, gender, or religion

The Diathesis-Stress Model of Abnormality

In the Diathesis-Stress Model, psychological disorders are caused a predisposition for a disorder combined with a sufficient amount of stress to bring that order about.

EX: A person who may be predisposed to DID may never develop the disorder if they live a low-stress lifestyle

Classifying Psychological Disorders

In order for a psychologist to treat a patient, they must first diagnose which disorder an individual has

This can be extremely difficult because many disorders have similar symptoms

DSM V

DSM V is designed to help psychologists diagnose disorders

It has 324 diagnosable conditions, 88 health codes, and 44 explanations of abuse of people with disorders.

Anxiety Disorders: Phobias

Phobias are irrational fears that people have of items or situations that does not justify such a reaction

Specific Phobias are anxiety disorders that people have that are caused by a specific stimuli, such as heights or animals that cause an individual to avoid that stimuli

Anxiety Disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

General Anxiety Disorder is when people are not afraid of anything specific, but are instead filled with dread that something bad is going to happen

This can cause loss of sleep, illness, and anti-social behavior

Anxiety Disorders: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to perform repetitive rituals that get in the way of their normal function

EX: I have to change my sheets 3 times per night in order to keep bed bugs from eating my skin flakes and drinking my sweat. This ruins my ability to sleep.

Somatoform Disorders:

A Somatoform Disorder is when there are symptoms of a physical disorder without a psychological cause.

EX: In phantom limb syndrome, a person can still feel a removed limb even after it has been removed

Specific Somatoform Disorders:

Conversion Disorder: A Somatoform Disorder in which a person displays symptoms of blindness, deafness, or other symptoms of sensory or motor failure without a physical cause

Hypochondriasis: When a person has an intense fear of illness without cause

Somatization Disorder: A disorder in which there are physical complaints without verified physical illness

Pain Disorder: When a person complains of severe pain when there is no physical cause

Dissociative Disorders:

A Dissociative Disorder is one in which a person experiences sudden and usually temporary disruptions in memory, consciousness or identity

EX: Some people, after suffering emotional shock, may suffer temporary but extreme changes in their personality.

Dissociative Disorders: DID

In DID (also called Multiple Personality Disorder), a person exhibits more than one distinct personality without the ability to tell when their personality changes.

These alternative personalities can be incredibly different from who the person really is.

Billy Milligan had 24 distinct personalities, including the one that was a homicidal maniac.

Mood Disorders:

A Mood Disorder is a condition in which a person experiences extreme moods or mood swings, like depression and mania

These disorders can have a specific cause, or they can occur at random.

Mood Disorders: Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder (Depression) is when a person feels sad and hopeless for a long period of time.

This is the most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder in America (Approximately ¼ of all Americans will suffer from depression at some point)

Mood Disorders: Delusions

Delusions are false beliefs that people who suffer from major depression and schizophrenia experience

EX: Many religious people who suffer from depression assume that if they pray more, they will be “cured”. (MR. CREECH’S DISCALIMER: I am not suggesting that prayer is delusional, but instead I am arguing that prayer alone is not enough for many people to “beat” depression and they may need to seek some form of therapy or medication to help them)

Mood Disorders: Dysthymic Disorder

A mood disorder in which a person suffers from relatively mild depression for at least 2 years

Like Major Depression, this can be treated by therapy and medication

Mood Disorders: Mania

Mania is a temporary elative and very active emotional state

Some people experiencing mania will stay up fro days at a time and have seemingly limitless energy

Mood Disorders: Bipolar I

People who suffer from bipolar I will alternate between deep periods of depression and mania

This can be extremely debilitating for a person trying to maintain a normal lifestyle

Schizophrenia:

Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling pattern of disturbed thinking, emotion, behavior, and perception

Schizophrenia has a wide variety of symptoms, which makes it incredibly difficult to treat

Hallucinations: A symptom of schizophrenia in which people hear voices or see visions when there is no stimuli

Positive Symptoms: Symptoms of Schizophrenia, such as disorganized thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions

Negative Symptoms: Symptoms of Schizophrenia, such as absence of pleasure, lack of speech, and flat affect

Personality Disorders:

A Personality Disorder can be classified as a long-standing, inflexible ways of behaving that create a variety of problems

These problems are manifested as flaws in one’s personality

Addiction:

Not all psychological disorders manifest themselves naturally

In the case of addiction, we develop a physical need for a drug or some other stimuli

This most often is caused by substance abuse, but we can become addicted to anything

Never too young to start!!!