Understanding Abnormal Psychology: Concepts, Diagnoses, and Treatments
Understanding Abnormal Psychology
Defining Abnormality
The concept of “abnormality” can be understood through various lenses, including:
- Deviation from the Average: Behaviors or thoughts that fall outside the typical range.
- Deviation from the Ideal: Behaviors or thoughts that deviate from societal expectations or norms.
- Personal Discomfort: Experiences that cause significant distress or impairment to an individual.
- Inability to Function Effectively: Difficulty in carrying out daily activities or fulfilling social roles.
- Legal Concept: Relates to “insanity,” a legal term, not a psychological one.
The Four D’s of Abnormality
- Deviant: Thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that differ from societal norms.
- Distressful: Symptoms that cause upset to the individual or others.
- Dysfunctional: Symptoms that impair social or occupational functioning.
- Dangerous: Symptoms that pose a threat to oneself or others.
Classifying and Diagnosing Abnormal Behavior
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5®), is a widely used system for diagnosing and classifying mental disorders.
Psychoanalytic Perspective
Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, aims to uncover unconscious thoughts and feelings to understand and treat abnormal behavior.
Components of Psychoanalysis
- Free Association: Patients express their thoughts and feelings freely.
- Dream Interpretation: Analyzing dreams for insights into the unconscious mind.
- Transference: Transferring feelings towards parents or authority figures onto the therapist.
- Resistance: Difficulty discussing or revealing certain memories or emotions.
Perspectives on Abnormality
- Medical Perspective: Focuses on biological causes, such as hormonal imbalances or brain injuries.
- Psychoanalytic Perspective: Emphasizes unresolved childhood conflicts and unconscious processes.
- Humanistic Perspective: Views individuals as responsible for their behavior and capable of personal growth.
- Behavioral Perspective: Focuses on learned behaviors and environmental influences.
- Cognitive Perspective: Highlights the role of thoughts and beliefs in shaping behavior.
- Sociocultural Perspective: Considers the impact of social and cultural factors on behavior.
Types of Disorders
Phobias
Persistent, irrational fears of specific objects or situations.
Schizophrenia
A psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, apathy, and a disconnect between thought and emotion.
Personality Disorders
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: Lack of conscience, impulsivity, and manipulation of others.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Exaggerated sense of self-importance and need for admiration.
- Borderline Personality Disorder: Unstable moods, relationships, and self-image, with impulsivity and fear of abandonment.
Childhood Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Difficulty with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
Anxiety Disorders
- Panic Disorder: Sudden episodes of intense fear and physical symptoms.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent and excessive worry.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Develops after exposure to traumatic events, causing flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety.
Therapy Approaches
Therapy aims to help individuals understand and manage their mental health challenges. Different approaches include:
- Insight vs. Action: Focusing on understanding the root causes of problems or directly changing behaviors.
- Nondirective vs. Directive: Therapist providing support and guidance or offering direct advice and solutions.
- Open-Ended vs. Time-Limited: Therapy with no set end date or with a predetermined duration.
- Individual vs. Group: One-on-one therapy or therapy in a group setting.
- Face-to-Face vs. Distance: In-person therapy sessions or therapy conducted remotely.
Drug Therapy
Medications can help manage symptoms of mental disorders by altering neurotransmitters and brain activity.
Antipsychotic Drugs
Used to treat psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, often associated with schizophrenia.
Social Psychology
Social psychology explores how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts.
Social Cognition
The mental processes involved in understanding and making sense of ourselves and others.
Attitudes
Enduring evaluations of people, objects, or ideas that influence our thoughts and behaviors.
Cognitive Dissonance
The discomfort experienced when our beliefs or behaviors are inconsistent, motivating us to reduce the discrepancy.
Attribution Theory
Explains how we determine the causes of behavior, either internal (dispositional) or external (situational).
Bias
- Fundamental Attribution Error: Overemphasizing dispositional causes and underestimating situational factors.
- Halo Effect: Generalizing positive or negative traits based on one specific characteristic.
- Assumed-Similarity Bias: Assuming others are similar to ourselves.
- Self-Serving Bias: Attributing successes to personal factors and failures to external factors.
Social Influence
The ways in which individuals influence each other’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- Conformity: Changing behavior or beliefs to align with group norms.
- Obedience: Following commands from authority figures.
- Compliance: Responding to direct social pressure.
Stress
The body’s response to demanding or threatening situations.
Types of Stress
- Cataclysmic Events: Sudden and widespread stressors, such as natural disasters.
- Personal Stressors: Major life events with significant impact, such as the death of a loved one.
- Background Stressors: Daily hassles and annoyances.