Psychological Disorders
Major Psychological Disorders
Psychological disorders affect a person’s everyday life, as well as the lives of the people around them. “Psychologist typically define abnormal behavior broadly, considering it to be behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevent them from functioning in their daily lives” (Feldman, 2009, p.518). In order to diagnose psychological disorders we need to be able to judge what normal and abnormal behavior is. In this essay I will address the topic of psychological disorders by reflecting on; perspectives on abnormality, major psychological disorders, and different approaches to treatment of psychological disorders. In Understanding Psychology, Feldman reflects on a few definitions for abnormality; Abnormality as deviation from the average, abnormality as deviation from the ideal, and abnormality as a sense of personal discomfort, to name a few. (2009). Abnormality as deviation from average is when we will observe the behavior of others and acknowledge their behavior as a reflection on that culture or society. We observe abnormality when those behaviors are rare in that society. Abnormality as deviation from the ideal is when we consider abnormality as behavior which does not reach universal standards and codes of conduct. Last, abnormality as a sense of personal discomfort considers behavior abnormal if it produces personal discomfort and pain to the individual or those around them. In today’s world of modern science, there are six major perspectives on abnormality. They are; medical, psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and sociocultural. “These perspectives suggest not only different causes of abnormal behavior but different treatment approaches as well” (Feldman, 2009, p.519). Before these perspectives came to exist, society’s in history assumed unknowledgeable positions about abnormal behavior. An example of this is how they would put people away and declare them metal insane without any further
Psychological disorders affect a person’s everyday life, as well as the lives of the people around them. “Psychologist typically define abnormal behavior broadly, considering it to be behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevent them from functioning in their daily lives” (Feldman, 2009, p.518). In order to diagnose psychological disorders we need to be able to judge what normal and abnormal behavior is. In this essay I will address the topic of psychological disorders by reflecting on; perspectives on abnormality, major psychological disorders, and different approaches to treatment of psychological disorders. In Understanding Psychology, Feldman reflects on a few definitions for abnormality; Abnormality as deviation from the average, abnormality as deviation from the ideal, and abnormality as a sense of personal discomfort, to name a few. (2009). Abnormality as deviation from average is when we will observe the behavior of others and acknowledge their behavior as a reflection on that culture or society. We observe abnormality when those behaviors are rare in that society. Abnormality as deviation from the ideal is when we consider abnormality as behavior which does not reach universal standards and codes of conduct. Last, abnormality as a sense of personal discomfort considers behavior abnormal if it produces personal discomfort and pain to the individual or those around them. In today’s world of modern science, there are six major perspectives on abnormality. They are; medical, psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and sociocultural. “These perspectives suggest not only different causes of abnormal behavior but different treatment approaches as well” (Feldman, 2009, p.519). Before these perspectives came to exist, society’s in history assumed unknowledgeable positions about abnormal behavior. An example of this is how they would put people away and declare them metal insane without any further
References: Feldman, Understanding Psychology, 2008, McGraw-Hill, New York. Wang, Z., Kemp, D., Chan, P., Fang, Y., Ganocy, S., Calabrese, J., & Gao, K.. (2011). Comparisons of the tolerability and sensitivity of quetiapine-XR in the acute treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar mania, bipolar depression, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology: Thematic Section: New Developments in Schizophrenia Research, 14(1), 131-142. Retrieved December 13, 2010, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete.