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Abnormal psychology is a branch
of psychology that studies unusual behavioral, emotional
and thinking habits. While abnormal psychology
focuses on mental health problems,
we focus on modeling and teaching exceptional abilities.
Are you Abnormal?
Abnormal means statistically rare. If you have unusual skills,
physical features or a high IQ - compared to a certain population - you are
abnormal. If you are sane in a lunatic asylum - you are abnormal.
There are few accepted norms or standards for qualities such
as maturity, happiness or wellbeing. As a result, we have little basis other
than our expectations for deciding whether or not someone is normal. Unfortunately,
people in societies tend to perceive people
who do not fulfill their expectations of normal as deviant
(Harpending & Cochran 2002).
- Social - your society has many unwritten 'norms’
or guidelines or cultural expectations for acceptable behavior. If you
reject social norms - you may be called abnormal.
- Emotional - your community probably has rules
about which emotions can be expressed and how those emotions may be
expressed. If you break these rules - you may be called abnormal.
- Psychological - normal behavior includes accepting
stress and discomfort. If you speak about your distress or discomfort when
most people do not - you may be called abnormal.
- Domestic - normal behavior includes your ability
to cope with your everyday life. If you show that you cannot cope with the everyday
details of your life - you may be called abnormal.
- Medical - normal behavior is a lack of disease
symptoms. If you have an unusual medical disorder - or if you heal very
quickly - you may be called abnormal.
- Success - normal goals are within reach of most
people. Abnormal goals require abnormal intelligence or diligence. If you
are idealistic amongst realists, or
realistic amongst idealists, you may be called stupid. If you are
abnormally successful ... you may be called eccentric.
Few mental abnormalities, e.g. eating disorders or learning
disorders, can be diagnosed by blood analysis, imaging techniques or other
laboratory tests. Most mental abnormalities are opinions by observers;
statistical comparisons to some population. Judgments of mental
abnormalities may be based on behavior, or they may follow some legal,
political, personal or theological agendas.
Definitions of abnormality depend on the individual, the
observer and the community to which the individual is compared. Each
definition applies to a limited range of abnormal behavior. In some
families and communities, it is abnormal to enjoy financial success
or happy partnership.
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People who cannot differentiate between
real and unreal experiences, logical and illogical thoughts, or appropriate
and inappropriate behavior may be diagnosed as psychotic. Such labels can
devastate lives. Some people suicide following a psychiatric diagnosis.
Can you differentiate between
real and unreal experiences? If you think about lemons you will probably
salivate. If you imagine something attractive - your eye pupils will dilate. |
Abnormal Behavior
A society is composed of many elements, and when these
elements rapidly change, the results are unpredictable. Studies of mental
illness often reflect the families and communities in which the illnesses
developed. Some of the injustices of normal society can be exposed by
abnormal behaviors.
Most mental health professionals assess the normality or abnormality
of individuals during interviews. People may be asked broad questions such as:
“Have you ever felt depressed about life?”; “Have you ever experienced
a major change in your appetite?” or “Were you ever easily distracted?”
Questions like these can be honestly answered positively by
almost everybody. However, unless there is something to gain by such honesty,
normal people often lie, to avoid being judged as abnormal. Sometimes lying is
normal and telling naked truth is abnormal.
Eventually, clinicians decide that they have enough
information to determine whether a person is abnormal or suffering from a mental
illness ... or not. They can make diagnoses that cannot be confirmed by any
laboratory ... assessments that may haunt people for years.
Some people are reluctant to talk about their fantasies,
sex life, or use of drugs. Some people may suffer from more than one set of
symptoms. Few symptoms are specific to any one mental illness. For example,
overwork, infections, jet lag, family stress, drug abuse and lack of sleep can
produce temporary symptoms similar to psychosis.
More than any other country, America imprisons tens of
thousands of people for the principal crime of having a mental illness,
apparently to help normal people avoid abnormal people.
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All of us are mad. If it weren't for
the fact every one of us is abnormal, there
wouldn't be any point in giving each person a separate name. Ugo Betti |
Personality Disorders
. Developmental Disorders
. Attachment Disorders
Treatment of Abnormal Behavior
Normal mental health diseases are unhealthy behaviors
that are shared by the majority of a community. Common examples include
ethnocentricity, racism, immaturity, emotional incest and stupidity.
The consequences and prognosis of some of these normal behaviors can be as
bad as, or worse than, those of many abnormal mental health disorders.
Mental
health problems refer to identifiable sets of symptoms that interfere
with normal day-to-day life. Mental health issues may be existential
(that is, non-stop or all-of-life), contextual
(e.g. specific situations with well-defined triggers) or systemic (only
apparent within certain relationships).
Treatments depend on the perceived type and severity of the
disorder. Schizophrenia is primarily treated with drugs, while phobias are
generally treated with conversations. Accepted treatments for symptoms such
as depression may be combinations of drugs and psychotherapy.
Less than half of people with mental disorders seek
professional help. Not only does mental abnormality often carry a social stigma,
but in some communities and cultures, mental disorders are considered normal
and psychotherapy may be perceived as both expensive and futile.
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Here in California, if you
don't get psychotherapy,
you may be accused of being in denial! San Francisco |
Coaching Solutions
Do you really want to be normal?
Which normal do you want? Who are your role models?
Many people feel emotions that they do not understand or do
things they would prefer to avoid. Some have been diagnosed with scary labels.
We find that most people we meet with emotional and behavioral issues are acting
out the consequences of relationship disappointments and abuse.
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If I don't wash my hands I feel horrible
- so I wash my hands a lot. If my hands feel dirty,
I feel like I'm a little girl again, when I fell into dog poop and my
whole family laughed at me.
If I wash my hands again ... the laughter goes away ... for a time.
Toronto, Canada |
Many people attempt to control their disappointments or
emotions with distractions, with nicotine or alcohol, or with other drugs.
Yet many short-term solutions have long-term unpleasant consequences.
While many people use distractions and drugs to help manage
difficult emotions, distractions and drugs are not likely
to solve the underlying relationship issues. We often help people acknowledge
their fixations and entanglements, as a basis for changing their relationships
and their lives.
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The differences between normal and psychotic
are often blurred. Psychoses refer to lost contact with reality ... yet
the symptoms are exaggerated normal reactions. As Dr R.D. Laing
suggested: Psychosis is a healthy response to insane conditions.
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Consult a physician
about any opinions or recommendations about medical conditions.
We offer solutions for many emotional blocks and relationship
issues.
Managing these blocks and dissolving these issues can
impact most parts of life.
We coach people to resolve emotional
blocks and relationship issues.
Online Coaching
& Mentorship
Plagiarism is theft.
Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 1996-2011
All rights reserved.
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