Abnormal Psychology

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY BOOK

Camille Eastburn

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Winter 2015-2016

Matt O’Laughlin

Abnormal Psychology

A poem that describes what it’s like to struggle with mental health.

The Star Room

But me, I'm still trapped inside my head I kinda feel like it’s a purgatory

So polite and white, but I got family who would murder for me

Think I'm living paradise, what would I have to worry 'bout?

Dealing with these demons, feel the pressure, find the perfect style

Making sure my mom and dad are still somewhat in love

All these backfires of my experiments with drugs

I experience the touch of my epiphany in color form

The difference between love and war inform me I'm above the norm

Table of Contents

Psychopathology……….......……………………………………………. 3

Anxiety………………………………………………………………….. 11

Mood……………………………………………………………………. 14

Schizophrenia……………………………………………………………18

Substance/Eating/Impulse Control Disorders……………………………20

Dissociative Disorders…………………………………………………...23

Gender Identity Disorder…………………………………………………27

Autism Spectrum and Attention Deficit Disorder………………………..30

Paper………………………………………………………………………3

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Psychopathology

Psychopathology is the scientific study of mental disorders, including efforts to understand their genetic, biological, psychological, and social causes; effective classification schemes; course across all stages of development; manifestations; and treatment.

What is a mental disorder? (DSM 5)

A mental disorder can be defined as a behavioral or psychological syndrome occurring within an individual that reflects an underlying psychological dysfunction. The individual in question also has severe suffering in their everyday life. In the DSM 5, a mental disorder is not merely an expectable response to common stressors and loses or a culturally sanctioned response to a particular event. It is not primarily the result of social deviance or conflicts with society. However, there are some who would argue that mental disorders are simply another way of perceiving the world and living life.

Then what is normal?

While there is no definition explicitly addressing being “normal”, a likely explanation of normal could be significantly low amounts of suffering. Still this definition really does not justify normal. Each individual is vastly different from the next, so normality might not be so black and white but more of a spectrum influenced by individual factors.

This book attempts to explain what we consider abnormal psychology, delving into different models and disorders.

Models of Abnormality

The minds of humans are complex and their behaviors as a result are impacted by many different variables. To better understand psychological processes, models were created. The models allow for disorders to be categorized by influences and determine which treatment may be best for different disorders. Typically one model is not enough to fully describe an abnormal behavior, therefore many times the models are combined.

The models are as follows…

1. Biological
2. Psychodynamic
3. Behavioral
4. Cognitive
5. Humanistic-Existential
6. Sociocultural

Biological Model

This model is more accepted by everyday individuals because it has more of a medical approach, which people seem to grasp more than a few of the “eccentric” models. The biological model also has tangible evidence such as data. Dysfunction of the brain can be seen or tested on chemical imbalances and neural connections. The main focus is that psychological abnormality is an illness brought about by malfunctioning parts of the organism.