Transcript Abnormal Psychology

Abnormal Psychology
WE are all a little crazy
sometimes!
Definitions
Insanity
is a legal
term used by the court
system to describe a
person who is unable
to manage their affairs
or understand the
consequences of their
actions
Normal People
Can
function within
their lifestyle.
Cope with necessary
routines
Deal with demands
placed upon their time.
Normal People cont.
Can
get along with others.
Form relationships with
others.
Can hold a job and cope
with the expectations of
society.
Normal continued
They
don’t cause pain to
themselves or others
They can accept their
own identity
They can accept
disappointments
Who decides if behavior is
Normal?
Society
The
Person
themselves
Experts
Recognizing Abnormal
beh.
Too
often
abnormal is what
someone else does
and normal is
what we do…..
Criteria
What
is the effect of the
person’s behavior on
others?
What is the effect of the
person’s behavior on
themselves?
Criteria continued…
What
is the motive
behind the behavior?
What is the setting in
which the behavior is
exhibited?? Is it
appropriate?
Anxiety Disorders
Most
of the people in
therapy today suffer
from Anxiety disorders.
Characteristics of Anxiety dis.
Ordinary
functioning
disrupted.
Person displays
illogical behavior to
avoid anxiety
Symptoms of Anxiety
Disorders
 Anxiety
states- person lives in
a constant state of tension and
anxiety. Anxiety attacks can
cause physical problems
 Obsession – a thought or
mental image that won’t go
away. This obsession interferes
with all facets of a person’s
life
Symptoms of Anxiety
Disorders


Compulsive- repetitive, ritualistic actions that serve no
rational purpose. Truly compulsive people are driven
beyond the relief of nervous tension.
Phobias- Unreasonable fear or dread of something most
people find tolerable.
Somatoform Disorders

People who complain of physical symptoms for which
there are no physical causes.
•
Hypochondriacs- preoccupied
with health and has an
unrealistic fear of disease.
•
Conversion Hysteria- a physical
problem without any physical
reason.
Dissociative Disorders

Defined: the person avoids stress by escaping – or
dissociating – from their core personality

Examples: Amnesia- partial or total loss of memory.
Memory simply shuts down and person escapes into a new
identity

Fugue episodes – combine amnesia with travel to another
place.
Dissociate Disorders cont.
•
Multiple personality- personal escapes into a personality that
makes the anxiety easier to deal with.
Affective Disorders

Defined as affective or emotional problems.

Neurotic depression- when a person doesn’t “bounce
back” or can’t explain why they are depressed.

Probably the most common type of mental illness in the
US.

Not to be confused with seasonal affective disorder….
Psychoses: “Going Mad”

There are different types of psychoses but they all have
one thing in common: They all involve a loss of contact
with reality.

Unlike neurotics, psychotics rarely realize that their
behavior is out of the ordinary. This makes treatment
difficult.
Symptoms of psychoses

Disorientation- loss of touch with reality.

Delusions- false beliefs – firmly held in the face of all evidence to the
contrary.

Hallucinations- see, hear or feel things around them that are not
there.

Emotional Disturbance – Wild changes in mood and feeling. Actions
inappropriate to the situation and impossible to control
Symptoms continued

Disturbances of verbal communication- cannot
communicate ideas logically.

Motor Disturbances- cannot control body movements or
adopt certain characteristic mannerisms.

Sense of self is disturbed – Confused about their own
identities.
Personality Disorders

Behavior is displayed that violates the basic moral and
social values of a community.

The problem is not a loss of touch with reality but a
failure to mature and to become socialized responsible
adults.

They tend to be self-centered, impulsive and
irresponsible.