Transcript Psychopathology - Cloudfront.net

Psychopathology:
Scientific study of mental disorders
“To study the abnormal is the
best way of knowing the normal”
W. James
Causes
Need to understand their genetic,
biological, psychological, and social causes
 ‘Psyche’ means soul

Four Ds
Deviance: thoughts, behaviors, and
emotions are unacceptable or common is
society
 Distress: negative feelings by individual
 Dysfunction: impairs individual’s ability to
perform normal daily functions
 Danger: violent behaviors directed at the
individual or at others

Historical Roots

Caused by evil spirits…
 Need

an opening to escape
Witchcraft, demonic possession, full moon,
supernatural forces…
 Exorcism,
torture, primitive surgery,
bloodletting, bitter poisons, starvation, noisemaking

Today: Medical perspective & Psychological
perspective
Debate

Biological conditions
vs.

Past & present life experiences (natural
disasters to abuse, divorce, illness, etc.)
 Psychoanalytic
 Parental
influences, unconscious, defense mechanisms
 Behaviorial
 Reward,
beliefs
& CB
punishment… perceptions, expectations,
AND…
 Diathesis-Stress Model

Length of stay 7-52
days!
 No one detected


EXCEPT…
• Diagnoses are often not reliable or useful
•Sane needlessly stigmatized / feigned insanity excused
Detailed Examples
1.
Anxiety- OCD
2.
Somatoform- Hypochondriasis
3.
Dissociative- DID
4.
Mood- Depression
5.
Schizophrenic- Schizophrenia
6.
Personality- borderline, antisocial
1. OCD
Recurrent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts and compulsive actions
 One boy washed hands so much they became raw & bloodied
 One boy ran up and down the stairs 63 times/ day
 Woman determined to keep eyebrows symmetric, plucked them
all out
 Woman spent 8hrs/ day bathing
 Man couldn’t leave subway without picking up all litter
 Man’s apartment stacked to ceiling with dishes, dirty clothes,
collected objects he couldn’t throw away


MENTALLY NEUTRALIZE unacceptable thoughts and behaviors
Treatment: “refocusing” to “unlock” the area stuck in its
pattern. Label & refocus to constructive activity
Obsessions & Compulsions
Dirt, germs, contamination
Aggressive impulses
Need for symmetry
Bodily concerns
Forbidden sexual impulses
55%
50%
37%
35%
32%
Checking
Washing
Counting
79%
58%
21%
2. Hypochondria
Guess who?


Complained of dizzy spells, numbness in fingertips,
nausea, indigestion, chest pains, and other assorted
ailments…
Chronic, unwarranted preoccupation w/ one’s physical
health. Highly sensitive to NORMAL bodily sensations
“The whole day was planned out to suit him, to be ready
for reading aloud to him, to go on his walks with him,
and to be constantly at hand to alleviate his daily
discomforts”
3. Dissociative Identity Disorder

Learn to cope with trauma by mentally
divorcing part of self from pain & suffering
 Construct
alternative identities in which to live

9X more prevalent in women

88% victims of sexual abuse

Ea. May have own voice, speech pattern, habits,
memories, sexual orientation, clothing,
handwriting, brain-wave, BP, eyeglass
prescription, rxns…
4. Depression: “The common cold”

Universal; 2x women; 12-21% will experience

Emotional, Cognitive, Motivational and Somatic
symptoms without discernible cause, >2 wks
Profound sadness
 Diminished interest in food, sex, social banter
 Intense worthlessness, guilt, self-blame
 Restlessness, agitation
 Depleted energy
 Recurring thoughts of suicide & death

5. Schizophrenia

A brain disorder in which people interpret
reality abnormally

Note “Split mind” = split between thoughts,
perceptions, behaviors, emotions and other
brain functions (NOT Selves)

Simulator
“I felt like I was the only sane person
in a world gone crazy”
1.
Incoherent thinking/ word salad
2.
Delusions- “influence”- thoughts being broadcast
in public, stolen, controlled; also reference,
persecution, grandeur.
3.
Hallucinations- sensations w/out stimulation (e.g.
Son of Sam’s barking dog)
4.
Disturbance of affect- flattened/ inappropriate
5.
Bizarre behavior- withdrawal, exile, self-talk,
statue poses, backwards, circles, lack self-insight
Next time: treatment
Charles Manson
Reactions of People with Social
Phobias I

Social Phobia

An intense fear of
situations that invite
public scrutiny
Socially phobic and
non-phobic adults
prepared a speech.
 Both groups showed
increased heart rate in
anticipation of the
speech.

Anxiety Disorders
Reactions of People with Social
Phobias II

However, only
those with social
phobia reported
feeling more
anxious.