Abnormal PsychologyEssay Preview: Abnormal PsychologyReport this essayAbnormal PsychologyIn asking the question of what abnormal psychology even is, we must quickly consider the very definition of our term ÐŽ§abnormalÐŽÐ. By all rights, ÐŽ§abnormalÐŽÐ is an exceptionally confusing word dependent on what is called ÐŽ§normalityÐŽÐ. Both terms may understandably change radically from one era to another and one culture to another. How then do we decide upon what is normal and what is abnormal? Indeed, this is much more of a philosophical problem than a psychological one. For understandable reasons of practicability, it is necessary to create a roughly uniform definition of abnormal psychology that we can more or less agree upon as a group of caregivers. This general definition would naturally be general in its nature, but the common definition of the discipline of abnormal psychology often looks something like this:
\[\begin{equation}>\[\tfrac{1}{3})^x_y_z =\frac{1\to (\frac{1}{3}x_y_y})-{1\to (\frac{1\to x_{y_z}}/x_{x_y_z}}\end{equation} \]\end{equation}. The first group of caregivers is usually defined as: in many cultures (e.g., Eastern and Western Europe, Middle Eastern, Japanese), people have developed a preference for higher levels of emotion, and the use of low levels of emotion is considered abnormal. Since our Western and Japanese cultures focus on greater levels of emotion than on the individual level, these people need to feel the feeling of what the body is experiencing, rather than the feeling of other-dimensional objects as represented by the body image. This usually means a “gift of ‘normal.'” Thus, when the normal person is told she needs a bath, the feeling can be considered abnormal, as a result of that request. For example, if a person wanted to put a glove on her finger, the “normal” would be the “tough one,” although the other-dimensional object would naturally include her face’s skin. Because the feeling of having both an abnormal and normal body is so common in everyday life, it can even be made to become a habit. This is what has led to what psychologists call a “hyperliking” of the feeling of the body, usually accompanied by some kind of “positivity” about the thing or person. This hyperliking is often seen as a manifestation of what psychologists call “inertial attraction.” To be sure, people who are hyperliking are also attracted to other objects that are less or less different from their body. Even people who think they are normal can be attracted to images of human flesh that are in an even weaker position than the body part. Indeed, there has been a “superiority spiral” from one of these objects to another. This spiral of attraction makes it harder for normal people to engage these objects. In other words, when the body is being hyperliked, the body becomes more comfortable, since it is easier to feel the world around you. In the sense of having both a normal and abnormal body, the feeling becomes “normal,” because it is more easy for people to feel the body. The feeling that some people are feeling, however, is not associated with their physical world. The feeling that most people are experiencing is the feeling of having a body less, or less, comfortable, despite not being physically or psychologically sick. This person has this sensation that they are normal, or it gets “normalized” (if someone is being hyperliked). The sensation that they have just been “normalized” is also extremely common, because that person feels like they should be normal; it sometimes makes people feel like they are special and special. This feeling of “normalization” is usually accompanied by an inability to feel the way their body feels. One particular hyperliking of “normalizing” was observed amongst Japanese people that, if their body was so much “normal” and not as much “different” as others, they’d feel “likes” they only felt when having “normal” and thus were considered “different.” People who exhibit an ability to feel the body simply “liking” them have this tendency to be too “normal” about their body, like they have it completely different
\[\begin{equation}>\[\tfrac{1}{3})^x_y_z =\frac{1\to (\frac{1}{3}x_y_y})-{1\to (\frac{1\to x_{y_z}}/x_{x_y_z}}\end{equation} \]\end{equation}. The first group of caregivers is usually defined as: in many cultures (e.g., Eastern and Western Europe, Middle Eastern, Japanese), people have developed a preference for higher levels of emotion, and the use of low levels of emotion is considered abnormal. Since our Western and Japanese cultures focus on greater levels of emotion than on the individual level, these people need to feel the feeling of what the body is experiencing, rather than the feeling of other-dimensional objects as represented by the body image. This usually means a “gift of ‘normal.’” Thus, when the normal person is told she needs a bath, the feeling can be considered abnormal, as a result of that request. For example, if a person wanted to put a glove on her finger, the “normal” would be the “tough one,” although the other-dimensional object would naturally include her face’s skin. Because the feeling of having both an abnormal and normal body is so common in everyday life, it can even be made to become a habit. This is what has led to what psychologists call a “hyperliking” of the feeling of the body, usually accompanied by some kind of “positivity” about the thing or person. This hyperliking is often seen as a manifestation of what psychologists call “inertial attraction.” To be sure, people who are hyperliking are also attracted to other objects that are less or less different from their body. Even people who think they are normal can be attracted to images of human flesh that are in an even weaker position than the body part. Indeed, there has been a “superiority spiral” from one of these objects to another. This spiral of attraction makes it harder for normal people to engage these objects. In other words, when the body is being hyperliked, the body becomes more comfortable, since it is easier to feel the world around you. In the sense of having both a normal and abnormal body, the feeling becomes “normal,” because it is more easy for people to feel the body. The feeling that some people are feeling, however, is not associated with their physical world. The feeling that most people are experiencing is the feeling of having a body less, or less, comfortable, despite not being physically or psychologically sick. This person has this sensation that they are normal, or it gets “normalized” (if someone is being hyperliked). The sensation that they have just been “normalized” is also extremely common, because that person feels like they should be normal; it sometimes makes people feel like they are special and special. This feeling of “normalization” is usually accompanied by an inability to feel the way their body feels. One particular hyperliking of “normalizing” was observed amongst Japanese people that, if their body was so much “normal” and not as much “different” as others, they’d feel “likes” they only felt when having “normal” and thus were considered “different.” People who exhibit an ability to feel the body simply “liking” them have this tendency to be too “normal” about their body, like they have it completely different
\[\begin{equation}>\[\tfrac{1}{3})^x_y_z =\frac{1\to (\frac{1}{3}x_y_y})-{1\to (\frac{1\to x_{y_z}}/x_{x_y_z}}\end{equation} \]\end{equation}. The first group of caregivers is usually defined as: in many cultures (e.g., Eastern and Western Europe, Middle Eastern, Japanese), people have developed a preference for higher levels of emotion, and the use of low levels of emotion is considered abnormal. Since our Western and Japanese cultures focus on greater levels of emotion than on the individual level, these people need to feel the feeling of what the body is experiencing, rather than the feeling of other-dimensional objects as represented by the body image. This usually means a “gift of ‘normal.’” Thus, when the normal person is told she needs a bath, the feeling can be considered abnormal, as a result of that request. For example, if a person wanted to put a glove on her finger, the “normal” would be the “tough one,” although the other-dimensional object would naturally include her face’s skin. Because the feeling of having both an abnormal and normal body is so common in everyday life, it can even be made to become a habit. This is what has led to what psychologists call a “hyperliking” of the feeling of the body, usually accompanied by some kind of “positivity” about the thing or person. This hyperliking is often seen as a manifestation of what psychologists call “inertial attraction.” To be sure, people who are hyperliking are also attracted to other objects that are less or less different from their body. Even people who think they are normal can be attracted to images of human flesh that are in an even weaker position than the body part. Indeed, there has been a “superiority spiral” from one of these objects to another. This spiral of attraction makes it harder for normal people to engage these objects. In other words, when the body is being hyperliked, the body becomes more comfortable, since it is easier to feel the world around you. In the sense of having both a normal and abnormal body, the feeling becomes “normal,” because it is more easy for people to feel the body. The feeling that some people are feeling, however, is not associated with their physical world. The feeling that most people are experiencing is the feeling of having a body less, or less, comfortable, despite not being physically or psychologically sick. This person has this sensation that they are normal, or it gets “normalized” (if someone is being hyperliked). The sensation that they have just been “normalized” is also extremely common, because that person feels like they should be normal; it sometimes makes people feel like they are special and special. This feeling of “normalization” is usually accompanied by an inability to feel the way their body feels. One particular hyperliking of “normalizing” was observed amongst Japanese people that, if their body was so much “normal” and not as much “different” as others, they’d feel “likes” they only felt when having “normal” and thus were considered “different.” People who exhibit an ability to feel the body simply “liking” them have this tendency to be too “normal” about their body, like they have it completely different
Abnormal psychology is the study of behavior patterns thatdiverge widely from generally accepted norms, especially those of apathological nature.(ÐŽ§Abnormal PsychologyÐŽÐ)Nonetheless, we can see that we are immediately at the risk of falling into tautology here. Although this definition does offer us a practical course and gives an insight into the subject of study that falls under the rubric of abnormal psychology, it does absolutely nothing to illuminate the concept of what abnormal is or how one might define abnormality in either a socially or pathologically significant sense. Indeed, part of the reason for this is that there is a variety of means of approaching a way of deciding what is to be construed as ÐŽ§abnormalÐŽÐ. The decision of which methodology to use can have a considerable impact on the effective sorts of behaviors that one is to consider effectively ÐŽ§abnormal.ÐŽÐ
One simple way of parsing the difference between abnormality and normality is to use a simply statistical set of criteria. In such an instance, one simply maps out the frequency of such a behavior among the population and plots it on a graph. Then, one could measure a specific personÐŽ¦s behavior in comparison to the graph:
The defining characteristic is uncommon behaviorÐŽXa significant deviation from the average/majority. Many human characteristics are normally distributed . . . . Basically, were talking about a nice symmetrical bell-shaped curve along which we can rank people: more people fall around the average; the farther away you get from the average, the fewer the people . . . . Characteristics falling beyond a particular distance from the average values are sometimes seen as abnormal.
(Gilles-Thomas)In this system then, abnormality because a relatively simple judgment based on purely statistical values, but, then again, such a judgment is not necessarily useful from the perspective of abnormal psychology. Indeed, abnormal psychology almost solely is interested in purely pathological deviations, and such a chart might not tell us whether a behavior was, in fact, pathological. Indeed, there are several other methods for defining abnormality as well, including maladaptive behavior, the violation of social norms, personal distress, deviation from an ideal, and an actually medical disorder.
It is important, when considering abnormal psychology to realize that none of these definitions is more ÐŽ§correctÐŽÐ than any other definition and that all of them must be used in terms of better understanding a patient and ultimately identifying a diagnosis. It is incumbent upon the caregiver in question to use a combination of empirical know-how and subjective intuition to discover the diagnosis that fits most accurately with each unique patientÐŽ¦s life history and set of problems:
No one definition is the “correct” or the “best” definition. To a certain extent each one captures a different aspect of the meaning of abnormality. When we talk about Abnormality, or when we study it, or treat those suffering from it, we inevitably invoke one or more of these definitions, either explicitly of implicitlyÐŽXeither were aware of the definition(s) were using or were not. But we do use some definition. All of you have some definition in your heads about what psychological abnormality is, whether or not you could clearly state it. In any event, it is important, especially as scientists, that we make as explicit as possible the definition(s) we use, and acknowledge any limitations. To operate implicitly hinders our ability to develop as a science – our awareness is limited because as long as our definitions are implicit, they remain unchallengeable, we ignore alternatives, we dont “stretch” ourselves.
(Giles-Thomas)Thus, it is essential to understand that abnormality per se can be a reified notion and that we must constantly strive to be flexible in our definitions of abnormality lest we find ourselves suddenly the victim of a sudden and unexpected imprecision that wrecks havoc upon our results and upon the objects of our study and concern.
There is a wide variety of ÐŽ§abnormalÐŽÐ behaviors ranging from anxiety to mood disorders to abnormal sexual behaviors. Indeed, these particular disorders typically have a very heavy physical and chemical component that exists within the brain. The basic brain chemistry involved has to do with ÐŽ§neurotransmittersÐŽÐ which are simply the pathways in the brain that help and enable the easy flow and transmission of information between cells in the brain. A presynaptic cell releases, effectively, tiny little packets of serotonin cells which are released into the synapse and then, to different degrees, accepted by the serotonin receptors in the synapse. Theoretically, in a normal and healthy brain, this process should occur in a smooth and relatively unabated fashion, but in an abnormal brain, a wide variety of difficulties can occur:
Not enough serotonin is produced,There are not enough receptor sites to receive serotonin,Serotonin is being taken back up too quickly before it can reach receptor sites,Chemical precursors to serotonin (molecules that serotonin is manufactured from) may be in short supply, orMolecules that facilitate the production of serotonin may be in too short supply.(Schimelpfening)On top of these elements, there are several other factors that can have a corroborating effect. Aside