Abnormal Psychology is a fascinating sub-field of psychology relating to diagnosis and treatment. The class has a rather outdated name and should really be called Diagnosis and Treatment. At the core Abnormal Psychology is a class about people, human beings, like us.
All people have unique mental health situations. They fluctuate significantly between people and within ourselves. From stable and healthy, to unbalanced and precarious mental health is fluid. Abnormal Psychology looks at diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Remember, people are not their diagnosis, it is a piece of them, but not them. Defining a person solely by their diagnosis is small-minded, irresponsible, and reckless. People are complex beings with complicated backgrounds, don’t oversimplify them down to just a diagnosis.
For generations the field of psychology has attempted to belittle people down a diagnosis code from the flawed DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition), which houses all diagnostic criteria for mental disorders. The causes, symptoms, assessments, and treatments of mental illness are discussed at length, but often seem to miss the “human aspect” of a diagnosis. While diagnosis does have some value, it is merely a component of a person should not be viewed AS that person. Sometimes a diagnosis can feel like it defines you, getting away from this mindset can help yield progress. People are more than their diagnosis and should be viewed as such.
It should also be noted, that while the field of Abnormal Psychology has emphasized, “the abnormal, the wrong, the deviant, the diagnosable”, many sub-fields of psychology are aiming to migrate away from this overtly negative approach, particularly the growing field of Positive Psychology, which seeks positive, healthy, side-effect free approaches to navigating life’s struggles, including a mental illness diagnosis. Regardless of the negative aspects of Abnormal Psychology, it is a very necessary class that is fascinating and relevant to everyone.
Two of the most important elements when looking at diagnosis and wellness are looking at the context (all the events surrounding a person’s life, job, family history, physical health, seasons, mood, and much more) and the continuum (the spectrum of severity) of mental health behavior. These two elements will allow for a responsible diagnosis that can be accurate and actually helpful to a person.
Key Terms and Concepts in Abnormal Psychology
Etiology: The cause or causes of a mental illness. With psychological disorders there are often multiple causes and genetic predispositions (heritability, genetics that would lead to mental illness) for diagnosis. The specific etiology of each disorder will vary from person to person and is almost always multi-faceted.
Theories of Etiology: There are several theories of etiology of mental illness, including the biological theory, humanistic/existential, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and the post-traumatic model. The percentage of influence varies from person to person and can change throughout a person’s lifetime.
The DSM-5-TR: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders-5th Edition-Text Revision is the Bible of Mental Illness. All identified mental disorders are in this book and used by clinicians across the US to determine if a person has a mental illness. The severity, statistics, and other pertinent information regarding the disorder are included. A new DSM is released about every 10-12 years by the American Psychiatric Association and is every clinicians most important diagnostic tool. It is also important to note that the DSM is written by a panel where 70% of members receive kick-backs from pharmaceutical companies.
Diagnosis: The process of determining if a person meets the specific criteria for a mental health disorder according to the criteria identified in the DSM-5. Just like in physical health, a diagnosis is made like strep throat, cancer, or a broken ankle. Diagnosis is “What you got”. Examples of Diagnosis: Bi-Polar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Anorexia, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Prognosis: The likely outcome for the person diagnosed with a psychological disorder. There is a wide array for prognosis. Two people with a similar disorders can have vastly different prognosis (different support systems, severity of diagnosis, age, socio-economic status, access, etc). A prognosis is likely connected to a person’s willingness to grow, heal, and explore an array of treatments. Prognosis can be full recovery and living a healthy, fulfilling, satisfying joyful life, to high risk of suicide, hospitalization, self harm, etc. Examples of Prognosis: The prognosis for Timmy who has severe Schizophrenia is not great as this disorder frequently ends in long-term treatment, suicide, or being homeless. However, he does have a chance of having a “normal” health life as well. Whereas, the prognosis for Jenny who has a Major Depressive Episode is very bright and she will likely live a long, healthy, and positive life, but has a chance of suicide.
Categories of Mental Illness in the DSM
- Depressive Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Schizophrenia and Disorders of Psychosis
- Dissociative Disorders
- Eating/Feeding Disorders
- Substance Abuse and Addiction Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
- Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
- Somatic Symptom Disorders
- Elimination Disorders
- Sleep-Wake Disorders
- Sexual Dysfunctions
- Gender Dysphoria
- Disruptive, Impulse Control and Conduct Disorders
- Neurocognitive Disorders
- Paraphilic Disorder
For years, Abnormal Psychology, and really all of psychology have always focused on what is wrong with people, very negative and divisive. Check out Positive Psychology for a new perspective on how to view diagnosis, treatment, and the mental wellness of people. Many of the disorders listed above can be eradicated or at least minimized using the natural, holistic, and proven method of positive psychology.
While Abnormal Psychology is an essential discipline it should always be coupled with positive components of health and wellness and implement a holistic treatment approach to help empower people to be the versions of themselves.
To reference this page:
Mikita, D. (2015). What is Abnormal psychology. Retrieved from Feel Awesomer: http://www.feelawesomer.com/abnormal-psychology/