ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MENTAL ILLNESS

Abnormal & normal are not two distinct categories. They may be endpoints on some dimension we can use to describe people. Abnormal does not mean dangerous. However, some people diagnosed as having a mental disorder may do great violence to themselves or to others, but most people with psychological disorders are not dangerous at all. Abnormal does not mean bad. People diagnosed with a psychological disorder are not "bad people," or "weak people," or people with "no will power," in any evaluative sense. They may have done bad things, and bad things may have happened to them, but it is not psychology's tradition to make moral judgments about people. Psychological disorders, like physical disorders, can occur in mild and moderate forms. As we have seen repeatedly, no two people are exactly alike; there are individual differences in psychological functioning

Normal Behavior

A person who fully functions within their society can be defined as normal behavior. Therefore, a person who follows the rules and maintains a balance of existence may be considered normal. "A normal" is someone who conforms to the predominant behavior in a society.

Normality is not an entirely flawed concept, rather it is simply defined as what the majority perceives as the mean, or average.

Abnormal Behavior

Maladaptive cognition, affect, and/or behaviors that are at odds with social or cultural expectations and that result in distress or discomfort. Literally Abnormal means "not of the norm" or "not average" Behaviors or mental processes that are rare should be considered abnormal The reactions of people with psychological disorder are maladaptive. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are such that the person with the disorder does not function as well as he or she could without it. To be different or strange does not mean that someone has a psychological disorder. There must be some degree of impairment, some interference with growth and functioning.

Abnormality may show itself in a number of different ways. A person with a disorder may experience abnormal affects, engage in abnormal behaviors, have abnormal cognitions, or a combination of these. Psychological abnormality has to acknowledge social &/or cultural expectations. What may be clearly abnormal and disordered in one culture may be viewed as quite normal or commonplace in another.

Example: To claim that you have been communicating with dead ancestors would be taken as a sign of severe disturbance in some cultures; in others, it would be treated as a great gift.

Psychological Disorder

They are unpleasant, distressful, painful, and often devastating in their effects. They have an impact on all of us. Approximately 28% of adults in the United States - nearly 50 million men & women- are suffering from a psychological disorder, & fewer than one-third of those are seeking help for their problem. Psychological disorders cause emotional distress, and people with psychological disorders are often the source of distress and discomfort to others --friends & family who care and worry about them. .

Mental Illness/ Mental sickness/ Mental Disorder

Mental illness is a psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and it causes distress and disability. This medical condition disturbs a person's thinking, daily doings, feeling and ability to maintain with others. Mental illness is very common. One from every four people in Britain is caused by mental illness. Mental illnesses are some of the least understood conditions in society. As a result of this condition, many people face prejudice and discrimination in their everyday lives. However, most people can lead productive and fulfilling lives with appropriate treatment and support. Persons suffering from any of the severe mental disorders present with a variety of symptoms that may include inappropriate anxiety, disturbances of thought and perception, deregulation of mood, and cognitive dysfunction. Mental disorders can arise from a combination of sources. In many cases there is no single accepted or consistent cause currently established. A common belief even to this day is that disorders result from genetic vulnerabilities exposed by environmental stressors. Social influences have been found to be important, including abuse, bullying and other negative or stressful life experiences. The specific risks and pathways to particular disorders are less clear, however. Aspects of the wider community have also been implicated, including employment problems, socioeconomic inequality, lack of social cohesion, problems linked to migration, and features of particular societies and cultures.

The myths of mental illness People with mental illness are violent and dangerous. The truth is that, as a group, mentally ill people are no more violent than any other group. In fact, they are far more likely to be the victims of violence than to be violent themselves. People with mental illness are poor and/or less intelligent. Many studies show that most mentally ill people have average or above-average intelligence. Mental illness, like physical illness, can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class or income level. Mental illness is caused by a personal weakness. A mental illness is not a character flaw. It is an illness, and it has nothing to do with being weak or lacking willpower. Although people with mental illness can play a big part in their own recovery, they did not choose to become ill, and they are not lazy because they cannot just "snap out of it." Mental illness is a single, rare disorder. Mental illness is not a single disease but a broad classification for many disorders. Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and organic brain disorder.