Psychological Abnormalities

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What are psychological abnormalities? We can categorize them into four main definitions. Statistical infrequency, which can be measured but is not the most reliable method as it only takes into account characteristic in society which, are normally distributed, such as height or intelligence. It also does not distinguish between positive and negative attributes, nor does it say if average refers to being normal or abnormal. Lets take the intelligence for an example, if someone has an IQ level below the average, that individual might be classified as being abnormal, but if someone's IQ is above the average they will be classified as being really intelligent. The main problem with statistical infrequency is that it fails to distinguish between …show more content…

These are all sorts of unwritten rules which apply in society, if you break them, you may be classified as abnormal. Whose there to say that our behaviour is normal or abnormal? If I speak to a stranger during my journey to work am I considered abnormal? If people from other countries break rules in British society are they considered abnormal? These are big cultural variations. Those rules and norms vary overtime. Norms of a psychiatrist may be different to those of people in society. Failure to function adequately is the third definition. If we form and maintain relationships, if we work or look after ourselves we are considered normal. Unfortunately some situations in life, may stop us from functioning normal, are we going to be classified as being abnormal because of that? This definition fails to take into account that some abnormalities, do not stop us from functioning adequately. For example a person, who has the obsessive compulsive disorder of sorting out clothes by their colour or size, may find that the behaviour makes them happy and able to cope with the …show more content…

These are first rank symptoms and second rank symptoms. The first rank symptoms, which are the type of symptoms you would experience if you were a schizophrenic. Those include: passivity experiences, which include thoughts being taken out or coming into the mind or thoughts which are heard by other people. Hallucinations-those normally happen in a form of a voice which tells the person, what to do or, comments on other individuals, or the environment schizophrenic happens to be in. Hallucinations can also make a person feel, as they are outside of the body. They lose the sense of touch. Delusions are another symptom. Those can be classified as delusions of grandeur, which make the person believe that they are God, The Queen etc. Delusions of persecution, those make the person think that you are wanted by the FBI or the Police. Delusions of reference, radio or TV makes you do something negative. Delusions of nihilism which means that the person thinks they are dead and that nothing else exists. The second rank symptoms, which are symptoms that are observed, include: thought process disorder which is inability to concentrate on one thing at a time, that is why during a conversation the person mixes all sorts of different topics into a conversation, uses completely wrong and mixed words 'word salad'. Disturbance of affect (emotions). These include lack of emotions, monotony during speaking, experiencing wrong emotions,

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