Abnormal Behavior

 Describe the earlier history of treating abnormal behaviors.  What is cultural relativity?  How do you define whether a behavior is abnormal or not?  What is a stigma and how does it impact people with mental illnesses?

 Skulls with evidence of trepanning (the process of cutting holes into skulls to allow demons to escape) date as far back as 10, 000 B.C.  It was believed that abnormal behavior was the result of possession of evil spirits.  In 400 B.C., Hippocrates introduced the idea that illness of body and mind were the result of imbalances of bodily fluids, which he referred to as humors.

 During the Middle Ages, abnormal behavior was still attributed to demonic possession.  Exorcism, the process of expelling the evil spirit through religious ritual, was the treatment of choice.  During the Renaissance, mental illness was thought to be caused by witchcraft, and the mentally ill were often put to death.

 Cultural relativity refers to the need to consider the unique characteristics of the culture in which a person with a disorder was raised, so that it is possible to correctly diagnose and treat the disorder.  Culture-bound syndromes are disorders that are found in a particular culture like TKS, Susto, bulimia, anorexia, and depression due to high stress levels.

 Abnormality can be best defined on a continuum of behaviors where in the middle, normal behaviors occur and abnormal behaviors occur at the two ends.  It can also be defined as social nonconformity where a person deviates from what is considered normal in their society.

 Two of the following criteria must be met for deeming a behavior normal:  1) Is the behavior unusual?  2) Does the behavior go against social norms?  3) Does the behavior cause significant subjective discomfort?  4) Is the behavior maladaptive or make it hard to cope with day-to-day life?  5) Does the behavior cause the person to be dangerous to self and others?

 In the biological model, psychological disorders are caused by biological changes in chemical, structural, or genetic systems of the body.  The psychological model explains disordered behavior as the result of repressing one’s threatening thoughts in unconscious mind.  The behaviorist model defines abnormal behaviors as learned responses to stimuli.

 Stigma is the social disapproval of conditions or characteristics such as mental illness that are considered abnormal.  Stigmas create serious problems for people with mental illness, including discouraging them from seeking help.  Stigmas of mental illness seem to be disappearing in Western culture, including in the U.S.

 Individuals with mental illness face judgement, loss of friends, family support, and employment. They also often do not have money to pay for mental health visits because they are often not covered by insurance.  Families caring for someone with mental illness deal with a lot of stress because of the time they devote to their loved ones, the expense of the treatments, and the blame they place on themselves.  Societies devote money and time to help treat and educate about certain mental disorders.