Abnormal Psychology Modules 27-29

Definition of Psychological Disorder Harmful dysfunction in which behaviors are maladaptive; unjustifiable; disturbing and atypical

Each term in the definition is explained as follows: Maladaptive- destructive to oneself or others Unjustifiable- without a rational basis Disturbing- troublesome to other people Atypical- so different that they violate a norm (what is acceptable in their culture)

Philippe Pinel French physician First to reform treatment for mental patients Believed humane treatment was better than other methods such as chaining them to the wall or locked up like zoo animals

Classifying Disorders DSM-IV-TR which stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Vol. 4 Published by the APA Has been revised 4 times changed some things overtime Vol. 3 stopped listing homosexuality as a disorder Vol. 4 changes term from manic depressive to bipolar disorder.

Danger of labeling people with psychological disorders--- Most patients diagnosed with disorders are fully functioning members of society Media such as TV shows can greatly influence people’s perception of psychological disorders Recent research into psychological disorders has taken the mystery out of these disorders and fostered more understanding.

Psychology student’s disease- (this is a real classification) Don’t overreact as you begin to study symptoms of these disorders Remember– the definition states that degree is the key to distinguishing between ”quirks in personality” with real psychological problems

The 5 categories of disorders Anxiety Mood Dissociative Schizophrenia Personality

Anxiety Disorders Anxiety- defined as a vague feeling of apprehension or nervousness

Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder Panic Disorder Phobias Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Causes of Anxiety Disorders Biological factors- heredity, brain function, evolution Learning factors- conditioning, observational learning, reinforcement

Mood Disorders Major Depressive Disorder Bipolar Disorder (formerly called Manic Depression)

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative Amnesia Dissociative Fugue Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called multiple personalities)

Schizophrenia A group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions and inappropriate emotions and actions

Symptoms of Schizophrenia Delusions Hallucinations Inappropriate emotions Inappropriate behaviors

Types of Schizophrenia Paranoid Catatonic Disorganized Undifferentiated

Personality Disorders Related to anxiety With odd or eccentric behaviors With Dramatic or Impulsive Behaviors Antisocial (also called psychopathic or sociopathic personality disorder)

Symptoms of Anti-social personality disorder Can’t be diagnosed until 18 years of age Repeatedly breaking the law Deceitful including lying using aliases, conning others for profit Impulsive, aggressive, consistent irresponsibility Reckless disregard for safety of oneself or others Lack of remorse

Borderline Personality Disorder Very emotionsl and unstable relationships with others (I love you, I hate you) Extreme short term mood swings,intense anger or dificulty controlling anger Unstable self image or sense of self

Avoidance Personality disorder Long standing and complex feelings of inadequacy Extreme sensitivity to what others think or say about them Social inhibitions( unwilling to get involved with others unless certain of being likes) Belief that they are unappealing or inferior to others