ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology which studies unusual patterns of emotions, mood, thoughts and behavior, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder.
WHAT IS ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR?
According to Psychology Today, there are many characteristics of normal behavior. People who behave normally are not constantly feeling one mood because their emotions change appropriately with each new situation, such as feeling angry when frustrated. They can relate to others and become committed to a person, group or cause. They feel satisfaction after completing a task but also enjoy relaxation. Most importantly, normal behavior consists of adapting to life. This means dealing with success and failure in a healthy manner and being flexible through the many challenges of life.
Psychology Today also lists characteristics of abnormal behavior. One abnormal behavior is repeating harmful actions in a pattern, such as consistently sleeping only a few hours a night. People who behave abnormally may fixate on one emotion. An example of this is experiencing a long state of depression even though there is no logical reason to feel sad. Abnormal behavior may also violate ethics, such as sexual deviancy. Abnormal behavior is regarded as undesirable.
ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Within a society we have norms, guidelines, rules, and standards which make our interactions with others more orderly and predictable. We also have a position in society regulated by norms about how that person should act. Norms and roles are established by the majority in society and most of us tend to obey and conform to them most of the time. Culture plays a important role in identifying normal and abnormal behavior.
In Swaziland for example, thousands of bare-bodied virgins take part in ‘Reed Dance’ every year in front of the King after which the king picks up his next wife Also, in many cultures (West Asia and Africa) still, barbaric practices such as FGM take place. (Female genital mutilation) In some Arab countries like Egypt, it is still customary to test virginity on the wedding night and declare it publicly. Many people in East eat insects with delight, something considered icky in the West and South Asia. In Vietnam, snakes are wound around a tree log that is dipped in alcohol. The snake is left there to ‘ferment’ and after many days, that alcohol is drunk.
Two guys/girls holding hands in public are normal in Indian sub-continent while it is considered gay or lesbian act in the west. It is very common for a couple to kiss in the west however it will catch lot of negative attention in Indian sub-continent. Arranged marriages in India are perfectly normal and usual, but in western countries it is seen as something very strange. Hallucinations are a great example of this discrepancy. Typically, in Western cultures, experiencing hallucinations is considered extremely abnormal. However, there are other cultures where one who experiences hallucinations might be worshiped as a god or holy person.
Suicide is another example. Suicide is considered a devastating tragedy in Western cultures, and one who is considering suicide could even be held for mandatory observation. However, in some Middle Eastern cultures, the religious implications of self inflicted suicide raised the individual to martyr status. Substance abuse regardless of the environment might be considered abnormal. However, caffeine is considered normal for Western cultures, and certain Native American cultures find it normal to use hallucinogens. Wearing hijab in Muslim countries is normal. However, in west they may label a woman with hijab a terrorist. The types of acceptable substances would definitely change, and so it becomes difficult to determine whether this behavior is abnormal or not. Any type of behavior viewed by the society as disruptive would probably be considered abnormal.
SIGNIFICANCE OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Following are the significance of abnormal psychology:
1) It provides us with a nomenclature and enables us to structure information in a more helpful manner. However, it does have some disadvantages such as problem of labeling someone with a disorder, so that even when the person fully recovers, the diagnostic label can be hard to shake
2) It helps us to prevent mental illness as well as other related diseases.
3) Abnormal Psychology provides us sources, including medication, proper treatments, classification of mental disorders, and ways for prevention of some associated illnesses.
4) To know the nature and the cause of abnormality it leads us to understand the mechanism of abnormal mind, diagnose the disease and predict the progress of the disease. Hence abnormality no longer stands as a mystery or a curse.
5) A correct understanding of abnormality can check, prevents and cure the disease. Abnormal psychology has been of tremendous importance for modern people. The implications and significance of abnormal psychology lies in studying the maladjusted and abnormal personality.
6) It is also of value to the so called normal people of the society. This supports Freud’s view that nobody is 100 % normal and everybody needs some sort of guidance, counseling and advice to overcome anxiety, depression, worries and other major/minor mental illness arising out of the stresses, strains and competitiveness of modern society.
7) Abnormal psychology differentiates between normal and abnormal behavior and helps us from adopting such behavior.
8) By this field superstitious thought can be overcome.
9) The prevention and treatment of antisocial behavior is done by abnormal psychology, no need of law and punishment for such disorder.
10) The study of abnormal psychology touches upon most of the problems of community life. Whenever human relationships are involved, there is the possibility that one or more of the group members may be psychologically disturbed, for this reason the principles of abnormal psychology are relevant in education, business and industry, law politics and religion.
11) Knowledge of abnormal psychology helps us to understand a peculiar behavior, which is odd, strange, unusual, different and inappropriate.
12) Modern psychopathology is also of great need and importance to medicine. In fact, it is predicted that 50 per cent of the medicines in future will be psychological medicines. It is of tremendous importance to common man as over 10 per cent of the total population is expected to suffer from severe mental illness and tentatively every one of the population is likely to suffer from at least mild mental illness or depression during his life time.
SCOPE OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY IN MODERN WORLD
1) The study of abnormal psychology should include normal along with abnormal, so that abnormal can behave like normal in order to be labeled like them.
2) Abnormal psychology should able to describe and explain the causes, conditions, syndromes, symptoms and factors of various behavioral disorders.
3) Abnormal psychology should include the study of abnormalities like antisocial personality disorders, mental mechanism, crime, sexual deviation and drug addiction etc.
4) All human behavior has its root in motives and basic needs or wants. Restriction or denial to these basic needs can lead to frustrations, conflicts and stress, which in turn results in behavioral disorders. So, this field should include the study of motives, needs, frustration and stresses.
APPLICATIONS OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
People who specialize in abnormal psychology work in a variety of settings. Clinical psychologists, counselors, clinical social workers and psychotherapists often work in solo or group private practices. To work in private and group practice, you generally need to have a license to practice in your state. Some master’s and doctoral level practitioners work in mental health clinics, correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers, in- and out-patient substance abuse facilities, schools and residential homes. Bachelor’s level practitioners may also work in these settings, though they are not eligible to work in private practice.