Psychological Disorders Essay - 1876 Words

There are multiple criteria that come into play when determining a psychological disorder. One reason is because, it is hard to know for sure if an action is abnormal or not. Something could be abnormal in our country, but a custom in another. According to Psychology in Action, â€Å"[r]ather than being fixed categories, both â€Å"abnormal† and â€Å"normal† behaviors exist along a continuum, and no single criterion is adequate for [i]dentifying all forms of abnormal behavior† (Huffman). There are four criteria used to determine whether behavior is abnormal. These are known as the four D’s. The first is deviance, this means that someones thoughts are different than those in the their culture and/or society. The second is dysfunction, this is when a†¦show more content†¦But when the acquisition of and inability to discard worthless items becomes extreme, it can interfere with basic aspects of living, such as cleaning, cooking, sleeping on a bed, and moving around ones home. This abnormal behavior is associated with several psychological disorders, but it is most commonly found in people who have obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD . . . (Ch. 14). In the middle ages they had no way to explain this behavior. They believed the only diagnosis was evil spirits and/ or witchcraft. They tried trephining, which was drilling holes into the skull in order to let the evil spirits out. They also performed exorcisms, fasting, noise making, beating, and nasty brews in order to help these people. Later on they started thinking that these people chose to affiliate with the devil. They believed that were witches and they would either torchure them, imprison them for life, or they would be executed. A very well known case of this happening is the Salem Witch Trials. Three young girls began acting out. According to the article The Mystery of the Salem Witch Trials, â€Å"Their strange behaviors included hallucinations, shouting out in church, having fits, making strange sounds, and feeling as if they were being pricked and poked† (Annika). The only diagnosis the doctor could come up with, was that the girls have beenShow MoreRelatedPsychological Disorders : A Psychological Disorder1632 Words   |  7 PagesPsychological disorders are often a taboo subject in our society. Many find themselves to be the subject of ridicule and/or a social pariah from their peers at the simple hint of a mental disorder. This stems largely from simple ignorance to the cause and actual effects of the problems. Many of the same people that spend most of the day complaining about others that have psychological disorders could potentially find themselves and their behavior defined as such. 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