Psychological Disorders

Lesson 16-1

Bell Ringer

• Read excerpt p. 447

• It is often difficult to distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior.

• Prophet was diagnosed as “paranoid schizophrenic”

• Was seen as normal when he was home

Bell Ringer

• What is considered “normal” adolescent behavior?

• Would these behaviors be abnormal in the following settings?– Rural village in India– Presidential inauguration– Funeral

Bell Ringer

• What behavior takes place at a State Tournament game?

• Is it abnormal?

Identifying Psychological Disorders

• Deviation from normal– Says something everyone does is normal?– If everyone cheats on income tax, are honest

taxpayers abnormal?– Not always a useful standard

Identifying Psychological Disorders

• Failure to adjust– Normal people can get along in the world– So unhappy they can’t eat, take care of

themselves, hold a job.

• Cultural Context– Behavior that is acceptable in one society is not

acceptable in another– Antoinne and hand holding

Psychological Health

• Mental health and mental illness imply that a psychological disturbance is like a physical sickness.

• Psychologists believe a healthy person is one who strives towards ideal functioning

Psychological Health

• Carl Jung and Abraham Maslow- called it self-actualization– Full acceptance and expression of one’s own

individuality and humanness– Hard to determine– When is a person doing their best?

Psychological Health

• Thomas Szasz- – Said most people who are labeled as mentally

ill, really are not– Says they have a problem with living– Psychiatrists label them as sick and put them in

hospitals– Only when a problem becomes severe enough

to disrupt daily life should it be called an illness.

Hysteria

• Comes from Greek word for uterus

• Diagnosed women with mental disorders by using the theory that the womb moved around the body

• Became known as hysteria

• Theory led to witchcraft persecutions

Drilling of the Skull

• In Egypt and Babylonia they believed mental illness was due to evil spirits.

• Would drill into the skull to let the evil spirits escape.

How Common?

• How common are psychological disorders?

• One in seven in the U.S. will seek help at some point in their life.

The Problem of Classification

• 1952, American Psychiatric Association published the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (DSM)– Revised in 1994- called DSM IV

DSM IV

• Essential Features- characteristics that define the disorder

• Associated Features- additional features that are usually present

• Information of differential diagnosis- how to distinguish it from other diseases

• Diagnostic criteria- list of symptoms

DSM IV

• Reduces one Dr. diagnosing schizophrenia and other diagnosing manic depression

• Recognizes that a person can have more than one label.

Axes of mental functioning

• I- current symptoms

• II- developmental disorders, personality disorders, maladaptive traits like compulsiveness

• III- physical disorders or medical conditions, chemical imbalances

Axes of mental functioning

• IV- measure current stress level

• V- highest level of adaptive functioning in the last year.– Social relationships- quality of a person’s

relationships with family and friends– Occupational functioning- as worker,

homemaker, student

Axes of Mental Functioning

Use of leisure time- recreational activities and hobbies

Labels

• Label can reduce a person’s self-esteem

• Affects how others relate with them

Mad Hatter

• Where did this term come from?

• Hat makers suffered from tremors, slurred speech, and confusion

• Caused by mercury vapors they inhaled while working with felt hats.

Class Debate

• Do song lyrics, video games, internet sites, and movies that are obscene or violent cause or contribute to deviant behavior?

• When, if ever, should materials be censored?• Who should decide if material is suitable for

young children and teens?• Should freedom of speech and press extend to all

forms of expression?

Debate: Insanity Plea

• John Hinckley tried for shooting President Ronald Reagan in 1981

• Found not guilty, reason of insanity

• Could not tell right from wrong and could not control his behavior because of a psychological disorder.

• Sane and insane are legal terms

Debate: Insanity Plea

• People found guilty by insanity are confined for treatment in special hospitals.

• Held at least as long as people found guilty

• After Hinckley case, states created review boards to oversee the treatment provided to those who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Assignment

• Shake hand of friend, but hold on much longer than usual

• Make direct eye contact with someone and hold the gaze for 15-20 seconds

• Respond to greeting “How are you” with

“Why do you want to know”

Assignment

• Try this with at least three people and immediately write down your reactions.

• You will share reactions tomorrow