12/2/20091What is Abnormal…anyway?Chapter 13-Psychological DisordersCLASS OBJECTIVES:How do we define abnormal behavior? What are Anxiety Disorders?What are Mood Disorders?What is Schizophrenia?What percentage of the population would you guess have a psychological disorder?People tend to believe that psychological disorders affect a small percentage of people, but this is not so.The Midtown Manhattan Study (1962) reported that 55% of the general population have some form of mental illness12/2/20092The Human PerspectiveOne of the most important objectives for this class is for students to recognize how psychological suffering is everywhere. You will learn about clusters of symptoms that characterize different psychological disorders, but most importantly PEOPLE suffer with these disorders everyday.Sensitivity Please!The language we use when discussing psychological disorders is very important-people are not just their disorders!The Disclaimer Please do not start diagnosing yourself, your family, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, neighbors, classmates, professors or anyone else you can think of… This chapter will not make you a psychologist!12/2/20093How are people with psychological disorders portrayed in our culture?Why is this front page article acceptable?Are all disorders viewed the same?12/2/20094Who’s Normal?Your neighbor has physical complaints and sees several doctors weekly.A 22 year-old college student smokes 4-5 marijuana joints per day, has a 3.8 GPA, has a part-time job and a solid long term relationship.Rachel has been caught several times urinating in the corner.A 35 year-old very happily married man enjoys wearing women’s clothes and underwear on the weekends when he and his wife go out on the town.Who decides what’s “NORMAL”?WE do!What Is Abnormal Behavior?Abnormal behavior is characterized as:– Non- typical– Socially unacceptable– Distressing to the person who exhibits it or to the people around them12/2/20095Criteria for abnormal behaviorinclude statistical infrequency, dysfunction, personal distress, and violation of norms. None of these criteria alone is adequate for classifying abnormal behavior.What do we call people labeled as abnormal?Labels, Labels, Labels…These words are used to dismiss and dehumanize people who we consider different.12/2/20096Abnormal PsychologyIs the field of psychology concerned with assessment, treatment, and prevention of maladaptive behavior.– “Clinical Psychology”How are Psychological Disorders Diagnosed?The American Psychiatric Association(APA) has devised a system for diagnosing maladjusted behaviorThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders– Referred to as the DSM IV (4thedition)Why do we need a system to diagnose psychiatric disorders?12/2/20097Goals of the DSM IVTo provide a system for diagnosing disordersTo improve the reliability of diagnosesTo make diagnoses consistent with research evidence and clinical experiences.HistoryThe mentally ill were once subjected to terrible conditions in “insane asylums”This resulted in Deinstitutionalization:– This effected treatment methods– Accounts for a large majority of the homeless population.Feeling Anxious?12/2/20098What does anxiety feel like?Anxiety is a generalized feeling of fear and apprehension that may be related to a situation or object.Anxiety is often accompanied by increased physiological arousal– increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respirationAnxietyThere are several types of anxiety disorders:– (GAD) Generalized Anxiety Disorder– (PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder– (OCD) Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder– Phobic Disorder Specific Phobias12/2/20099What are Phobias?Phobic disorders are excessive, irrational fear and avoidance of specific objects or situations– Effects 7.8% of the U.S population (APA, 2005)Phobias should not to be confused with “normal fears”What can we learn from the Maury show?12/2/200910Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderObsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)OCD involves persistent, uncontrollable, thoughts and irrational beliefsThe obsessions are intrusive thoughts cause compulsive rituals that interfere with daily life2.6% of the U.S. population suffers from this disorder (Karno & Golding (1991).12/2/200911I just can’t stop myself!!The ritual behaviors are compulsions that are performed by the person to reduce anxiety.These compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts a person feels they MUST perform.What does OCD look like?Mood DisordersClass Objectives:DepressionBipolar Disorder12/2/200912Depressive DisordersDepression is included in the category of mood disorders in which people show:– Extreme and persistent sadness– Despair– Loss of interest in activities once considered pleasurable.“Depression is like falling into a deep, dark hole that you cannot climb out of. You scream as you fall, but it seems like no one hears you. Some days you float upward without even trying; on other days you wish that you would hit bottom so that you would never fall again.”Depression is so prevalent that it is known as “the common cold” of psychiatric disorder.– 14 to 15 million Americans are affected each year12/2/200913How depressed can you be?The severity of depression varies because this is a spectrum disorderSevere depression sometimes includes thoughts of death and suicidePeople with depression may have delusions– False beliefsBipolar DisorderSomeone who alternates between periods of depression and mania has “Bipolar disorder”.This disorder is essentially a roller-coaster ride of mood.What does Mania look like?The manic phase involves:– rapid speech and “flights of ideas”– inflated self-esteem– decreased need for sleep12/2/200914Stop and Think…How would you describe Schizophrenia?How would you describe a person with this disorder?Who has Schizophrenia?A middle-aged man walks the streets of New York with aluminum foil under his hat, so the Martians can’t read his mind.A young woman sits in her college classroom and hears the voice of God telling her she is a vile and disgusting person.You try to strike up a conversation with the supermarket bagger, but he stares at you vacantly and will say only one or two words in a flat, monotone voice.They ALL do! Most people think of Schizophrenia as a singular disorder. We will examine the different types of Schizophrenia and how they are not all the same.12/2/200915Stop and Think…What do we think about people