Psychopathology Essay

When we head into the realm of psychology, we are looking at it as the study of behavioral patterns and cognitive responses. As such, psychological disorders, also referred to as mental disorders, are abnormalities or irregularities in healthy behavioral patterns that can have significant effects on the function of your daily life. Having a psychological disorder can generate a lot of unnecessary distress, not only for yourself but often times for those around you. A general description of psychological disorders emphasizes the concept that patterns of behavior, thoughts, or emotions that are distinct or deviated from, not only cultural norms, but practical and functional lifestyles that would otherwise

There are times when people are plagued with thoughts, behaviors or emotions that will inhibit them from normal behavior. These are known as psychological disorders. These disorders come in many forms but all will have large effects on a person’s life.

A psychological disorder, also known as a mental disorder, is a pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that impact multiple life areas and create distress for the person experiencing these symptoms. These symptoms are characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual 's cognitive, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental process underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in social, occupational, or other important activities. Approximately 26 percent of American adults over the age of 18 suffer from some diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. (Cherry)

The medical model of abnormal psychology treats mental disorders in the same way as a broken arm, i.e. there is thought to be a physical cause. Supporters of the medical model consequently consider symptoms to be outward signs of the inner physical disorder and believe that if symptoms are grouped together and classified into a ‘syndrome’ the true cause can eventually be discovered and appropriate physical treatment administered. Behaviors such as hallucinations are 'symptoms' of mental illness as are suicidal ideas or extreme fears such as phobias about snakes and so on. Different illnesses can be identified as 'syndromes',

Psychotic disorders can be described as a mental health disability in which a person experiences changes in thinking, perception, mood and behaviour which can severely disrupt their lives. Some of the main psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, schizo affective disorder and drug induced pychosis. Some common symptoms when a psychotic disorder is developing include depression, anxiety, irritability, suspiciousness, blunted or flat or inappropriate emotion, changes in appetite, changes in thinking, difficulties in concentration or attention, a sense of alteration to ones self or the outside world, odd ideas and unusual perceptual experiences. Some behavioural symptoms can include sleep disturbance, social isolation or withdrawal and/or reduced ability to carry out work and social roles.

The following paper includes such topics of normal and abnormal psychology. Discussed with these topics are definitions of each as well as the similarities and differences between them both. Included here also is a discussion and explanation of two mental disorders and two mental illnesses all taken from the psychology perspective. As the reader will see, normal and abnormal psychology as well as the mental disorders and illnesses are common issues that could happen to any person or affect any family at any time. In addition to learning about the disorders and illnesses the reader will also learn about possible therapies for treating these mental disorders and illnesses. Mental disorders and mental illnesses objectively studied

In principle, psychopathology is the scientific study of mental disorders and their origin; in addition, this field of study examines the causes, development, and possible treatment for the disorders. Essentially, psychopathology encompasses three aspects that are considered as directly related to the mental disorders. These facets include the biological considerations, social issues, and psychological aspects of any mental condition. In fact, the initial perception of mental illness was associated with religious issues such

The last disorder to discuss is dissociative disorder. A dissociative disorder is similar to a conversion disorder in that there are no physical reasons for the symptoms but the symptoms are real. Even though clinicians cannot find physical causes, there must be something that happens with patients of this disorder because most of the time the disorder appears more than once in patients. Whether there is a small biological defective or a mental mishap, there is something that happens to patients that makes them adopt the symptoms of this

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines anxiety as “a nervous disorder marked by a feeling of uneasiness”. An anxiety disorder involves an excessive or inappropriate state of arousal characterized by feelings of apprehension, uncertainty, or fear. There are seven common types of anxiety disorders. They include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder,

Anxiety — part of the body's natural reaction to stress — can even be helpful at times, making you more alert and ready for action. But anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of anxiousness. When feelings of fear or nervousness become excessive, difficult to control, or interfere with daily life, it's called an anxiety disorder. (www.everydayhealth.com) . This evidence relates to the types of anxiety because it is telling how anxiety can make you feel and act.

The anxiety disorders consist of panic disorder (with and without a history of agoraphobia), agoraphobia (with and without a history of panic disorder), generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder,

An anxiety disorder is a mental illness. There are many types of anxiety disorders, such as phobias, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, etc. Anyone can get an anxiety disorder, regardless of age or gender.

The four key features that define anorexia nervosa are all based on the way we look at our bodies.1.The person refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight. 2. The person being dangerously underweight is intensely afraid of gaining weight or becoming fat. 3. The person has a distorted perception about the size of their body, looking at themselves and seeing themselves as obese or fat but actually not. 4. Denial of the seriousness of the actual weight they are. All of which are how one like at their body and what they think about

At times, Kay wrongly felt like she could stop taking the Lithium and she was the

Psychology is an extraordinarily diverse field with hundreds of career paths. Some specialties, like treating the mentally ill, are familiar to most. Others, like helping with the design of advanced computer systems or studying memory, are less well-known. What psychologists have in common is a shared interest in mind and behavior. In their work they draw on an ever-expanding body of scientific knowledge about how humans think, act, and feel, and apply the information to their special areas of expertise. The profession of clinical psychology encompasses both research and statistics, through which is learned fundamental data about behavior; and practice, through which that knowledge is applied in helping to solve