15 Facts About Abnormal PSychology

1.
The DSM: What I found interesting about this is how homosexuality was listed as a
mental disorder until 1973. I would be interested in learning about what led them to
originally include it and what description they gave as a valid reason to believe it was a
mental disorder.
2. The supernatural classification of psychological disorders from the past: Those who
would be considered mentally ill now were instead believed to be users of black magic or
in cohorts with the devil. Also, I found that the text mentioned how some girls being sent
into fits (now most likely classified as seizures) was the beginning of the witch panic in
the 17th century.
3. Dancing Mania: when large groups of people in 11th century Europe would suddenly find
themselves with a violent urge to dance non-stop. The fact that we never truly found out
what caused this phenomenon as well as having never experienced it again is quite
fascinating.
4. The Diathesis-Stress Model: integrates biological and psychological to predict likelihood
of disorders. Explains how environmental and psychological events can influence the
development of certain disorders. I enjoy learning about mental disorders and their
causes.
5. Anxiety Disorders: approximately 25%–30% of the U.S. population meets the criteria for
at least one anxiety disorder during their lifetime. I feel it would be interesting to find
what causes that high of a rate and see if there’s anything that can be done to decrease it.
6. Agoraphobia: means “fear of the marketplace,” is characterized by intense fear, anxiety,
and avoidance of situations in which it might be difficult to escape. I was surprised to
learn that this phobia was as its own separate anxiety disorder.
7. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: People with this disorder experience thoughts and urges
that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions) and/or the need to engage in repetitive
behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). I have a coworker with this disorder, and they
have told me many times about how difficult it is to live with it. Learning that it can
cause lasting damage to physical and psychological health is painful.
8. Body Dysmorphic Disorder: a person who is preoccupied with a perceived flaw in her
physical appearance that is either nonexistent or barely noticeable to other people. This
one hit home with me, as I have struggled horribly with this my entire life. It gets so
horrible some days that I can even break down in tears at the thought of leaving the house
and having people perceive me.
9. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: People who have PTSD after experiencing a
psychologically distressing event may experience intrusive and distressing memories of
the event, avoidance of stimuli connected to the event, persistently negative emotional
states, feelings of detachment from others, irritability, proneness toward outbursts, and an
exaggerated startle response. I know a man who comes in to buy a salad where I work,
and he has this disorder. It has caused him to lean heavily on drugs and it’s sometimes
alarming on a bad day when he has a relapse.
10. Major Depressive Disorder: According to the DSM-5, the defining symptoms of major
depressive disorder include “depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day” (feeling
sad, empty, hopeless, or appearing tearful to others), and loss of interest and pleasure in
usual activities. I had a bout with depression when I was 14, and it was one of the most
difficult things to deal with in my life. All I wanted to do was sleep, and I would barely
eat or drink.
11. Schizophrenia: About 1% of the population experiences schizophrenia in their lifetime,
and usually the disorder is first diagnosed during early adulthood (early to mid-20s). This
disorder has always been particularly interesting to me, and I truly dislike how there is
very few accurate portrayals in today’s media.
12. Dissociative Identity Disorder: People with dissociative identity disorder exhibit two or
more separate personalities or identities, each well-defined and distinct from one another.
They also experience memory gaps for the time during which another identity is in
charge, and in some cases may report hearing voices, such as a child’s voice or the sound
of somebody crying. This is another disorder that has captivated me, and yet again I am
disappointed in how many tv shows and movies characterize DID as something evil.
13. Borderline Personality Disorder: characterized chiefly by instability in interpersonal
relationships, self-image, and mood, as well as marked impulsivity. Imagining a life with
this disorder is almost painful and thinking that people suffer with this daily is awful. I
could never imagine doing some of the things they do when confronted with a
relationship ending or a sudden life change.
14. Antisocial Personality Disorder: also referred to as psychopathy, it is characterized by an
individual having no regard for other people’s lives or feelings. This disorder is one that I
have obsessively studied for quite some time. It is a disorder that most serial killers
exhibit, though they normally have either psychopathy or sociopathy.
15. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A disorder that exhibits itself in children from
an early age, it is characterized by a constant pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive and
impulsive behavior that interferes with normal functioning. My best friend has ADHD,
and never stops moving, always kicking their feet or tapping their fingers. They also
struggle to pay attention in school.

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