![]() Within a society we have norms unwritten guidelines, rules, and standards which make our interactions with others more orderly and predictable. Judgment acquired through education, training, and experience, and considering the context of the behaviors must be considered during the diagnostic process. Clinicians cannot operate by using the DSM-5 as a checklist. This is the gray area, where sound clinical judgment is required. There is a great deal of room in between for wnl (Within Normal Limits) behaviors which reflect varying degrees of functioning. The manic phase of Bi-polar Disorder results in high energy, racing thoughts, reckless, impulsive behavior, and grandiosity. Depression results in apathy, lethargy, psychomotor retardation, anergia, and amotivation. Recurrent or cyclical: The behavior will fade, then re-emerge, in predictable cycles, or will occur unpredictablyĭistressing: The behavior causes the individual significant distressĭangerous to self or others: Through overt acts of harm- e.g., suicidality, or covert neglect – e.g., not feeding self- harm results.Īnother way to view abnormality expressed as mental illness is on a behavioral continuum:Įxtreme Deficit - Extreme ExcessĪ given behavior which is extremely deficient and impoverished is abnormal. Pervasive: The behavior results in adverse effects in multiple areas of life- Educational, Occupational, or social- it infiltrates and makes life unmanageable.Įnduring: The behavior continues for a long period of time. Persistent: The behavior is resistant to efforts to change or manage it. ![]() Observer discomfort: The behavior is considered to be disturbing to others if witnessed- this reflects a violation of cultural norms. Violation of current cultural norms/Cultural acceptability: According to the unwritten, widely accepted rules of the individual’s culture of origin, the behavior is unusual. Statistical deviance: The majority of a given sample will not indulge in the behavior. Maladaptation: Behavior which lacks effectiveness, is counterproductive to goal achievement and problem solving, and makes matters worse. ![]() For purposes of simplicity and conciseness, I will use the more restricted term, abnormal behavior.Ī general criterion for abnormal behavior is as follows: Abnormality, manifested through mental illness, is typically expressed behaviorally, but of course, also has an affective and cognitive component. abnormal exists on a continuum which varies from one culture and historical time period to the next. This is widely considered the definitive guide to abnormality (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Abnormality is defined in the United States by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), currently in its fifth Edition. There are a number of definitions, and a good deal of academic debate about the definition of abnormality, and maybe even more so about the definition of normal. ![]()
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