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 Abnormal psychology is the interpretive and scientific study of abnormal thoughts and behavior in order to understand and correct the abnormal patterns of functioning. The definition of what constitutes 'abnormal' has varied between individuals throughout history, therefore something that is considered abnormal in one decade might not be considered abnormal the next decade. Abnormal psychology can be described as an area of psychology that attempts to understand the nature, causes and treatment of various mental disorders.

History

One Aspect of abnormal psychology that continues to be debated throughout history is the cause of mental illness. There are many different theories that have been proposed over time in order to attempt to explain abnormal behavior. Many theorists believe that prehistoric societies considered abnormal behavior to be the work of evil spirits and would treat those that were affected by performing an operation called trephination, where a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull in order to release the spirits that were responsible for causing the abnormal behavior. During the Greek and Roman period between 500 B.C.E to 500 C.E, some physicians like Hippocrates were able to identify psychological symptoms like hallucinations, hysteria, mania and delusions which helped provide other explanations for the causes of abnormal behavior. Hippocrates believed that abnormal behavior was caused by internal physical problems and that it was caused by an imbalance of four fluids or as he called them Humors, which flowed through the body. The medical approach considers natural causes such as biological imbalances, faulty learning processes, or emotional stressors as the cause for the abnormal behavior. During the Middle Ages the influence of the church became strong throughout Europe, therefore they began to blame evil for causing the abnormal behaviors. Abnormal behavior was looked at as the work of the devil and they even attempted exorcism as a form of treatment. It wasn't until the end of the middle ages that these types of methods began to change. Towns throughout Europe grew into cities and the government officials gained more power and began to run hospitals where they would send those suffering with mental disorders.

Asylums

The first Asylums were used as a type of storage unit for the mentally unstable. It was a way of removing people from society who simply couldn't care for themselves. Although there was a lot of interest in the causes of abnormal behavior, these early patients simply lived and died in these homes without ever receiving any treatment. These places were extremely filthy and the patients were abused and treated like trash. In 1547, the monastery of St. Mary of Bethlehem was officially made into an asylum by Henry VIII. It was later called "bedlam" and became widely known for it's horrible conditions and practices. The violent inmates in "bedlam" were exhibited to the public for a fee just like circus performers while the more harmless patients were forced to beg for charity on the streets of London. in 1792, Philippe Pinel and his idea of humanitarian treatment were left in charge of "La Bicetre" where he was given permission to remove the chains from some of the inmates to test his views that mental patients should be treated with kindness and consideration. His experiment was a great success and patients were now given sunny rooms and the ability to exercise on hospital grounds. From 1841-1881 Dorothea Dix who was just a school teacher, decided to make humane care at hospitals a public concern by going to the state legislature and congress hearings to speak of the horrible things that she witnessed at the asylums and demanded for a change. Dix's campaign led to government funding and new laws that would create state hospitals to be put in place in order to improve the treatment conditions for the mentally ill all over the country.

Classification Systems

In 1883 Emil Kraeplin developed the first modern classification system for abnormal behavior which laid down the blueprint for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) which is currently the most widely used classification system in the United States. The DSM has been changing over time and now lists approximately 400 mental disorders compared to the 60 disorders that were included in 1952. The DSM is used to help clinicians accurately diagnose their patients. The DSM-IV-TR requires that clinicians evaluate their patients condition on five seperate axes. Axis I includes major learning disorders and many others that cause the patient signicant impairment like anxiety and mood disorders. Axis II only includes two groups which are Mental retardation and Personality disorders. Axis III asks for information about the clients general medical condition which can give the clinician a better understanding of why the client is suffering from their particular disorder. Axis IV asks about the psychosocial or environmental problems that the patient might be facing, such as problems at home or school. Axis 5 requires the clinician to make a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)which rates how the patient is managing their life considering all of their problems. Another classification system is called the International Classifications of Diseases (ICD-10) and is used in many other countries outside the United States. It was developed by the world health organization and was intended to be the international classification system for mental disorders. Even though the ICD-10 is the official system in many countries, the DSM-IV appears to be more popular among mental health professionals.

Therapies

Psychodynamic therapies range from Freud's psychoanalysis to more modern therapies based on self theory and object relations theory. Sigmund Freud believed that people bury sad emotions or troubled memories of childhood somewhere deep in their mind which tend to cause the problems that they experience at a later age. Patients would then perform different tasks that would ultimately bring their hidden problem into the spotlight which makes it possible for the patient to deal with the issues that they have never dealt with properly. Psychodynamic therapists believe that it's important for the patient to discover their underlying issues by themselves and simply help in guiding the process with various techniques. Free association is one of the techniques used to help the patient get to the root of the problem by describing any thought or feeling that they are experiencing at the moment which is a good start on the path of uncovering the hidden issue.