The world is full of diversity. We all are different from
each other. We have our own behaviors and own thoughts. This is what makes this
world such an exciting place. In the same way, we also have some common habits
that make us alike. We refer to those common things which we regularly do as
being “normal”. However, not all people behave or think like most of us might
do. In general sense, their thoughts deviate significantly from normal
patterns, which sometimes seriously influence their normal behavior. We term
such behavior and thoughts to be “abnormal”.
A behavior or thought can be
abnormal because of many different reasons. Firstly, it might be due to Biological factors. Scientific studies have found
that the genetic characters and the orientation of neurotransmitters can make
people more susceptible to specific mental abnormalities. Such characteristics
might be genetically inherited by children and they might be likely to suffer
the abnormalities like their parents. Secondly, it might be due to Psychological factors. Even if the person has not
inherited vulnerable genes, she/he might have abnormal behaviors if she/he is
exposed to a lot of stress and emotionally distressing situations. Finally, it
might be due to Social factors. A poor person is more like to
face stressful situations in his life due to weaker socio-economic condition,
which contribute to development of abnormal behavior. All these factors
collectively make our behavior and thought abnormal.
Having abnormal behavior or thought
itself is not a serious problem. Some people have habit of biting nails too
often, which is certainly abnormal, but it is not a “disorder” until it causes
serious distress for the person. In order to check whether a behavior is
abnormal there have been different criteria. With the development in the
psychology more improved methods have been developed. The currently used
criterion is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
It uses the data collected about the previous cases of various abnormal
behaviors to diagnose any abnormality in behavior. However, it is not
consistent with the diagnosis because it does not contain the exact symptoms
but only the descriptions of the category which were known to have that
disorder. Also, it has been criticized for listing even some common problems
like “academic problems” as potential a psychological disorder (Stangor, p.
366). So, we can say that it does not help in fully identifying a person for
having a psychological disorder, and thus it is insufficient.
Considering the causes of a
Psychological Disorder, almost all disorders have biological and environmental
causes behind them. For instance, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) is known to have genetic influences from twin studies as well as
socio-economic factors like stress in family and poverty (Stangor, p. 368).
Similarly, in Autism, the neglecting nature of parents is the main environmental
factor while heredity also has a role as high as 90% (Stangor, p.368). In the
same way, in case of Schizophrenia many biological and environmental factors
work together in development of the disorder (Stangor, p.384).
In conclusion, small extent of
uncommon behavior cannot be taken as abnormal, and even if it is more frequent
we cannot say that it is a disorder until it affects the person seriously. It
is usually difficult to diagnose abnormality, but there are ways to indentify
it and find the causes behind it. Therefore, we must be careful in our decision
to say someone’s behavior as abnormal.
Reference:
Stangor, C. (2010), Introduction to Psychology, Defining Psychological Disorders,
p. 357-394
© Dixit
Bhatta 2013
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