Skip to main content

Understanding mental disorders through the ages



Srishti Nagpal

Remedial entry for missed quiz 1

Abnormal Psychology is concerned with the nature, causes and treatment of mental disorders. The field of abnormal psychology is also referred to as psychopathology and most of the information regarding it is accumulated through research. Research is at the heart of progress and knowledge in psychopathology. It employs scientific inquiry and careful observation to understand more about different mental disorders.With the development of technology, advances are made exposing clinicians and mental health professionals to newer and more effective treatments. Research is the engine that drives all these developments.Though not every person trained in clinical psychology conducts research, they still rely heavily on their scientific skills and ability to both ask questions and to put information in coherent and logical ways. Clinical researches often rely on a combination of self-report and observation methods. Most clinicians avoid case study method as its uniqueness hinders from drawing general conclusions. However, case studies do provide stimulus and an impetus for further research. 

A uniform method of classification of mental disorders is provided in the DSM - Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder. It provides a common language to facilitate communication among clinicians. It’s first edition was published in 1952 and the most recent edition in 2013 is referred to as the DSM-5.

As all sciences rely on classification, it becomes essential to provide one in psychology as well.  It provides us with a nomenclature and enables us to structure information in a more helpful manner. However, in the process of classification information is, more often than not, lost.  When diagnosed a classified disorder may be labelled by the patient . These labels might stick around and hinder with the personal growth of the individual. Another poignant problem that persists till date is the stigma attached to mental disorders. In one of the most recent cases of the prevalence of stigma as well as insensitivity shown by people towards mental illnesses is that of Scottish football player who shared his struggle with depression and was mocked by fans and colleagues (BBC News). Thus despite several advancements, society still is unable to accept and understand mental illnesses. 

Mental disorders throughout history have been misunderstood. Most cultures viewed mental disability as an act of possession by the demon or god and the only cure available would be exorcism. Several Greek philosophers had attempted to explain mental disability that was contrary to the mystic and religious beliefs of possession and witchcraft. Theories written by Hippocrates, Galen , Plato among others are renown. However, they too did not provide adequate etiology and solutions for the prevalent mental illnesses. In India, the Atharvaveda categorises mental diseases as both severe and mild ailments. It also provides a description of psychotherapies for each kind. Other ancient Indian texts like the Charak Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita have attempted to address various mental disorders. However, all in all, most mentally disturbed people throughout ancient and middle ages were outcasted from the society. 

Sixteenth century onwards saw the spread of special institutions called asylums that worked as sanctuaries of refuge meant solely for the care of the mentally ill. However, residents of these ‘madhouses’ lived and died in incredible filth and cruelty. The treatment techniques were aggressive and based on the belief that the clients need to restore a physical balance in the body and the brain. It was only in the late eighteenth century that there were some reforms brought about owing to the efforts of Philippe Pinel in France and William Tuke in England.  Gradually, throughout the world something called ‘deinstitutionalisation’ began. This enabled individuals to get treatment for their mental illnesses through outpatient facilities. It meant to do away with the trend of traditional hospitalisation of the mentally retarded. 

Psychology as a science has come a long way and even presently people are constantly being made aware not to toss around terminology used for mental disorders as traits for normal people. For e.g. : equating a neat freak’s want for hygiene with that of an OCD patient or calling a sad person over a mundane event depressed. Mental health professionals are also constantly conscious of not labelling the clients in ways that would define them by their illness. Thus, psychologists and psychotherapists are increasingly switching to referring a client as ‘ someone with schizophrenia’ than simply schizophrenic. By doing so, it addresses a grave issue that the person is not the disorder. 



References 

“Players taunted footballer over depression.” BBC News. 2 February 2018. BBC News. Web. 4 February 2018.

Butcher, Hooley, Mineka and Dwivedi . Abnormal Psychology. Uttar Pradesh : Pearson , 2017. Print.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PTSD and its relationship with defense mechanisms and empathy: Character analysis of Levi Ackerman (SnK)

|Indira Bulhan Blog post: 1 “Manga is for kids” (My ignorant friend, 2018). Manga is often treated by people as something which is not so serious. However, it holds within itself some dark aspects of humanity. One such example is Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan). In it, the character of Levi Ackerman has been through a series of events which sets him apart from the people around him. Through this blog post, I will look upon the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relationship with defense mechanisms and empathy.     Levi’s past is filled with events which can act as strong stressors for the development of trauma: the death of his mother at an early age, abandonment by father, raised by his uncle in the underworld in a highly unhygienic and malnourished state (who later abandons him again), death of his two closest friends and lover. Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD can be defined as a mental disorder which can happen to peopl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is Patrick Jane a psychopath?

Under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Psychopathy was never recognized, until the revised DSM-5 categorized it under Anti-Social Personality Disorder. “He will choose you, disarm you with his words, and control you with his presence” (Hare)  Psychopaths can replicate the behavior which the person they are interacting with thinks they want from them, without feeling a thing, which contributes greatly to their ability to manipulate. Psychopaths charm and lie their way seamlessly to the top, and while they lack empathy, they are well-liked because they know what to say and when to say it. Psychopaths occupy most of the positions of power in our society and corporations and thus often end up being glorified. This glorification of psychopaths is most evident in the portrayal of psychopathy in TV shows. Some of the most notable characters which the screen has ever seen, like Marlo Stanfield from ‘The Wire’, James Moriarty from ‘Sherlock’, Hanni...
Post a Comment
Read more

Patrick Bateman: A Successful Psychopath

Abigail D'Souza Personality disorders are psychological disorders characterised by rigid and pervasive patterns of behaviour that persist over time. These must be maladaptive, or cause clinically significant distress to the individual, and are typically recognizable by late adolescence, or early adulthood. The most commonly known personality disorder is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), or rather Psychopathy, since people often assume the two are synonymous. They aren’t.   ASPD belongs to the Cluster B group of personality disorders, along with Histrionic, Narcissistic, and Borderline personality disorders. Individuals with these tend to be dramatic, emotional, and erratic (Hooley et al., 2021). ASPD is characterised by a lack of moral or ethical development; inability to follow approved models of behaviour; deceitfulness; manipulation of others; history of conduct problems as a child, etc. (Hooley et al., 2021). Psychopathy however, is more a set of traits, like superfi...
Post a Comment
Read more