II.

MENTAL DISORDERS
The Types of Behavior
Who are Normal Persons?
From the view of human adjustment, a normal person is one who behaves according to the
norms and standards of society.
a. Normal behavior – the standard behavior, the socially accepted behavior because they follow
the standard norms of society
Characteristics of a normal person:
1. Free expression of personality
2. Ability to exercise voluntary control over his behavior
3. Adequate security feeling
4. Self-esteem and acceptance
5. Efficient contact/perception of reality
6. Adaptability to group norms
7. Emotional maturity
8. Adequate self-knowledge
9. Integrated and consistent personality
10. Productivity
Who are abnormal person
A person is abnormal when he fails to meet the characteristics of a normal person.
b. Abnormal behavior – behaviors that are deviant from social expectations because they go
against the norms or standard behavior of society.
Characteristics of an abnormal person:
1. Deviation from the average (statistical form) – weight, height and intelligence cover a range
values when measured over a population.
2. Deviation from the ideal (social norms) – One that measures behavior against the standards
toward which most people are striving the ideal.
3. Abnormality in the sense of subjective discomfort (personal distress). It focuses on the
psychological consequences of the behavior of the individual.
4. Abnormality as the inability to function effectively (maladaptive behavior) – this views
abnormality when people who are unable to function effectively and adapt the demands of
society are considered abnormal.
Symptoms of Abnormal behavior
1. Physical (rapid changes in pulse, temperature, respiration, nausea, vomiting, headaches,
dizziness, loss of appetite, changes in weight, excessive fatigue, pain, coughs, lack of motor
coordination and speech disturbance)
2. Mental (flights of fancy, aphasia –loss of understanding/ producing language, amnesia,
phobias)compulsion to engage in some form of behavior (kleptomania, pyromania, obsessions,
false perceptions)
3. Emotional (apathy-indifference, worry, crying, refusal to eat/ speak, unnatural state of
happiness)
Patterns of Abnormal behavior
A. The Neurotic behaviors
B. The Psychopathic behaviors
C. The Psychotic behaviors

A. The Neurotic behaviors

A class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations,
whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also a group of mild functional
personality disorders in which there is no gross personality disorganization and the individual is not
required for hospitalization. They are sometimes called Psychoneurotic.

Neurotic behavior are composed of the following disorders

1. Anxiety disorders – these are commonly known as “neurotic fear”.Is a blanket term covering
several different forms of a type of mental illness of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety.
When it is occasional but intense, it is called “panic”. When it is mild but continuous, it is called
“worry”. They are considered as the central feature of all neurotic patterns which are
characterized by: Mild depressions, Fear and tensions, and Mild stresses
Anxiety disorders are grouped as :
a. Objective compulsive disorders
 When an individual is compelled to think about something that he don’t want to think about or
carry out some action against his will.
 The experience of persistent thoughts that we can not seem to get out of our mind such as
thoughts about haunting situations.
 This disorder may lead to committing immoral acts
b. Asthenic Disorder (Neurasthenia)
 An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic mental and physical fatigue and various aches and
pains.
 Symptoms includes: Spending too much sleep to avoid fatigue but to no avail, even feels worsen
upon wake; Headache, indigestion; back pains and dizziness.
c. Phobic disorders – the persistent fear on some objects or situation that present no actual
danger to the person.
Acrophobia - high places Agoraphobia - open places
Algophobia -pain Astraphobia -storms, thunder, lightning
Aquaphobia –water Arachnephobia - spiders
Claustrophobia – enclosures Cynophobia -dogs
Dromophobia – crossing streets Entomophobia -insects
Genophobia – sex Hematophobia -blood
Monophobia- being left alone Musophobia - mice
Nyctophobia – dark Ophidiophobia -snakes
Ornithophobia – birds Phasmophobia -ghosts
Pyrophobia -fire Taphephobia -being buried alive
2. Somatoform Disorders - is a mental disorder characterized by physical symptoms that suggest
physical illness or injury – symptoms that cannot be explained fully by a general medical
condition, direct effect of a substance, or attributable to another mental disorder (e.g. panic
disorder).
Somatoform disorders are group as:
 Hypochondriasis – the excessive concern about state of health or physical condition
 Psychogenic Pain disorder – characterized by the report of severe and lasting pain.
 Conversion Disorder (hysteria) – a neurotic pattern in which symptoms of some physical
malfunction or loss control without any underlying organic abnormality.
Sensory symptoms of hysteria
Anasthesia – loss of sensitivity
Hyperesthesia – excessive sensitivity
Hypesthesia – partial loss of sensitivity
Analgesia – loss of sensitivity of pain
 Parenthesia – exceptional sensations
Motor Symptoms of Hysteria
Paralysis – selective loss of function
Astasia- abasia – inability to control leg when standing
Aphonia – partial inability to speak
Mutism – total inability to speak
Visceral Symptoms of Hysteria
Choking Sensation
Coughing spells
Difficulty in breathing
Cold and clammy extremities
Nausea
3. Dissociative disorders - can be defined as conditions that involve disruptions or breakdowns of
memory, awareness, identity and/or perception.
A response to obvious stress characterized by:
 Amnesia – partial or total inability to recall or identify past experiences
Brain pathology amnesia – total loss of memory and cannot be retrieved by simple
means. It requires long period of medication
Psychologenic amnesia – failure to recall stored information and still they are beneath
the level of consciousness but “forgotten material”
 Multiple personality – also called “dual personalities”.
 Depersonalization – loss of sense of self or the so called out of body experience
4. Affective disorders – also called as mood disorders, can be defined as conditions that involve
disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity and/or perception.Levels of mood –
extreme elation or extreme depression
Forms of Affective disorders:
 Milder form
o Sadness
o Discouragement
o Sense of hopelessness
o Grief and the grieving process
 Neurotic Affective, also called as “neurotic mania” characterized by overactive, dominating and
deficient in self-criticism
 Neurotic depression, sadness and dejection. The individual often fails to return to normal after a
reasonable period of time resulted to high level of anxiety and lowers self confidence and loss
initiative.
 Major depressive disorders, also called “severe affective disorders” with the following
classifications:
o Sub-acute major depressive disorders – symptoms include loss of enthusiasm, feeling of
dejection, feeling failure and unworthiness, fatigue and loss appetite
o Acute major depressive disorders –symptoms includes mild hallucinations, feeling of
guilt, want to be alone and increasingly inactive.
o Depressive stupor – severe degree of psychomotor retardation, almost unresponsive,
refuse to speak and confusions or hallucinations

B. Psychopathic behaviors
 Is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights
of others and the rules of society.Psychopaths have a total lack of empathy and remorse, and
have very shallow emotions. They are generally regarded as callous, selfish, dishonest, arrogant,
aggressive, impulsive, irresponsible, and hedonistic.
People with psychopathic behaviors are called “sociopath or psychopaths”. These are
persons who do not have any neurotic or psychotic symptoms but are not able to conform to
prevailing standards of conduct of his social group.
Characteristics of a psychopath:
1. Absence of conscience
2. Emotional immaturity
3. Absence of a life plan
4. Lack of capacity for love and emotional involvement
5. Failure to learn from experience
6. criminal versatility
Psychopaths are generally called “personality of character disorders”. This group disorders are
composed of the following:
1. Personality disorders – disorders of character, the person is characterized as a “problematic”
without psychoses. The most noticeable and significant feature of these disorders is their
negative effect on interpersonal relationships. A person with an untreated personality disorder
is rarely able to enjoy sustained, meaningful, and rewarding relationships with others, and any
relationships they do form are often fraught with problems and difficulties.
Types of personality disorders:
 Paranoid personality – characterized by suspiciousness,rigidity,envy,hypersensitivity,excessive
self-importance, argumentativeness and tendency to blame others for one’s own mistakes.
 Schizoid personality – characterized by inability to form social relationship and lack interest in
doing so. They are so called “loners”
 Schizotypal personality – characterized by seclusiveness (keep away from
others),oversensitivity, avoidance of communication and superstitious thinking is common.
 Histrionic personality – characterized by immaturity, excitability, emotional instability and self
dramatization.
 Narcissistic personality – characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance and pre-
occupation with receiving attention. The person usually expects and demands special treatment
from others and regarding the rights and feelings of others.
 Borderline personality – characterized by instability reflected in drastic mood shifts and
behavior problems. The person usually display intense anger outburst with little provocation
and he is impulsive, unpredictable and periodically unstable.
 Avoidant personality – characterized by hypersensitivity to rejection and apprehensive alertness
to any sign of social derogation. Person is reluctant to enter into social interaction.
 Dependent personality – characterized by extreme dependence on other people – there is acute
discomfort and even panic to be alone. The person lacks confidence and feels helpless.
 Passive-aggressive personality – characterized by being hostile express in indirect and non-
violent ways. They are also called as “stubborn”.
 Compulsive personality – characterized by excessive concern with rules, order, efficiency that
everyone does things their way and an ability to express warm feeling. The person is over
conscientious, serious and with difficulty in doing things for relaxation.
 Anti- social personality –characterized by continuing violation of the rights of others through
aggressive, anti-social behavior with remorse or loyalty to anyone.
2. Criminal behavior – the disorder used to describe the behavior of a person who commits serious
crimes from individual to property crimes and the disobedience of societal rules in general.
 Dissocial personality – is the term used to refer to these individuals, particularly those who
violate law and practice “crime as profession”.