Introduction to

ABNORMAL
PSYCHOLOGY
(Episode 2)
Kathleen Kris D. Cortez, RPsy, RPm
Ron Gabriel A. Peji, RPm, CCTSI, CCTP-II
PsycheTrendz Psychological Services
Unit 8, EA Archon Building, Aguinaldo
Highway, Sampaloc 1, City of Dasmarinas, Cavite
What is a normal behavior?
◈ Any behavior that pertains to
accepted social patterns
◈ Usual
◈ Common
◈ Average
◈ Typical
◈ Norm
What is a normal behavior?

◈ CULTURAL RELATIVISM
-NO universal standards or rules for
labeling a behavior as normal or
abnormal.
-Behaviors can be normal or
abnormal relative to cultural
norms.
ABNORMALIT
YWhen does one become
abnormal?
 PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISORDER
▪ Clinically referred to as ‘psychopathology’

▪ Characterized by an abnormal behavior

manifested by: 1) dysfunction; 2) distress; 3)
deviance; and 4) danger

▪ There is not yet a single criterion that

fully defines abnormality.
 THE 4 Ds OF
ABNORMALIT
Y
What are the factors to be
considered to say that someone
is abnormal?
1. Dysfunction

▪ The breakdown in cognitive,

emotional, and/or behavioral
functioning

▪ The dissonance between a person’s

stimulus-
response system

▪ It is hard to draw the line between

normality and abnormality.
2. Distress

▪ Unhappiness, pain, or suffering that

affects a person’s physical and
psychological functioning

▪ Adverse emotional and psychological

responses that hinder a person to
function within the normal range
2. Distress

▪ Suffering and distress are still

considered as normal parts of human life,
provided that the one who experiences
them responds logically.
3. Deviance

▪ Psychological or behavioral
manifestations
that are atypical or not culturally
expected

▪ Doing away with the norms of the

society

▪ The greater the deviation, the

more abnormality.
4. Danger

▪ An increased possibility of a person

hurting
(and even killing) oneself or others

▪ Increased risk of suffering, death,

pain, or impairment
What is NOT NORMAL?

◈ UNUSUALNESS
-Behavior that is not common
considered as abnormal.

“Usual behavior is NORMAL

and
unusual is ABNORMAL”
What is NOT NORMAL?

◈ DISCOMFORT
- If persons suffer from discomfort
and
wishes to rid specific behavior.

“Being comfortable is NORMAL

and wasn’t is ABNORMAL.”
What is NOT NORMAL?
◈ MALADAPTIVENESS
-behaviors that cause people to suffer
distress that prevent them from
functioning in daily life.
-4D’s: danger, dysfunction, distress
and deviance.

“Failure to adjust cause

ABNORMALITY”
What is NOT NORMAL?

◈ MENTAL ILLNESS
-Identifiable physical process that differs
from “health” and leads to specific
symptoms.
-Thru, biological process.
-Thru, psychological process.

“ABNORMALITY is through
diagnosis.”
 THE DSM-5
What is abnormality according to the
DSM-5?
 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN
THE DSM
▪ As per the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders- 5th Edition (DSM-5),
abnormality is defined as “behavioral,
psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are
unexpected in one’s cultural context and associated
with present distress and impairment in functioning,
or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or
impairment.”
DIAGNOSING
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
▪ In diagnosing psychopathology, we use
the disorders’ prototype—the “typical
profile” of every identified psychological
disorder.

▪ The criteria/symptoms of the disorders

listed in the DSM are all prototypes.
 KEY TERMS
IN
ABNORMAL
PSYCHOLOGY
What are the basic terminologies that you
have to remember to be a successful
clinician?
KEY TERMS

1. Presenting Problem- clinically

referred to
as the “reason for referral”
2. Clinical Description- the unique
combination of behaviors, thoughts,
and feelings that make up a
disorder
 Presenting the Problem Clinical Description

Maria had sleepless nights, According to the results of

crying spells and loss of examination and interview,
appetite. Maria’s presented
symptoms are leading to
diagnosis of Social Phobia.
KEY TERMS

3.Prevalence- the number of cases

of a disorder in a given population

4. Incidence- the number of cases of a

disorder
in a given timeframe
 Prevalence Incidence
The average number Men who have been
of girls who developed depressed in the
erotic delusions for Philippines when one
Coco Martin is 4500 of the One Direction
boys left this year is
1000
KEY TERMS
5. Course- the pattern of
development of a
disorder (chronic, episodic, time-limited)
 Chronic Episodic Time Limited
Schizophrenia is a Georgia had His identity
disorder that lasts another attack of issues, the time
a lifetime. depression this when he wanted
year. Last year, to have flings with
she also boys only lasted
experienced the between 12-14
same condition yrs of age while
during December. studying under an
all male school.
 KEY TERMS
4. Onset- the age by which the
disorder surfaced (acute,
insidious)
 Acute
Jen’s symptoms were so
immediate that it just
happened today right in
front of me without any
reason.
1
Insidious
Jen’s symptoms had been
brewing slowly. A few
weeks ago she just
mentioned that she had
sleep disturbances. Last
week she was almost in
blank stares. Now she
cannot work anymore.
KEY TERMS

7. Prognosis- the anticipated course

of a
disorder (good, guarded)
 Prognosis
Dingdong is now sleeping
well. His last crying spell
was over two weeks ago.
Thoughts of suicide have
also subsided. His
symptoms have subsided
and he maybe ready for a
discharge.
1
Diagnosis
Jen’s symptoms had been
brewing slowly. A few
weeks ago she just
mentioned that she had
sleep disturbances. Last
week she was almost in
blank stares. Now she
cannot work anymore.
The doctor thinks of this
condition as Depression.
 KEY TERMS
8. Etiology- the study of origins of
psychological disorders which currently
follows
the biopsychosocial model
KEY TERMS
Joan, my
classmate.
BIO
Joan had an accident
that leaves her with SOCIAL
reduced movement in
her right arm.

Joan’s injured arm Causing Joan to be

might reduce her stressed and could
drawing skills or her lead to further
ability to perform biological or
activities that requires psychological
arm. problems

Joan avoid outside

activities, decreased self-
esteem and eventually
changes her behavior
from being cheerful to
easily being agitated.
PSYCHO
-Chapel, 2016