A Model of Abnormality

I write this post with a mixture of sadness and intrigue with regard to what other call “abnormal psychology”

Firstly, abnormality is a strange thing, What does one consider abnormal? Why do we need to label a person abnormal? and what causes a person to be abnormal?

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I remember when I was young, child pathopsychology was still shrouded in myth and ignorance. Psychiatrists ascribed a whole variety of “psychological” disorders to me, to explain what was ‘deviant’ from normal social functioning. A few of them included ADHD, Dyslexia, Work inhibition, and others. Still others I knew received diagnosis of conduct disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, ODD, GDD… the list goes on…

The effects of such labelling were not very healthy. Classmates, teachers and others saw me differently because of this stigma of being different. I had few close friends, and would probably fall under the social status of “unpopular children”. Others I knew also suffered under the system of bullying and social rejection in the context of the Singapore schools… yet somehow, I emerged well adjusted, facing up to adolescence with a strong sense of identity and self-worth, admitted into college and now studying psychology.

Others I knew did not end up in the same position as I did. I will not comment further, suffice to say, not every person labeled with a childhood psychological disorder emerged out of it well adapted. Also I strongly believe that it is not fair to categorise a person “abnormal” based on a set list of set criteria. Rather,many factors should be accessed on a continuous scale, to classify whether a person displays certain attributes.

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So firstly, why is there a need to label an individual abnormal? On one hand, it is convenient for professionals to know what form of treatment and therapy is appropriate to correct maladaptive behaviour and reasoning. However in doing so, we create the stigma of discrimination and stereotypes of individuals who receive such a diagnosis. Such people end up becoming an “out-group” prejudiced against by individuals who are not affected by these disorders. Furthermore, these would create a self-fulfilling prophecy, individuals who are treated as “psychological disorders” would end up behaving in response to such treatment, further reinforcing any negative stereotypes and prejudices. Education of caregivers, family members and social contacts is required to prevent such incidents from happening.

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Secondly what causes a person to be abnormal? For some cases, such as schizophrenia, a clear biological basis can be established. However many of the cases may stem from environmental factors. Last year, I attended a session by SPARK (Society for the Promotion of ADHD Research and Knowledge). A ‘new comer’ parent introduced herself, mentioning that she suspected her daughter may exhibit signs of ADHD. I was rather taken aback; without a proper diagnosis, how can we “confirm” that a person has this disorder? She mentioned that she noticed some quirks about her child, did up some research on the internet and came to the conclusion that her child possess this disorder. Personally, I do not think that does not present sufficient evidence to back up this suspicion. If merely reading up facts about the symptoms of a disorder made a me a qualified person to diagnosis others, I would say that the vast majority of college students suffer from generalised anxiety disorder during the exam periods, and display signs of acute stress disorder after a particularly difficult paper. I would also say that a number of members of my family suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, and quite a few of my female friends suffer from body dysmorphic disorder.

If a parent treats a child with the suspicion that she has a psychological disorder, chances are, a self-fulfilling prophecy may result. Lower self-esteem, along with displaying symptoms of the disorder may occur, and thus result in the manifestation of this disorder. Another case to consider: Anti-social personality disorder. Let say a person has had many issues of hate, violence, and bitterness in one’s childhood. Maladaptive coping, including blaming others, inappropriate discharge of aggression and low threshold of frustration may result, and carry over in adulthood.

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So how does one treat individuals with psychological disorders? Drugs are one option - however many individuals, including myself, are wary of administering medicine that would interfere with our cognitive function, personality, and sense of self. (I refused to take Ritalin when I was younger). Some religious groups(including christians) in Singapore ascribe demons and spiritual influences on a persons behaviour; exorcism and “casting out” demons would be their method of treatment. However, I am strongly against such a stance. For one, I do not believe that spiritual influences on a persons behaviour would be removed unless an individuals renounces his/her affiliation with such beings(personal sin, etc). Secondly, more often than not, other influences are also working side by side, we cannot merely blame demons for causing a persons behaviour. Finally, forcing a person to undergo rituals of exorcism is humiliating, and violates his/her personal rights, which may lead to more maladaptive thinking and reasoning, eventually culminating in a manifestation of a worse disorder.

What I call for is this, acceptance of a persons individuality, social support, counselling and therapy, and drugs only if necessary or requested. Acceptance of a person and creating a positive sense of worth is important in the treatment of abnormality. Without it, a person will not be motivated to continue treatment. Furthermore, social support is key to allowing a person to cope with the issues faced. Counselling appropriate therapy allows one to slowly change one’s pattern of thinking and relinquish maladaptive thoughts and feelings.

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*while making this post, I made reference to some individuals I know. For the sake of confidentiality, their names have not been mentioned.