Normality and Abnormality with Criteria

Normality and Abnormality

* Definiations: 

-  Generally:

  "Normal" from "norma" "which means carpenter's rule or square ..which indicates to a kind of standard or pattern .

"Abnormal" the prefix "ab" means away from means away from the standard or the pattern so, it's a signify the deviances and variations from the normal .

- Psychologically:   

  we can defined Normality and Abnormality by focusing on the distress and distributions that are caused by  a behavior or a feeling as the definition of the " psychological disorder  "   which  is  a deviant , distressful , harmful dysfunctional patterns of thoughts , feelings and behaviors , which ensure that HARMFUL DYSFUNCTIONAL is the key of the disorder definition .

-it must be noted that the distinction between normal and abnormal are not synonym with good or evil at least according to psychology 

e.g : the normal social skilled person "average" and the highest and the lowest one on the scale !! the two of them are abnormal , but none of them is evil or good .not reverent .

-Normality and Abnormality are variables defined 

          1-CULTURE: changes from a society to another ,e.g : eating on the street during Ramadan month at any Islamic country isn't normal, On the contrary It's normal in the US for example .

2-CONTEXT: changes according to the different circumstances from situation to another , e.g: killing during  the State of war "the enemy" recognized as a normal act on the contrary during the State of the peace.

3-TIME:   changes from time to time even with the same situations or places,

e.g : the way people propose to marriage  are changed through times .

-perceptions / models/ criteria  OF abnormality :  

 1-Statistical criterion : descriptive criterion 

using the concepts of Means and Standard Deviation to explain normality and abnormality .

as shown in the Bell shaped Curve the means degrees that  represent what people are often do or feel  . the more our degrees are away from it "means",the more abnormal we are. the  '2 standard' away from means is certainly abnormal  degree...

 The  disadvantages Bell shaped Curve :

  1-it deviates people with favorable characteristics. e.g: like Geniuses as the deviate from the average IQ which makes them equal to the mentally retarded !!  

2- we all are different "deviant" ,as there isn't such a person who is the same as his companion in every thing .

3-the average changes from time to time reduce It's stability .

4-it's  a descriptive  tool not explanatory one , so it tells us that H is socially abnormal person  but, it doesn't tell us why ?!!

2-physiological criterion : explanatory criterion

   based on that any bahvior  normal or disorder is caused by  3 factors:

1-Gentics and the related factors like Mutation.

2-brain structure and chemistry :

which are Covenantal too.!

      some psychological disorders are proved to be related powerfully to gentics roots . e.g:read about Schizophrenia and Genetics and some other diseases are proved to be related by the brain structure and chemistry like Depression.

and it must be noted that those "Bio-psychological" disorders are often  have basic keys to be diagnosed and a cerien few cures besides It's caused by a physical reasons and often treated in hospitals as a mental illness "psychopathology".

3- biological damages : some disorders specially memory related disorder are caused mainly by a biological damage  like amnesia and dementia

3- psychological criterion 'natare':

 including stress and the upbringing circumstances

e.g : post traumatic stress disorder  is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after 

exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma....

        e.g : Adjustment :  a person is said too be normal or abnormal according to the extent he feels (adjusted/maladjusted) with him self and his environment .

     4-social criterion : 

it's about how every society defines "normal and abnormal" behaviors ,feelings and thoughts .

e.g : to publicly chat about sex isn't approved in eastern societies when it's less Repellent in the western ones , so mental illness  isn't a condition it's a label depends on how the individual is seen by others .

 Why the definition of Normality and Abnormality is so Important ??

  why It's necessary to distinguish normality from abnormality ?

         because the "Abnormal psychology" lays emphasis on the study of the behaviors and experiences of the abnormal people . on It's practical aspect,It's try to describe a preventive and curative measures for treatment of abnormal behavior. and so we can't made any advance in this aspect unless we get a clear concept about those two terms (Normality and Abnormality ).