PSYCHOLOGY

Why is determining Abnormal Behavior or a Mental Disorder so difficult?

Why is determining Abnormal Behavior or a Mental Disorder so difficult?

What's the dissimilarity between mental health and mental illness? Sometimes the answer seems obvious. For example, a person who hears voices in his or her head could have schizophrenia. An individual who goes on a frenzied shopping spree or starts an ambitious project — such as remodeling the bathroom — without any plans might be having a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder (Butcher, 2007).

In some cases, however, the distinction between mental illness and mental health isn't so obvious. If you are afraid of giving a speech in public, does it mean you have a mental health condition or a run-of-the-mill case of nerves? If you feel sad and discouraged, do you have the blues, or is it full-fledged depression?

Why is it so tough to tell what's normal?

It's often difficult to distinguish mental illness from normal mental health because there's no easy test to show if something's wrong. Mental health conditions are treated and diagnosed based on signs and symptoms, as well as on how much the condition affects your daily life. Signs and symptoms can affect your:

Behavior: Drinking too much alcohol or Obsessive hand-washing might be signs of a mental health condition.

Feelings: Sometimes a mental health condition is characterized by an ongoing or deep sadness, anger or euphoria.

Thinking: Delusions - such as thinking that the television is controlling your mind — or thoughts of suicide might be symptoms of a mental health condition (Hall, 2011).

No one debates the fact that mental illnesses exist everywhere in the world; however, a lesser known fact is that what is considered abnormal behavior in one culture, may be considered perfectly normal in another.  Take Japan for example - a country that did ...