Abnormal Behavior & History

abnormal psychology

statistical rarity, violation of norms, personal distress, maladaptiveness, and irrationality

statistical infrequency

rare behaviors

violation of social norms

breaking society’s rules

personal distress

cause emotional sufferings

maladaptive behavior

interferes with daily life

irrationality & unpredictability

lacks logical explanation

ancient times

mental illnesses were believed to be caused by demons or animal spirits taking over bodies in 500 BC. the treatment was exorcism or torture like trepanning

trepanning

a small instrument used to bore holes into the skull to allow evil spirits to leave the possessed person

Hippocrates

a Greek physician and father of modern medicine who denied gods/demons were the cause of mental illnesses. also viewed abnormal behavior and illness as having internal causes (the body)

middle ages

supernatural explanations or problems became popular across Europe, treatments: exorcisms and witch hunting, and patients were referred as lunatics, insane, or persons distempered in the mind

Philippe Pinel

emphasized that the mentality illness deserve respect, moral guidance, and humane treatment, ordered that the chains be removed and outside exercise be allowed

phrenology

bumps on the head (late 19th century)

asylums

people with mental illnesses were chained up and placed on public display; usually heard crying out in pain that turned into a tourist attraction while its purpose of housing and confining those with mental illnesses

Renaissance

mental illnesses were referred to melancholia, dementia, and hysteria during 1400-1700, Johann Weyer (1515-1588) was the first doctor to specialize in mental illnesses, he is considered the founder of modern psychopathology