Tiffany M Jackson
University of Phoenix
PSY 300
Dr. Karen Landry
3/22/2012
Abnormal Psychology and Therapy In a “normal” environment there is no such thing as talking to oneself, or having imaginary friends. In the world of psychology there is always a reason why people do the things that they do. Knowing the difference between a disorder and and illness is also key when trying to treat a patient. Having knowledge of the psychodynamic psychotherapy will also help the patient come to terms with their disorder and/or illness.
Abnormal and Normal Psychology Can normal and abnormal be compared? The only real comparison of the two is how a person is able to function in society. Sigmund …show more content…
The study of the etiology of schizophrenia is ongoing although perspectives have changed. Schizophrenia is described as a psychotic disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment, by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life, and by disintegration of personality expressed as disorder of feeling, thought (as delusions), perception (as hallucinations), and behavior —called also dementia praecox (Merriam-Webster,2010). Schizophrenia is seen as an illness of the brain but also an alternative way of seeing the world. The inability to trust their own thoughts and a profound sense of isolation is just some of the many feeling of those who are affected by this …show more content…
According to Kowalski and Westen (2011) personality disorder is characterized by long standing patterns of maladaptive behavior that denote from cultural expectations and are pervasive and inflexible, such as borderline and antisocial personality disorders (Chapter 14 Psychological Disorders). People with personality disorders have inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person 's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person 's normal functioning. Some examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder, and are all a part of a personality