CASTILLO, Adrian Nathaniel D .
MA Psychology
Dr. Paulino Galvez
201214551
ADV AB PSYCH
Saturday 2-5pm
Seatwork (Sept. 4, 2021)
Topic History of Abnormal Psychology
1. What are some of the ways I'm starting to think differently?
I realized that Abnormal Psychology has a rich history as well. I was amazed how a single idea can
be a seed that formed roots, stems and branches. The Abnormal Psychology that we know today was a
product of numerous attempts to understand the human mind and behavior. It is in the deepest desire
of man to know the reason for everything, trying to give meaning and explanation as to how humans
think, behave and interact.
Although the concepts from where this field of psychology started is not as accurate and
convincing compared to the established concepts that we have today, it is important to know and
appreciate it because abnormal psychology wouldn’t be on the same level of credibility.
The established books especially the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a
manual often cited in scientific journals, has evolved from its first conception. It is a proof that we
continue to discover, learn (and unlearn), and understand as to how human behavior works. The latest
version of this manual which is the DSM5 was a result of a keen observation and assessment of what
behaviors can be considered as outside the “normal”. DSM5 has also advocated the removal of prejudice
and alienation of certain marginalized groups (who commonly act differently from the norms) including
but not limited to women, LGBTQIA+ and religious groups. In previous editions of the DSM, the desire
to be of another gender was described as a disease, doctors were meant to cure; but today, we embrace
a diversity of gender identities as healthy and normal (Cascio, 2021).
Although DSM5 is considered as one of the best resources when it comes to the study of
Abnormal Psychology, it's also been criticized by many clinicians, specifically criticism regarding its
validity, reliability and utility (Young, 2016). One of the criticisms is the narrowing of criteria in the DSM5, such as the autism spectrum disorder that once had a distinct category, instead of one umbrella only.
There has been an argument that this can affect the right diagnosis and treatment for autism. Kulage et
al. (2014) concluded that changes would likely lead to a decrease in individuals diagnosed with ASD.
2. What do I want to learn more about?
I want to discover more advanced knowledge about mental disorders, especially its symptoms,
prevalence and treatment. I want to be fully aware that mental disorders is a huge spectrum that we
can’t box any person in a certain category only. I want to know how I can properly diagnose and treat a
person suffering from a mental disorder, especially nowadays that there is a huge number of people
experiencing mental issues as a result of the global pandemic.
I also want to learn if there are other references aside from DSM5 for the diagnosis of Mental
Disorders.
3. Awakenings and Awakenings (Adapted from the lesson.)
I was fascinated by the wide but detailed scope of mental disorders as indicated in the DSM5.
It was an indication for me that we can’t just label anyone as this helps only to the stigma that all mental
disorders are problematic and can’t be managed or treated. A person can suffer from any of the mental
disorders but is still highly functional. We can’t put people in a “box”, where we call all people with
mental issues as “crazy”.
It is a dream for a psychology student to have a world where everyone understands that we all
experience, behave and act in a certain way because we all have issues and problems that should be
discussed and addressed. Unless we “name” our “enemy”, you can’t defeat it. It is important that we
know who we are fighting so we can know how to attack it and defend ourselves.
References:
Cascio, J. (2021). Gender-affirming care: What it is and how to find it. LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved
November 27, 2021, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/13768456-gender-affirming-care/.
Kulage, K., Smaldone, A., & Cohn, E. (2014). How Will DSM-5 Affect Autism Diagnosis? A Systematic
Literature Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 1918-1932.
Young G. (2016) DSM-5: Basics and Critics. In: Unifying Causality and Psychology. Springer,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24094-7_22
Cham.