TYPES OF THEORIES
• BIOLOGICAL – UNIVERSAL PROPERTIES
COMMON TO EVERYONE
• PSYCHOLOGICAL – PART OF INDIVIDUAL
BIOGRAPHY
• SOCIAL – EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT,
CULTURE
THREE THEORIES
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•
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CONCEPT OF MENTAL ILLNESS
CAUSE OF MENTAL ILLNESS
TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
CONCEPT
• PSYCHOLOGICAL - M.I. PART OF
INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHY
• BIOLOGICAL - M.I. IS DISCRETE GROUP OF
SYMPTOMS THAT INDICATE DISEASE
• SOCIOLOGICAL - DISTRESS AS RESPONSE
OF NORMAL PEOPLE
CAUSES
• PSYCHOLOGICAL - INTRA-INDIVIDUAL
AND DEVELOPMENTAL
• BIOLOGICAL - GENETIC AND
NEUROCHEMICAL
• SOCIOLOGICAL - EXTERNAL STRESSORS,
RELATIONSHIPS, ROLES
TREATMENTS
• PSYCHOLOGICAL - CHANGE
PERSONALITY
• BIOLOGICAL - CHANGE BRAIN
• SOCIOLOGICAL - CHANGE
CIRCUMSTANCES
MANY TYPES
• PETERSON CHAPTER
• PSYCHODYNAMIC - PSYCHOANALYTIC
FOCUS HERE
HISTORY
• AROSE AT BEGINNING OF 20TH CENTURY
• DOMINANT FOR MOST OF CENTURY
• STILL INFLUENTIAL BUT NOW
BIOLOGICAL THEORY DOMINANT IN
PSYCHIATRY
• COGNITIVE THEORY PROBABLY
DOMINANT IN PSYCHOLOGY
SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)
• BEFORE FREUD
• MENTAL ILLNESS =
INSANITY
• BIOLOGICAL CAUSES
• HOSPITAL
TREATMENT
• AFTER FREUD
• MENTAL ILLNESS
BROAD
• PSYCHOLOGICAL
CAUSES
• OUTPATIENT
TREATMENT
DYNAMIC CONCEPT
• MENTAL ILLNESS CONTINUOUS WITH
NORMALITY
• SAME MECHANISMS UNDERLIE BOTH
• SYMPTOMS AS ASPECT OF TOTAL
BIOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSES UNIMPORTANT
• DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS HAVE SAME
UNDERLYING DYNAMIC
PERSON 1
PERSON 2
DEP
ALC
ABUSE
• SAME SYMPTOMS HAVE DIFFERENT
DYNAMIC
FRIGID
CLOSE
DISTANT
PERSON 1
PERSON 2
CONCLUDE
• SYMPTOMS IN THEMSELVES ARE NOT
FOCUS
• PARTICULAR DIAGNOSES NOT
IMPORTANT
• MUST INTENSIVELY ANALYZE EACH
INDIVIDUAL TO UNDERSTAND AND
TREAT SYMPTOMS
CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
• ALL BEHAVIORS MOTIVATED
• MOTIVATIONS ARE UNCONSCIOUS
• UNCONSCIOUS ROOTED IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD
• TRAUMAS (REAL OR PERCEIVED)
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
CAUSES (CONT.)
• SYMPTOMS REPRESENT REGRESSIONS TO
EARLIER STAGES - ORAL, ANAL, PHALLIC
• SEXUAL REPRESSIONS ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT
• OEDIPUS COMPLEX - COMBINATION OF
SEXUALITY AND AGGRESSION
INTRA-PSYCHIC CONFLICT
• ID – INSTINCTS ESPECIALLY AGGRESSION
AND SEXUALITY
• SUPEREGO – MORALITY
• EGO – ATTEMPTS TO MEDIATE BETWEEN
ID AND SUPEREGO
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
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•
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UNCONSCIOUS - PROTECT VS. ANXIETY
REPRESSION - MOST GENERAL
PROJECTION - INTERNAL TO EXTERNAL
INTROJECTION - EXTERNAL TO INTERNAL
DISPLACEMENT - ONE EXTERNAL TO
ANOTHER
SUMMARY
• SYMPTOMS CLUES TO INDIVIDUAL
BIOGRAPHY
• NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL
• CAUSES LEAD BACK TO EARLIEST
PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT
• HOW TREAT?