Essay about Psychology: Schizophrenia and Mental Health

Submitted By tvstill
Words: 3261
Pages: 14

To be normal is conforming to constituting a norm, standard, level, type or social norm. The norm is the average or typical behaviour or characteristic of the population. Norms are different for different populations and can change with time and conditions. In behaviour, normal refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. Psychologists and social scientists as statistically have defined abnormal behaviour in different ways, culturally, in terms of psychological adequacy and in terms of categories of symptoms. What is considered normal in one society might be termed abnormal in another society.

All normal individuals conform to the social code and general ethos of their society and steer meticulously clear of all temptations that may invite scorn and contempt of society. Another quality of being normal is a complete fulfilment of your need, which makes it balance and strength that retains a balanced outlook even when the prospect breaks. The normal individuals make conscious or unconscious efforts to maintain their social, economic, physical and psychological health. Sociability, balance, compromise, adjustment and mental health are the main traits of a normal individual. Normal people do not exhibit any evidence of such mental perversion. The behaviour of he abnormal and mentally diseased individual differs from those of normal person. The cure and treatment of such abnormal and perverted individuals is in the field psychiatry.

There are two types of social norm and the first type is known as descriptive norms, which is commonly behaviours that most people have. These norms tell us what is correct conduct for a particular situation. The second part is injunctive norms and is shared expectations within society, culture or a group regarding what is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour. Society establishes what is normal based on its values and beliefs. There are different norms for different behaviours as well as continum of acceptability. Social norms tend to vary at different throughout history.

Abnormal is defined as deviating from what is normal or usual. A person can be normal when they confirm to a standard of some sort. You can establish the standard by what most people are doing. The standard can be defined in social terms what is considered socially acceptable and therefore what is socially deviant. You can see the standard of adequate functioning being able to cope with day-to-day living. There is the concept of ideal mental health in which a state of contentment that we all strive to achieve. Clinicians who provide treatment for patients with mental disorder say it has been liked to physical illness. Having a cold is an abnormal and desirable state.

One way in which abnormality may be defined is as characteristic or behaviour which is statically infrequent, which deviates substantially infrequent, or which deviates substantially from the average or typical behaviour of the group to which an individual belongs. For example, a person can have an abnormally well developed memory for word lists. Their memory for this kind of information is much better than it is for the majority of others in the population. Abnormality is seen to be a continuum from normal to abnormal with varying degrees of mental health in between. When someone behaves in ways that the vast majority do not or does not behave in ways that the vast majority do we often label him or her normal. Every apparently normal person may have some hidden abnormality, which would surface unexpectedly

Challenges that a psychologist may face when making decisions about normal and abnormal behaviour are different cultures, political, ageing population and legal definition. Normality is different among different cultures for something that is normal in one culture is abnormal in a different culture. One should attempt to become normal in only one culture. The central goal of one attempting to be a normal person ought to be to