Introduction

The Shadow and the Struggle

Carl Jung, the famous analytical psychologist, once said, “How can I be substantial without casting a shadow? I must have a dark side, too, if I am to be whole and by becoming conscious of my shadow, I remember once more that I am a human being like any other.” This idea captures a fundamental truth: unhappiness, tension, and dissatisfaction are part of the human condition. You have likely met people who feel their lives are a painful, uphill struggle — sometimes not worth living. And at some point, you yourself may have felt nervous before an important exam, tense about your future career, or anxious when someone close to you was unwell.

All of us face major problems. But some people have an extreme reaction to the stresses of life. This chapter asks: what goes wrong when people develop psychological problems? What causes abnormal behaviour? And what are the signs and symptoms of different psychological disorders?

What is Abnormal Psychology?

The study of psychological disorders has intrigued every culture for more than 2,500 years. Psychological disorders (also called mental disorders) can make us uncomfortable or even frightened, simply because they are unusual. Yet unhappiness, discomfort, anxiety, and unrealised potential are seen all over the world. These failures in living are mainly failures in adaptation — the ability to modify one’s behaviour in response to changing environmental requirements. When behaviour cannot be modified according to the needs of the situation, it is called maladaptive.

Abnormal Psychology is the area within psychology that focuses on maladaptive behaviour — its causes, consequences, and treatment.

Key Concepts: Abnormality and Psychological Disorders

The chapter begins by introducing the basic issues in abnormal behaviour and the criteria used to identify such behaviours. It then moves on to:

• The factors that cause abnormal behaviour
• The different models used to explain abnormal behaviour
• A description of the major psychological disorders

Classification of Psychological Disorders

The textbook lists the major categories of disorders that will be covered in the chapter. These include:

• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
• Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Depressive Disorders
• Bipolar and Related Disorders
• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
• Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

The chapter also includes two special boxes: one on the salient features of Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and Dissociative Disorders (Box 4.1), and another on the effects of alcohol (Box 4.2), plus a box on commonly abused substances (Box 4.3).

The Core Idea

At its heart, this section establishes that psychological disorders are not mysterious or shameful — they are failures in adaptation. When a person cannot adjust their behaviour to meet life’s demands, the result is maladaptive behaviour. Abnormal psychology exists to understand why this happens, what it looks like, and how it can be treated.