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Abnormality

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Abnormality, according to Merriam Webster (2014), is defined as something that is not usual, expected, or normal. But how do we know what is normal and what it is not? There are many criteria professionals in mental health field use to identify abnormal behavior, but there is still no criterion that fully defines abnormality (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Some of those criteria are unusualness, maladaptive behavior, dangerousness, emotional distress and social deviance (McLeod, 2008). I will describe three criteria of abnormality I believe are the most salient and valid.
One of the most important criteria of abnormality I believe is psychological dysfunction, specifically when person has a breakdown in cognitive, emotional or behavioral functioning (Barlow & Durand, 2015). I believe this a valid criteria of abnormality because a person who suffers from psychological dysfunction usually has no control over these actions. If an individual's reactions to a specific situation are over-exaggerated, it does not necessarily mean that it is a sign of abnormality, however this behavior needs to be taken into consideration when dealing with patients (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Most people are able to control some of the unpleasant feelings or emotions, so feeling sadness or fear for no reason might be a sign that something is wrong. An example would be if a “normal” girl who is unable to stomach the sight of blood sees it, she might feel a little dizzy or nauseous and request to leave the room. If the person witnesses blood and his/her immediate response is to faint, there may exist a psychological dysfunction as this is not the usual reaction to observing blood. It is important to analysis the origin, if any, of what causes the exaggerated responses to determine if there exists psychological dysfunction. Another important criterion of abnormality is personal distress

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