An abnormal psychology paper...
Abnormal Psychology studies abnormal behavior in people. We see people every day, some of their behaviors are common and others not so much. We as regular people can say a behavior is abnormal, if it is unlike ours, but there is a more precise definition. There are six core concepts in abnormal psychology: context, continuum, relativism, advantages and limitations of the diagnosis, multiple casualty, connection between body and mind. (Hansell, & Damour, 2008, Chap. 1). This all means that when inspecting a behavior we must consider some important points.
Let us look at the fact that the DSM-5 has updated the specifications for paraphilic disorders. It went through a 14 year revision and was printed last year. This portion encompasses many sexual disorders. The criteria for a sexual disorder now ways that
1) “(People with atypical sexual interest) feel personal distress about their interest, not
merely distress resulting from society’s disapproval; or
2) Have a sexual desire or behavior that involves another person’s psychological distress, injury, or death, or a desire for sexual behaviors involving unwilling persons or persons unable to give legal consent”. (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013)
If a man, Frank, likes to wear women’s underwear and it gives him sexual pleasure to do so, how
do we determine if his behavior is abnormal? Well first we take in account context. What are the circumstances? Do they have a special meaning for him? Do they belong to someone he loves? If he was a woman would this behavior be abnormal? (Hansell, & Damour, 2008 Chap. 1, ).
Next we will look at the continuum between abnormal and normal behavior. When does his behavior become abnormal. People wear underwear, so does the frequency in which he wears women’s panties matter? We all wear underwear, but if we are aroused by wearing it, and talking about to our co-workers, then it has become inappropriate. So going from the scale of normal to abnormal, we can find where this fetish lies by asking Frank a few more questions.
Another point that we must consider is the cultural and historical relativism. Historically, women have been wearing dresses for centuries, and just in the last century, women started wearing men’s clothes: pants. It was unheard of in the 1800s that a woman would to that, and in the 1900s it was acceptable. So do present times allow the style of men wearing women’s underwear? According to Bryan Levandowsky, it is starting to become a trend.
The issue with abnormal Psychology is the reliability and validity of the processes used to diagnose patients. Now in the case of Frank, he might be happy with his fetish and enjoy it just fine at home and wearing panties under his dress suit to work, he is not affecting anyone. If he is diagnosed as having a sexual disorder, the label itself might cause some very real issues. He then may need therapy because now he would be worried about his sanity. The label placed on someone who would in that case be considered mentally ill is a heavy burden for most people. (Hansell, & Damour, 2008, Chap. 1).
The principle of multiple casualty tells us that there may be more than one thing causing this behavior. Meaning that it is possible that Frank was raised in a particular way that made him have a special affection for panties, and then some second reason, that could possibly be that they belong to his girlfriend and therefore smell like her. So there may be more than one cause to his behavior. (Hansell, & Damour, 2008 Chap. 1).
The concept of body and mind tells us that there are other issues that can be considered. Maybe Frank has a hormonal imbalance that makes him feel more feminine than he would if he didn’t have that. Maybe he is taking medication that changes his moods, or makes him feel the inclination towards wearing these type of clothes. (Hansell, & Damour, 2008 Chap. 1).
The concepts covered are the basics of abnormal psychology. These are all considered when diagnosing a mental illness based on a person’s abnormal behavior. The good news is that the DSM-V changed through time. It has been reviewed and evaluated very carefully. So that Frank’s love for women’s panties might now be more acceptable. In the past it is possible that he would have had to hide his love of panties in fear of being diagnosed as having a sexual deviance, and therefore a mental disorder. But now, things have changed, and the DSM-5 says that if Frank is happy with his fetish, and he is not feeling distress about it he is ok. And furthermore, he is not hurting anyone and nobody is being subjected to his fetish against their will. He is not breaking any law and he is happy. So according to the DSM-5, Frank is not mentally ill, and his behavior is not cause for a diagnosis of a sexual deviance. (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013)
By Sam Marie
January 21, 2014
References
American Psychiatric Publishing (2013) “Paraphilic Disorders”, Obtained from:http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Paraphilic%20Disorders%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Bryan Lewandowsky, (2012) The Underwear Expert, “Trend Report: Lace Underwear for Men?”, Obtained from:
http://www.underwearexpert.com/2012/07/trend-report-lace-underwear-for-men/
Meyer, R., Chapman, L. K., & Weaver, C. M. (2009). Case studies in abnormal behavior.(8th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon
No comments:
Post a Comment