Tuesday, August 15, 2017 Ma.

Victoria Ty Cruz
Psych 155 THX 2015-89009
Critical Reflection 1

For me, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, are abnormal if these deviate from what is
usually expected. Abnormal behaviours do not conform to regular patterns of behaviours and
do not follow the norm; they are very unusual and oftentimes, most people cannot relate to
nor understand what it feels like to have abnormal behaviour. It is a subjective experience of
having unusual feelings that I think makes those around the person anxious and
uncomfortable. I also think its difficult to create a clear barrier between what is normal and
abnormal, especially since say its hard to say what exactly exists in the realm of what is
normal. For example, I can easily identify someone acting weird and eccentric, however it
doesnt necessarily mean that the person is abnormal.
Moreover, I think that it is difficult for abnormal behaviour to have a definite and
universal meaning, because norms differ from one culture to another. Abnormal behaviours
can vary between individuals or cultural groups, especially since cultural diversity changes
how people or groups of people view social norms. Every culture has standards for what
behaviour is acceptable, and thus how one society or culture views what behaviours and
actions are normal may vastly differ to another culture. Not only that, but norms in a culture
change over time. A prime example of this would be the issue of homosexuality, wherein
maybe 20-30 years ago, a person who was bisexual would be identified as abnormal.
However, because the times have changed, someone who identifies today as LGBTQ+ is
normal, and thus what once was known to be abnormal years ago, is now a norm.
How I distinguish between what is normal and what is abnormal is based on what I
see everyday on a daily basis. I make my distinctions according to social expectations and
social norms, which constitute of how individuals are expected to behave. Every society has
rules for behaviours based on a set of moral standards, and thus we learn what to expect from
people, and become concerned if it deviates from this. If its something I see everyday, I
regard it as a regular and normal pattern of behaviour; however, if its something that I dont
see happen at all or am familiar with on a daily basis, I tend to think that the behaviour is
abnormal. From this, it is evident that my observations of those around me on a daily basis

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and what I see as the societal norms serve as essential information that helps me make such
distinctions between what is normal and what is abnormal.
Also, during high school, I learned in my psychology class that a Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (i.e. DSM-5) exists, which is a classification and
diagnosis system developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The DSM-5 is
used to identify a specific mental disorder based on symptoms; however, this is not as clear
cut as I thought it was, because abnormal behaviours and disorders do not have any objective
physical signs, and thus the diagnosis will only be based on a patients subjective description
of whatever it is they are feeling.
In terms of how I feel, it does give me discomfort thinking about what is abnormal
and normal behaviour, which stems from how there really is a blurred line in categorizing
what is normal and not normal. Also, I still have a few misconceptions on its meaning, and
thus, when someone around me shows unexpected behaviour, I dont automatically label the
person as abnormal. My main reason for this is that abnormal behaviours do not have
objective physical symptoms. Take for example, if I have a friend who I see to be shivering
and weak with severe cough and colds, I can probably tell her she needs to drink medicine
and get some rest because she may have a fever. However, if I see someone talking to him or
herself while crying in public, something that I am not used to seeing at all, I cannot make
any assumptions and tell the individual what to do. Additionally, discomfort also comes from
the fact that I am aware that we are all different people, which means an individuals social
and cultural context must be taken into consideration, as what an individual sees as abnormal
and normal really depends within the individuals context (such as his or her family,
community, and culture). Moreover, I think that calling or labelling someone as abnormal has
serious ramifications for the individual within his or her society.
In conclusion, its hard to define what abnormal means, and thus I think this makes
its harder to diagnose patients with abnormal behaviours or feelings. However, I believe that
the concept of abnormality should be fully understood so that people within a society can be
sensitive to those who do show unusual behaviours. Lastly, people experiencing such
behaviours and thoughts can seek for the proper diagnosis and treatment, because if not, it
can lead to isolation and exclusion, and will stigmatize them for life.

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