Discuss the attempts to define abnormality and evaluate the practical problems associated with them.

Szasz suggested that “madness” is manufactured to label those people in society who do not conform to rules of social or to conventional moral standards.  Society sets up rules for behaviour and anyone who breaks these rules are labelled deviant.  Historically deviant behaviour has been used to even lock up political dissidents, but in present western culture, the term “mental disorder” is not used to define mental “deviant” behaviour.  There are types of behaviour that are generally regarded as unacceptable such as rape where it is difficult to accept that violation of others is could possibly be normal.  In these cases there is a tendency to regard these as abnormal, believing their extreme antisocial behaviour must be inherent in their personality.  However this method only seems to outline extreme abnormal behaviour.  On a day-to-day basis we distinguish between abnormal and normal behaviour according to the situation.  Much of our behaviour is context specific and out of context may seem bizarre.  For example if you were walking through a park and some on sitting on the bench just got up and started singing you would think this person was odd.  At a practical every day level deviation from the expected could be a useful way to identify mental problems.  This might be beneficial to the receipt of help because for example people with clinical depression are often unmotivated to seek assistance and people suffering form schizophrenia are characterised by a lack of insight into the problem.  An important point is to note the shift of emphasis to the behaviour form the person.

People with clinical depression or anxiety may experience considerable suffering and distress along with a general dysfunction in their everyday activities, e.g. not being able to go to work.  These however are not definitions of abnormality but a way of determining the extent to which a person might need professional help if at all.  A student displaying anxiety due to an exam may behave uncharacteristically, but this doesn’t mean he/she is abnormal.  Conversely a sociopath may display abnormal behaviour but not feel any dyscomfort.  Psychology is not necessarily indicated by dysfunction alone; for example some people deprive themselves of food as a protest, does this make them abnormal?  It is when abnormal behaviour interferes with daily functioning, such that people lose their ability to work or the motivation to care for themselves properly and the behaviour becomes pathological.