Abnormal Psychology

Running head: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology

Julie Rose

PSY 410

May 13, 2013

Karen Wood

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology

Abnormal Psychology is a branch of psychology that explores psychopathy as well as abnormal behavior. When looking through history, culture had its own abnormal behaviors, and there were theories that would explain the reasoning’s behind them. Time shows how the theories did not stop there, but were thought of in order to justify these abnormal behaviors. The theories mainly revolved around three causes: Mystical/supernatural (possession) , scientific/medical ( a biological problem within an individual’s body) and humanitarian ( stressful or bad living conditions) . These first thoughts of theories, as well as countless others have been introduced and explored within the years.

Abnormal psychology goes back 100 years, in the beginning society would look at a person who was classified having abnormal behaviors were called “freaks” or a person who has demons or evil spirits that they thought were responsible for the abnormal behaviors. “The start of a systematic approach to psychological and physical disorders began with Greek philosopher, Hippocrates who believed that all diseases, including mental disorders were caused by imbalance of four fluids or hums ours that were thought to circulate though out the body” (Hansell & Damour, 2008). It is believed that too much blood can cause sanguine or mood swings and that too much phlegm causes lethargy or in differences. Hippocrates strongly believes that once a balance is developed between humors; whether by behavioral alteration or a well balanced diet; the person would become stable both mentally as well as physically.

Biological treatments for mental illness have a long history, at one time some treatment could be helpful one way is Prefrontal Lobotomy, this is “ the surgical...