Historical views of Abnormal Psychology.
There is no universal agreement as to what we mean when it comes to abnormality and disorder. No element of abnormality is sufficient enough in itself to define or even determine what abnormality truely is, but the greater the similarity between the given subject's behaviour and the elements of abnormality described in the world around us, the more likely it is that the person is abnormal or mentally distorted in one way or the other.
Historical Views of Abnormal Behavior
The study of abnormal
behavior has been a topic of debate and profound interest for nearly 100 years.
Abnormal psychology outlines the differences between what is considered normal
or abnormal behavior among people of all ages and walks of life. The science of
abnormal psychology is still considered to be relatively young and having only
existed for approximately 100 years. However, the presence of psychopathologies
among people worldwide has been recorded throughout history. Before more
detailed explanations of abnormal behavior were known, many primitive cultures
viewed symptoms of what would today be schizophrenic or depressive in nature,
associated with demon possession. Most early or primitive cultures were spiritually
driven, and archeologists have documented evidence of a treatment known as
Trephination among the Egyptian culture going back as early as 3000 BCE
Society’s view on behavior that would be deemed as abnormal has been connected
with such phenomena as supernatural forces, the anger of the gods, the
influence of the moon, an unbalanced temperament, ‘bad blood’ (i.e. hereditary
factors), and decadence. One definition is that abnormal behavior is any that deviates from central tendencies, like the mean, for example. By this definition, abnormal behavior would be any that is statistically deviant. For example, if most of the population smoked, but you did not, then not smoking would be considered abnormal. There are obvious problems with this definition. For instance, what happens to the definition when the popularity of a behavior shifts? Or, more tellingly, what if the majority's behavior is obviously pathological. This last point is explored in the movie, "The King of Hearts," where,
during World War I, the main character sides with the "insane" inhabitants of a
lunatic asylum, instead of his "sane"
fellow soldiers.
What may ultimately
make an abnormal behavior into a genuine mental disorder is if the behavior:
1. is maladaptive
(harmful to self or others)
2. Causes significant social impairment
3. Causes significant occupational impairment
4. Causes great personal pain and emotional discomfort
5. Involves a psychotic loss of contact with reality (or to varying degrees, any combination of these five factors) (htt)
2. Causes significant social impairment
3. Causes significant occupational impairment
4. Causes great personal pain and emotional discomfort
5. Involves a psychotic loss of contact with reality (or to varying degrees, any combination of these five factors)
00 B.C. --- 1000 A.D. GREEK AND ROMAN
CIVILIZATION
During Greek and Roman civilizations, we see a much more scientific view of mental illness being developed with many concordant humanitarian treatments. However, theories regarding mystical explanations remained powerful and eventually toppled the scientific approach. According to Homer (800 B.C.) mental illness was caused by God’s taking a mind away. In terms of treatment during the time that Homer is reputed to have existed, Asclepius , an eminent physician, developed several forms of treatment. Later Asclepius was revered as a God of healing and numerous temples were created in his name. For an idea of how you may have been treated during the 800's B.C.
The foundation of a systemic approach to psychological and physical disorders is considered to have begun with the early Greek philosophers. Hippocrates (460 – 377 B.C.) wrote numerous papers describing psychological disorders such as psychosis, mania, phobias, and paranoia. Hippocrates theorized that “four humors” or bodily fluids were responsible for both physical and mental health. The four important bodily fluids were: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Image Hippocrates having too many of any of these fluids could account for changes in an individual’s personality and behavior. Hippocrates theorized that an excess of black bile would make a person "melancholic" (depressed), and an excess of yellow bile would cause a person to be "choleric" (anxious or irritable).Too much phlegm would result in a person being "phlegmatic" (indifferent).An excess of blood would cause a person to be "sanguine" (experience unstable mood shifts).It is important to note that Hippocrates saw no distinction between physical and psychological disorders. Hippocrates views dominated thinking regarding psychological disorders for the next 500 years. In addition however, Hippocrates views were challenged by supernatural theories and the concomitant cruel treatment of psychologically disturbed people. To see what sort of "therapy" you might have received in Greek and Rome during 400 B.C. if you were mentally ill click here. The next significant in advance in the scientific approach was made in the first century B.C. by a Greek physician living in Rome who introduced new and more humane ideas about psychological disorders. Asclepiads (129-40 B.C.) disagreed with Hippocrates that an imbalance of bodily substances caused psychological disorders. He believed that psychological disturbances could be the result of emotional problems and spoke out strongly against the incarceration of the mentally ill and bleeding (a treatment that continued for another 1500 years).Other important advances made by Asclepiads were a distinction between acute and chronic psychological disorders and between hallucinations and delusions. Asclepiads also developed several original treatments including a “swinging bed” to relax the emotionally disturbed patient and music therapy. Later, Aretaeus (50-130AD), a medical philosopher in Rome determined that manic and depressive episodes could occur in the same person with intervals of lucidity between. Aretaeus also rejected Hippocrates ideas regarding the four humours and believed in more humanitarian care for his patients. He also said that not all patients with mental illness were intellectually deficient. Therefore, we have evidence that there were some humanitarian treatments and viewpoints during the period of the Greek and Roman philosophers. Image Unfortunately, in the years before Christ, the attitudes towards the “psychologically disturbed” began to shift towards more spiritual views and the advances of the Greek and Roman philosophers and physicians began to decline. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25BC-50AD), who lived in Ancient Rome during the time of Jesus Christ believed that “a sort of force” should be applied to the insane to cause a sudden fear into the spirit forcing it to flee the body. His beliefs helped to reinforce the belief that some psychological disorders were caused by angry gods or spirits. Celsus beliefs and writings were later used as evidence to justify the burning of witches. His version of treatment also corresponded to exorcism as a form of treatment, which was often performed by a shaman, priest, or medicine man. A.C. Celse. Lithograph Many years later Claudius Galen (131-200 A.D) developed a new system of medical knowledge based on the study of anatomy rather than on philosophical speculation. He was the first researcher to conduct experiments on animals in order to study the workings of the internal organs. He invented the use of the pulse for diagnosis and his books on anatomy were used until the 19th century. Galen was appointed to be physician of the gladiators in 157 A.D. and went to Rome in 162 A.D. to become a doctor to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Unfortunately, Galen maintained Hippocrates beliefs in the four humours as the cause of mental disturbance. However, Galen also suggested that a failure to control one’s passions (i.e., anger) might cause a kind of madness.
CIVILIZATION
During Greek and Roman civilizations, we see a much more scientific view of mental illness being developed with many concordant humanitarian treatments. However, theories regarding mystical explanations remained powerful and eventually toppled the scientific approach. According to Homer (800 B.C.) mental illness was caused by God’s taking a mind away. In terms of treatment during the time that Homer is reputed to have existed, Asclepius , an eminent physician, developed several forms of treatment. Later Asclepius was revered as a God of healing and numerous temples were created in his name. For an idea of how you may have been treated during the 800's B.C.
The foundation of a systemic approach to psychological and physical disorders is considered to have begun with the early Greek philosophers. Hippocrates (460 – 377 B.C.) wrote numerous papers describing psychological disorders such as psychosis, mania, phobias, and paranoia. Hippocrates theorized that “four humors” or bodily fluids were responsible for both physical and mental health. The four important bodily fluids were: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Image Hippocrates having too many of any of these fluids could account for changes in an individual’s personality and behavior. Hippocrates theorized that an excess of black bile would make a person "melancholic" (depressed), and an excess of yellow bile would cause a person to be "choleric" (anxious or irritable).Too much phlegm would result in a person being "phlegmatic" (indifferent).An excess of blood would cause a person to be "sanguine" (experience unstable mood shifts).It is important to note that Hippocrates saw no distinction between physical and psychological disorders. Hippocrates views dominated thinking regarding psychological disorders for the next 500 years. In addition however, Hippocrates views were challenged by supernatural theories and the concomitant cruel treatment of psychologically disturbed people. To see what sort of "therapy" you might have received in Greek and Rome during 400 B.C. if you were mentally ill click here. The next significant in advance in the scientific approach was made in the first century B.C. by a Greek physician living in Rome who introduced new and more humane ideas about psychological disorders. Asclepiads (129-40 B.C.) disagreed with Hippocrates that an imbalance of bodily substances caused psychological disorders. He believed that psychological disturbances could be the result of emotional problems and spoke out strongly against the incarceration of the mentally ill and bleeding (a treatment that continued for another 1500 years).Other important advances made by Asclepiads were a distinction between acute and chronic psychological disorders and between hallucinations and delusions. Asclepiads also developed several original treatments including a “swinging bed” to relax the emotionally disturbed patient and music therapy. Later, Aretaeus (50-130AD), a medical philosopher in Rome determined that manic and depressive episodes could occur in the same person with intervals of lucidity between. Aretaeus also rejected Hippocrates ideas regarding the four humours and believed in more humanitarian care for his patients. He also said that not all patients with mental illness were intellectually deficient. Therefore, we have evidence that there were some humanitarian treatments and viewpoints during the period of the Greek and Roman philosophers. Image Unfortunately, in the years before Christ, the attitudes towards the “psychologically disturbed” began to shift towards more spiritual views and the advances of the Greek and Roman philosophers and physicians began to decline. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (25BC-50AD), who lived in Ancient Rome during the time of Jesus Christ believed that “a sort of force” should be applied to the insane to cause a sudden fear into the spirit forcing it to flee the body. His beliefs helped to reinforce the belief that some psychological disorders were caused by angry gods or spirits. Celsus beliefs and writings were later used as evidence to justify the burning of witches. His version of treatment also corresponded to exorcism as a form of treatment, which was often performed by a shaman, priest, or medicine man. A.C. Celse. Lithograph Many years later Claudius Galen (131-200 A.D) developed a new system of medical knowledge based on the study of anatomy rather than on philosophical speculation. He was the first researcher to conduct experiments on animals in order to study the workings of the internal organs. He invented the use of the pulse for diagnosis and his books on anatomy were used until the 19th century. Galen was appointed to be physician of the gladiators in 157 A.D. and went to Rome in 162 A.D. to become a doctor to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Unfortunately, Galen maintained Hippocrates beliefs in the four humours as the cause of mental disturbance. However, Galen also suggested that a failure to control one’s passions (i.e., anger) might cause a kind of madness.
1800
B.C. – 1700 B.C. -- CODE OF HAMMURABI
In Mesopotamia, between 1795-1750 B.C., Hammurabi, King of Babylon, issued a structured code of laws, known as the Code of Hammurabi. The Code of Hammurabi was preserved on Cuneiform, a system of writing developed by the Sumerians, which consisted of writing onto wet clay with a wedge and then drying those clay tablets. This code is the first- known example an orderly body of laws created by a ruler. The code of laws includes legal procedures for physicians in the treatment of a variety of physical ailments such as payment for successful services rendered as well as punishment for a failed service to his patient (e.g., loss of the physician’s hands). Mesopotamian diseases were viewed from a primarily mystical perspective and were blamed on spirits: gods, ghosts, etc. Each spirit was believed to cause a disease in any one part of the body. Some diseases were referred to as “Hand of …” signifying a divine cause whereas others were simply identified by names (e.g., bennu).
In Mesopotamia, between 1795-1750 B.C., Hammurabi, King of Babylon, issued a structured code of laws, known as the Code of Hammurabi. The Code of Hammurabi was preserved on Cuneiform, a system of writing developed by the Sumerians, which consisted of writing onto wet clay with a wedge and then drying those clay tablets. This code is the first- known example an orderly body of laws created by a ruler. The code of laws includes legal procedures for physicians in the treatment of a variety of physical ailments such as payment for successful services rendered as well as punishment for a failed service to his patient (e.g., loss of the physician’s hands). Mesopotamian diseases were viewed from a primarily mystical perspective and were blamed on spirits: gods, ghosts, etc. Each spirit was believed to cause a disease in any one part of the body. Some diseases were referred to as “Hand of …” signifying a divine cause whereas others were simply identified by names (e.g., bennu).
Bibliography
http://peace.saumag.edu/faculty/kardas/courses/GPW
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