A client who is a college student recently expressed concern to me that she identified with some of the features of disorders described in her Abnormal Psychology course. She went on to describe common anxiety symptoms that arguably we all experience to some extent at different points in our lives.
I assured her that it is common for any of us to identify with some of the symptoms and characteristics described in these textbooks. In order to be diagnosed with the actual disorder, one would need to meet the clinical criteria. As I thought about this more, I realized I was surprised and dismayed that, nearly 20 years since I took such a course, it would still be called “Abnormal” Psychology and not something less judgmental and more appropriate like, “Clinical” Psychology.
Recalling a graduate school at Northwestern University, we were asked to write a 26 page term paper describing what is “normal” in psychology. The purpose of the paper, of course, was to site research findings that illustrate that there in fact is no “normal.” Our concepts of norms and baselines for human behavior are all culturally defined. Therefore, if there is no “normal,” then isn't there no “abnormal?”
The descriptions of the psychological disorders in college textbooks and in the DSM-IV (the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) are there to help mental health professionals and patients/clients identify, understand and treat these clinically significant clusters of symptoms. Diagnoses can be useful in terms of making sense of one's condition and the validation and normalization that comes with knowing that others deal with those same issues. The down-side to these labels is that they can feel pathologizing, constraining or more focused on illness than health and on symptoms than strengths. However, ultimately the diagnoses and descriptions of these disorders are very useful and important tools for assessment and treatment purposes.
I wish that the fields of psychiatry and psychology, and subsequently universities, would refer to the study of these disorders as “Clinical Psychology” instead of “Abnormal Psychology.” The disorder categories are clinically significant grouping of symptoms that are part of the human condition. It is my belief that we all either experience directly or are affected by somebody who is dealing with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or addiction. Shouldn't the field of psychology normalize that and not label it as abnormal? Perhaps this would help destigmatize mental illness, and reduce the shame that some experience when seeking help. Seeking help or therapy for psychological issues is something healthy, normal, and proactive. We all have issues and we all need help from each other – it is part of being human.