I have just completed a class entitled "Abnormal Psychology" in which we studied psychological ailments / diseases.
I understand the word "abnormal" in this context, but still feel it contributes to the marginalization of mentally ill people, and the stigma attached to mental illness.
So what exactly is normal? Dictionary.com defines "Normal" as:
| 1. | conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural. |
| 2. | serving to establish a standard. |
| 3. | Psychology. | a. | approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment. | | b. | free from any mental disorder; sane. | |
| 4. | Biology, Medicine/Medical. | a. | free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation. | |
The first definition is rather common, the second applies to psychological disorders, but I am intrigued by the 3rd one "Free from any infection or other form of disease". Linguistically I agree that someone who is dis-eased is not "normal", but would we ever dare call someone with diabetes or cancer "abnormal"?
Coming back to the first definition, "conforming to a standard type....natural, regular", there's an aspect of conformity, that somehow originality would not be normal.
I believe the common understanding of what a normal person is simply "Someone who's not a burden". After all it's not "normal" to not fend for oneself (work and pay one's bills), to not be able to overcome difficulties (we congratulate people 's successes, we don't get involved when they suffer).
The normal person is the one who works, pays their taxes, doesn't break the law, and isn't a nuisance to others.
By that (common) definition, maybe we can see why those who's mental disease incapacitates their functioning at work, interferes with their economic capacity, and makes them NEED THE HELP of others actually don't seek help.....it's not normal.
1 comment:
Greg, I agree that people with depression are not seen as 'normal' people. If we could change this perception - and, given the number of people experiencing depression, why not? - then we would go a long way to re-defining what is normal.
For people with depression, accepting society's definition that they are 'abnormal' is devastating and destructive. But look at the words that are used in conjunction with the word 'depression' - ill, sick, sad, abnormal. People with depression need to escape the language of illness. It's NOT an illness, it's a condition, a state of life, a kind of being.
Depression, in my view, is a part of normal human behaviour. Just like big ears and curly hair, some people have it, and some people don't.
Just saying!
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