Models of Abnormal

Question 1: Critical Thinking

There exist several problems associated with the utilization of a medical approach to gain an understanding of etiology of most physiological disorders. One of the challenges is the view of these disorders as a disease. This approach introduces the problem of insufficient understanding of psychopathology. Additionally, this model’s major crippling flaw is the fact that it’s incapable of making provisions for neither the person as a whole nor data of a social or psychological nature. In simple terms, biology cannot simply account for psychological disorders. Problems of this nature require being accounted for by the levels of processes and data. Examples of these levels include the social and cognitive ones. While integrating knowledge from all levels it’s good to note that each of the approaches has its benefits and challenges. Therefore, reliance on biological measures alone cannot lead to sustainable solutions to this challenge. Moreover, in this approach, issues are only explained in relation to abnormal biological variables. A disorder is, therefore, viewed and analyzed in relation to the underlying physical mechanisms which include physiological and biochemical processes. This strategy also strives to reduce various complex phenomena such as emotions, behaviors, and thoughts into a more basic entity which is easily understood. This is because the concept embraces the philosophy of reductionism which advocates for the reduction of a problem to the basis of biological processes. Consequently, research and treatment are also limited to employing only searching and altering biological variables. Errors may usually arise in this process because most psychological disorders require a combination of a wide range of knowledge for both treatment and research to be carried out effectively.       

A perfect example why biological approach, just like any other single social or psychological approach, can’t explain these disorders can be explained through real life experiences. For example, a blush cannot be fully explained by application of biological knowledge. At a biological level, a blush is a simple vascular change in the human body. In reliance on medical knowledge, we could analyze the physiological mechanism behind the occurrence of this act. This approach does not offer sufficient explanation since it’s also critical to know why the blush occurs. An effective psychotherapy model should offer insight on both the reasons for occurrence and process itself. It’s also crucial to understand the played by psychological events in the occurrence of this event. For example, knowing that persons blush when they are in shame helps develop a reliable strategy for dealing with this situation. On the other hand, sociological variables must also be considered. For instance, the blush takes place in response to shame when an individual is in a public setting. The medical model of psychopathology cannot adequately explain the sociological and psychological factors of the condition. Therefore, this approach is not reliable in explaining complex situations which may lead to varying human behavior responses.         

The most relevant approach towards addressing psychological disorders is the integrative psychotherapy model. This is because it curbs the problems of self-fulfilling prophecies, meta-messages, and victim blaming which are common in both biopsychosocial and medical models. Unlike these other approaches, this model does not conceptualize a patient as deficient or defective in any way. This method is also reliable because it views a disorder as a product of the interaction between various causal factors. As a result, the problem is addressed fully through an analysis of all relevant factors including developmental, social, emotional, and psychosocial influences.        

Question 2: Discussion

I feel that a person-centered therapy would be efficient in dealing with my emotional difficulties. In this approach, the therapist would respond by giving charge of the treatment process. He/she would assume a passive role. In this case, I would be able to develop solutions to the psychological disorder. I would be able to come up with the causes of the difficulties without feeling like I am exposing my weaknesses to a second party. This therapy should also take the form of a humanistic approach. In so doing, the therapist would facilitate the process of understanding myself as a whole. My behavior would be analyzed not only through the eyes of the observer but also from my opinion being the person who is doing the behaving. This approach is also beneficial because it leads to the easy identification of biological, behavioral, social, and emotional factors associated with the disorder.    

Question 3: Discussion

Diagnostic labeling is not a good approach in treatment because it leads to people seeing only the diagnosis and not the client. This may lead to downplaying of the many positive traits of the client and concentrating on specific problems. Additionally, labeling leads to a condition of all-or-nothing diagnosis. The labeling of emotional, behavior and learning problems are always categorical. Despite the fact that some of these problems run along a varying degree of severity, decisions made regarding the threshold may serve as the final determination of whether a person has a disorder or not. For example, labeling students suffering from ADHD may be difficult because of the wide range of traits associated with the disorder. On the other hand, if the labeling is effective, an educator might be biased when passing information to the learners. Nevertheless, labeling can be an effective tool for promoting possibilities of treatment, enhancing academic treatment, and empowering the parents and educators on matters related to the kids’ treatment.