Aberrant crossover definition manual#

Judgment acquired through education, training, and experience, and considering the context of the behaviors must be considered during the diagnostic process. Clinicians cannot operate by using the DSM-5 as a checklist. This is the gray area, where sound clinical judgment is required. There is a great deal of room in between for wnl (Within Normal Limits) behaviors which reflect varying degrees of functioning. The manic phase of Bi-polar Disorder results in high energy, racing thoughts, reckless, impulsive behavior, and grandiosity. Depression results in apathy, lethargy, psychomotor retardation, anergia, and amotivation. Recurrent or cyclical: The behavior will fade, then re-emerge, in predictable cycles, or will occur unpredictablyĭistressing: The behavior causes the individual significant distressĭangerous to self or others: Through overt acts of harm- e.g., suicidality, or covert neglect – e.g., not feeding self- harm results.Īnother way to view abnormality expressed as mental illness is on a behavioral continuum:Įxtreme Deficit - Extreme ExcessĪ given behavior which is extremely deficient and impoverished is abnormal. Pervasive: The behavior results in adverse effects in multiple areas of life- Educational, Occupational, or social- it infiltrates and makes life unmanageable.Įnduring: The behavior continues for a long period of time. Persistent: The behavior is resistant to efforts to change or manage it. Observer discomfort: The behavior is considered to be disturbing to others if witnessed- this reflects a violation of cultural norms. Violation of current cultural norms/Cultural acceptability: According to the unwritten, widely accepted rules of the individual’s culture of origin, the behavior is unusual. Statistical deviance: The majority of a given sample will not indulge in the behavior.

Maladaptation: Behavior which lacks effectiveness, is counterproductive to goal achievement and problem solving, and makes matters worse. For purposes of simplicity and conciseness, I will use the more restricted term, abnormal behavior.Ī general criterion for abnormal behavior is as follows: Abnormality, manifested through mental illness, is typically expressed behaviorally, but of course, also has an affective and cognitive component. abnormal exists on a continuum which varies from one culture and historical time period to the next. This is widely considered the definitive guide to abnormality (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Aberrant crossover definition manual#

Abnormality is defined in the United States by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), currently in its fifth Edition. There are a number of definitions, and a good deal of academic debate about the definition of abnormality, and maybe even more so about the definition of normal.