Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Lester M. Sdorow, author of Psychology, answers questions about psychological disorders.

1. How do you know if someone's behavior is pathologically abnormal, as opposed to simply bizarre or weird?

As noted in the textbook, mental health professionals rely on the criteria of abnormality, maladaptiveness, and personal distress to determine whether someone has a psychological disorder. Though these criteria are useful in most cases, there is still some subjectivity in applying them to individual cases. Consider Joshua Norton, a man who lived in San Francisco in the mid 1800s and claimed he was the emperor of the United States. He even dressed in royal garb, held court, and printed imperial money. Though, according to cultural norms, he was abnormal, he functioned well and did not appear to be emotionally distressed. Moreover, he got along well with common people and eminent people alike. Whether someone would believe that "The Emperor Norton" had a psychological disorder would depend on whether that person believed abnormality by itself was enough to define someone as psychologically disordered. Generally, it would be best to depend on a mental health professional to determine whether someone has a psychological disorder.

2. Are cases of multiple personality such as The Three Faces of Eve and Sybil true or merely exaggerations of people who have schizophrenia?

First, you need to avoid confusing schizophrenia and multiple personality with each other. As described in the textbook chapter, they are completely different disorders. But the issue of whether cases of multiple personality are real or not has provoked controversy. While some psychologists believe they are real, others, pointing to the astronomical increase in the number of cases in recent decades, believe they are more like a kind of role playing than a condition in which the person truly has more than one personality.

3. What should you do if you are more depressed than normal? You don't want to reveal your concerns to your friends and family, but you also don't want to pay a therapist if it's not necessary.

If the reasons for your depression are not terribly personal, it would seem unwise not to obtain social support from friends and family. If you sincerely feel that you cannot reveal your concerns to anyone you know, or if they are serious, then you might want to visit your campus counseling center. You will receive help without having to pay for it (since all students pay for it in their registration fees).

4. I've heard that some people have a "borderline disorder." But what are they on the borderline between?

The concept of "borderline disorder" is a dated one. The concept originally referred to someone who was on the borderline between a neurosis and a psychosis. Neuroses were milder forms of mental illness typically associated with anxiety. In contrast, psychoses were more severe forms of mental illness, such as schizophrenia. Today, a person diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder suffers from a personality disorder marked by smoldering anger, turbulent social relations, and difficulty maintaining an intact sense of self. Those who deal with a person with a borderline personality disorder are frequently put on edge, not knowing how the person will act from one occasion to the next. In fact, some authorities suggest changing the name of borderline personality disorder to "emotionally unstable disorder."