Chapter 7 Reflection

Alyssa Brandt

Abnormal Psychology Winter 2011

February 7, 2011

Chapter 7 Reflection

Somatoform disorders can be really tricky, can’t they? I’m sure that people in the medical field run into these quite often, as far as psychological disorders go. I used to watch Scrubs all the time and there was a recurring hypochondriac-labeled character- he was one of the extremely obnoxious types, too, but I also think he wasn’t one of those people who truly thinks they’re sick- he was just fishing for attention. How do you really know when it’s a disorder? Just go down the checklist again? I’ve also been reminded that even if someone doesn’t fulfill all of the requirements for a diagnosable disorder, they can still be treated for the present symptoms. Therapy, as long as one has the money, time, and possibly the right insurance, can be incredibly benefitting even if one doesn’t have a real disorder.

I skimmed over “A New Way to be Mad” and I must say, there are some of the strangest things out there that people will do. A paraphilia or obsession with amputees doesn’t compute for normal people, but for some people it’s really the salt to their taffy. I’ve often thought I had some kind of eating disorder, but after reading how extreme things have to be in order to be a disorder, I’ve relinquished the idea and decided I am absolutely normal and healthy, and just pay attention to what I eat more than a lot of people.

Body dysmorphic disorders are probably more common than we think. I know many people who really are obsessed with something that they don’t like about themselves and think about nothing else. One particular individual is actually getting surgery to fix it, but I’m not sure what good that will do. Do they often seek surgery to fix their problem? Anorexic people seem to have problems with control, too- not just bad body image, but it probably goes hand in hand.

On a different note, DID probably is a false disorder. I think that people can separate parts of themselves out, but it’s not like they’re developing 2 different people that “fight” over the body. It’s more of an escape from one reality to another. A tool, not a disorder, and it’s probably not as extreme as the movie industry has made it. I suppose in theory it could get out of control, but the likelihood of a real DID existing is pretty slim.