Perception of psychopathology

Psychology is a social science focused on the study of human behavior, which also includes certain mental processes such as memory, attention, sensation, learning, etc. If there are abnormalities in behavior, in the brain or elsewhere related to it, a branch of psychology would come into contact, which is psychopathology

Psychopathology encompasses content from both psychology and psychiatry. Psychology and psychiatry are related to each other, but we must know how to differentiate them, since psychiatry is not a proper branch of psychology but of medicine, since its studies are based on the biochemical processes of the brain such as its behaviors or imbalances chemicals.

The majority of the population is not associated with the concept of Psychopathology, due to the lack of a Mental Health culture or to a null knowledge regarding symptoms and doubts about the different treatments, that is, if they actually work or not.

Types of mental disorders

There are several types of disorders, among others are:

1.- Neurodevelopmental Disorder: These are problems that develop very early in children, usually before entering their first year of school. Examples: autism, ADHD and others related to learning.

2.- Spectrum of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: In this case, the notion of what is real and what is not real is lost; They occur through hallucinations, whether visual or auditory, delusions, etc. Example, schizophrenia.

3.- Bipolar disorder and related disorders: It is related to excessive mood swings and altered episodes of mania where the subject can present a very high excitement of happiness and, shortly after, be in a state of depression.

4.- Depressive disorders: The patient is sentimentally and emotionally affected, where he may be in extreme sadness, affecting his social life and he loses the desire to perform activities, affecting his ability to function. Example, premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

5.- Anxiety disorders: It is characterized by avoiding situations that produce anxiety, whether they are situations with pressure, social relationships, etc. This emotion is a feeling of anguish focused on what will happen in the future; that worry that something bad will happen.

6.- Obsessive compulsive disorder and related disorders: Also called by its acronym OCD, it is characterized by an obsession of the disorder, excessively repeated actions that affect the life of the person. Example, accumulation.

7.- Disorders related to trauma and stress: The person has great difficulties adapting to situations in his life. A common example is in soldiers who have experienced extremely stressful situations such as being in a war; is post-traumatic stress disorder.

8.- Eating and eating disorders: These are problems related to the patient's nutrition, in how he perceives himself; They usually present symptoms of depression and cases that are more common than they seem: anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

9.- Paraphilic disorders: Sexually related that cause potential harm to another person or even animals. Examples: pedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia, and sexual sadism disorder.

Treatment:

Thanks to the advancement of science, in recent years different types of therapy for mental illnesses have been developed; These treatments are divided into two types. The first is somatic treatment, which generally uses drugs and therapies that stimulate the brain. The second is psychotherapeutic, where psychological therapies are used either with the family, with the couple, in groups and only with the patient, where techniques such as hypnotherapy, exposure and relaxation tasks are performed.

Mental health myths and truths

In this field of health, it is very common that one is not well informed either due to lack of culture or that it is not given the importance it deserves as a health science. There are various myths:

Myth: "mental health problems don't affect me." It is very common for people to have mental health problems, much more than you think. Regardless of their age, they are affected either by work, studies, college, university, even in the same home with situations of stress, anxiety, depression; in more serious situations, this can lead to suicide, which is the XNUMXth most common cause of death in the United States, for example.

Myth: "children don't have mental health problems." Although it is true that disorders are detected with symptoms in a 14-year-old adolescent, it must be taken into account that there are no learning disorders. In addition, children can also suffer from stress or anxiety.

Myth: "people with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable". The vast majority of people with disorders do not have violent attitudes. Those who can become violent are less than 5% of people with mental illnesses; These attitudes can be attributed to serious mental illness.

Myth: ¨There is no hope for people with mental problems. Advances in science and studies have shown the opposite, because people show improvements, they can even lead a completely normal life.

Importance of psychopathology

The professional Sonia Bernal, affirms that psychopathology is very important in the medical field, because from there the scientific study of behavior and how it influences health begins, depending on its clinical picture, manifestations and development.

The specialist affirms that in the environment in which we find ourselves, mental health is not well valued by people, since more importance is taken to the physical, not knowing that it depends on the mental state in which we are, to improve the physical part.

Therefore, it considers necessary to work together with health and mental health professionals, in order to solve both physical and mental problems, since mental health problems affect the physical development of the patient. Most people with health problems increase the risk of health problems, such as: cerebrovascular diseases, heart disease, diabetes, among others, that do not allow normal physical development in people.

For her part, the clinical psychologist, Alexandra Bueno, affirms that psychopathology has been a recurring subject of study throughout history, seeking to determine various conditions that occur in people, as well as their origin or causes. It has had different connotations such as punishments from gods or possession of spirits. Then it began to have a more biological character attributing the causes to situations of humors or organic substances. Currently, the focus is on analyzing the diversity of factors involved in its cause, but, above all, on the mechanisms to provide relief and generate well-being in people with some psychopathology.

“As it is a psychological condition (not visible as a wound or a fracture), people think that it is something that can be solved, where the affected person only has to 'do their part'. Nothing could be further from the truth, since specialized and individualized treatment is required, according to the case, "added the specialist.

By: Ashly Bernal and Josué Cornejo.

UDA Clinical Psychology