PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Postpartum Depression, Self-Harm, Personality Disorder

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Oliver Michael Hardt

Document Summary

Mental problems are not straightforward as medical problems. Ex: if leg is broken, there isn"t much dispute about it, can be easily treated. Mental disorders show a failure of adapting to the environment. Somehow you and world surrounding aren"t very well in sync. Most humans in pubescent stage experience this felt out of place. But if adult has the same symptoms, there is a mental disorder: defining mental disorder: Ex: in a fascist regime, you rebelling against fascism means you are crazy so they treat you for that. But if you look at this from the outside perspective causing harm to others is actually highly adaptive because that society itself was sick. A disorder exists when failure of a person"s internal mechanisms to perform their functions as designed by nature impinges harm on persons well being as defined by social values and meanings. Leaves room for culture defining what is a disorder.