Thank you for the comment, that’s a really interesting question! I’ll definitely note it down, maybe even turn it into an article. What I can say for now is that most psychological disorders are defined by behavioral patterns that interfere with daily functioning or social participation. We classify them based on the degree to which they impair a person’s life.
Additionally, many disorders, or behaviors considered "abnormal", are linked to identifiable brain differences. For example, individuals with schizophrenia often show disruptions in dopamine pathways, while those with depression tend to have dysregulations in the HPA axis and impaired cortisol processing. These are just a few examples, but they illustrate the connection between neurobiology and behavior.
Hello Tim — would you write about how psychology defines “normal” human behaviour and mental states, against which deviations are to be compared and to which they should return? To what extend is this susceptible to mere cultural projection — a localised consensus? What cosmic definitions of mind and conduct are we to compare a person to, and how have these definitions been established?
I respect your field and you as a person, but I sometimes question the wisdom or even the justice of insitutionalising a sense of human normality.
Thank you for the comment, that’s a really interesting question! I’ll definitely note it down, maybe even turn it into an article. What I can say for now is that most psychological disorders are defined by behavioral patterns that interfere with daily functioning or social participation. We classify them based on the degree to which they impair a person’s life.
Additionally, many disorders, or behaviors considered "abnormal", are linked to identifiable brain differences. For example, individuals with schizophrenia often show disruptions in dopamine pathways, while those with depression tend to have dysregulations in the HPA axis and impaired cortisol processing. These are just a few examples, but they illustrate the connection between neurobiology and behavior.
Thank you for your elucidating response. I hope to see your article on this.
Hello Tim — would you write about how psychology defines “normal” human behaviour and mental states, against which deviations are to be compared and to which they should return? To what extend is this susceptible to mere cultural projection — a localised consensus? What cosmic definitions of mind and conduct are we to compare a person to, and how have these definitions been established?
I respect your field and you as a person, but I sometimes question the wisdom or even the justice of insitutionalising a sense of human normality.
https://substack.com/@lishashi/note/c-135870000