Quote: In conclusion, PSMI aren't just MORE of normal behavior-- even if it looks that way on the surface or even if the person tried to explain them away in this fashion-- they are DIFFERENT from normal behavior.
And regarding this part of the comment "taken to a socially unacceptable extreme"-- social acceptibility has nothing to do with it. As was pointed out, cleaning a lot, may be very socially acceptable. But the most healthy thing for a compulsive cleaner to do is to get to the point where she can let her kitchen floor be filthy and say, "you know it's just dirt, and I CHOOSE to clean it."
LP,
On defining mental illness, here are a few references I gathered supporting the contention of some mental illnesses/disorders being a continuum of normal behaviors. I thought it of interest that what may be defined as a disorder in one culture would be perfectly acceptable in another. The exception would be biological brain disorders.
Borderline Personality Disorder, for all that is said about it, and how it is defined, is after all, just "normal" taken to the extreme. It is not alien it is made up of traits that are human and found in the "normal" population. The borderline just exhibits these traits in extreme ways and emotionally-immature ways that are not age-appropriate.
In contrast to the categorical approach, which sees mental disorders as qualitatively distinct from normal behavior, a dimensional system views behavior as falling along a continuum of normality, with some behaviors considered more abnormal than others. In a dimensional system, diagnoses do not describe discrete diseases but rather portray the relative importance of an array of symptoms.
Deviation from social norms Certain behaviours are not merely acceptable in society, but also often expected in certain situations. Most members of society are aware of these social norms and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Those of us who break these norms are often seen as abnormal, or in extreme cases mentally ill. This approach takes into account the social desirability of behaviour, as social norms identify those behaviours that are considered desirable for both the individual and society. The wild behaviour, manic and strange antics of the schizophrenic fit this definition ... Culture This varies across societies, countries and continents. Each culture has its own ideas of what will be considered abnormal and normal behaviour. The full extension of this concept leads us to suggest that what is seen as a mental disorder in one society is not seen as a mental disorder in another. Therefore, it cannot be stated that one society is superior to another in defining mental illness, or that one society has a lower occurrence of mental disorders than another. Everything is relative to the prevailing culture within whose influence we move.
There can be no doubt that an individual with schizophrenia is seriously ill, but for other mental disorders such as depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the signs and symptoms exist on a continuum and there is no bright line separating health from illness, distress from disease. ... (example)Perhaps every adult in the United States has some atherosclerosis, but at what point does this move along a continuum from normal into the realm of illness? Ultimately, the dividing line has to do with severity of symptoms, duration, and functional impairment. ... Diagnosis rests on clinician judgment about whether clients’ symptom patterns and impairments of functioning meet diagnostic criteria. Cultural differences in emotional expression and social behavior can be misinterpreted as “impaired” if clinicians are not sensitive to the cultural context and meaning of exhibited symptoms, a topic discussed later in this chapter in Overview of Cultural Diversity and Mental Health Services
The idea of many religions, and ethnic groups of sticking to your own is not invalid, even though its negative aspect can lead to intolerance.
The collective (THEY) is not wrong, just as the collective (WE) is not right.
All humans have the same True needs (not Dr. Harleys). How they are met and satisfied is merely cultural, environmental conditioning. Stuff that is more of a OS as opposed to a EEPROM, for the techies. It is almost? impossible to navigate life without the OS, but it is possible to remove and install something different. Doing so leads to the typical frustraion and inabilty to accomplish tasks as efficiently, without practice. For information on messing with your EEPROM see your local diety, seek nirvana, or study biofeedback.
Children are able to change there OS well, for instance a Thai child being adopted and raised here. Their religion and social interactions and ideas of morality are completely different (NOT wrong) then an american Jew/Christian/Muslim. (The Yahweh triad I like to call it.)
My x came here when she was 10 from another country. She flip flops back in forth in her behaivioral patterns depending on her surrondings. Family vs. non family. As a behaivioralist student, practicer, I found it very fascinating. I am sure many here have seen what I speak of.
Some of Cobra and his W's problem (setting aside there own personal fears/issues that they each have) is not only are they opposites in personality, but their respective heritage's are completely different in the way they express emotion and way they look at family, and child rearing.
A Hispanic family dynamic is much different then a Japanese one.
By "Operating System", would that include behaviors that seem to be genetic/male/female in origin. From having trhee kids in day care and also talking with daycare providers, it just seems that many behaviors are not learned, they are literally born that way.
I compared OS to Religious, cultural, societal, environmental, behaiviors. they all reside in our neo cortex. they are changeable.
For example there exists a group in the amazon, a tribe, that engages in both polyandry and polygamy. They dont have a murder rate. Why dont they feel the jealousy and anger that overcomes us from this? Why do americans typical have such a large 'personal zone' area around them that they are comfortable with others being in, compared to say Indonesians?
Do you know Jungianism? I am going to use it for your question about kids being born this way. I wonder what age you speak of though. 3 years old is already very environmentally conditioned. Things like laughter are learned responses, humans dont do it if they are never taught it. Some Native american tribes, conditioned their children to not cry, before 6 months if I remember correctly.
Back to 'born that way' and Jungianism. He seperated people in to 4 core personality types, our 'job' is to work on the 3 that we are not. I am not naturally extroverted, outgoing, life of party. It taxes me not refreshes me. But I work at it and other things because I am not naturally that way, I would be imbalanced to wallow in my comfortableness of 'being me' not becoming a 'complete' person. Yes genetics plays a part in who we are, our emotional tendancies, and personality. I think as sentient creatures its our job to own our behaiviors and our environment as best we can. What we do makes us who we are. Thoughts and intentions are not decernable. Extreme example, a child molester may wish to not be one, but his actions make him one.
Its an on going struggle.
That jogs another memory/thought loose, struggling against our inborn tendencies
for the scripturally minded Paul described it as an ongoing inner war Romans 7:18-25, 1Cor. 9:27
Im reading your post again, and wondering if I answered your question though.... now I see something else
I look at your 'male/female' insert and it makes me think about how often women say 'where are all the men.' Our society protrays men as being one thing and conditions them to being another. women react with seeming attraction to one thing while we are told that it is wrong and to behave another way. I completely understand TSinA's frustration and anger at this, and I think you have a bit of it too. your OS is trying to override your EEPROM-- getting bad results and it causes a crash. In real terms your neo cortex is trying to dictate to your limbic system and it not only cant, it creates huge amounts of stress.
Which is a different kind of war altogether.
please post back if more clarity is needed, I am exhausted and this may be disjointed.
