Exploring Biochemical and Psychoanalytic Theories in Abnormal Psychology

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Biochemical and Psychoanalytic Theories of Abnormality Psychology is a science that is constantly evolving and growing, and that is especially true when the concentration of study is abnormal psychology. There are so many mysteries within abnormal psychology that there are constantly progressing theories. Two of the more familiar theories are the biochemical theory and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Today we will be exploring these two theories, how they compare and how each has contributed to the field of psychology. The biochemical theory states that the “brain requires a number of chemicals in order to work efficiently and effectively” (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2014, p.29). The chemicals the brain needs to function correctly are partially comprised of neurotransmitters and hormones. The concept …show more content…

Biochemical theories believe that something within your body is causing abnormal behavior. For example with bipolar disorder it’s been theorized “that impairments of neuroplasticity and cellular resilience may also underlie the pathophysiology” (Manji et al., 2003). This means that there are issues in the brain with neurotransmitters or the receptors which are causing the disorder. On the opposite side of the spectrum, psychoanalytic ideas theorize that circumstances in which you were raised are the basis for any abnormalities. Freud speculated that all children go through 5 psychosexual stages of development; oral, anal, phallic latency, and genital (Nolen- Hoeksema, 2014, p.42-44). Freud believed that disruptions or mismanagement of a child during these stages would cause abnormal mental issues later on in life. So, from the two theories, one believes that abnormalities stem from inside you and the other theory believes that abnormalities are from outside

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