PERSPECTIVE OF TREATMENT AND
THEORY
PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISORDER
Supernatural Tradition Also called the demonological
method where deviant
behavior has been considered
a reflection of the battle
between the good and evil.
Demons and Witches As the existence of demons
and witches during the last
quarter of the 14th century, as
popular superstitions strongly
believed by the religious
authorities and the society as a
whole.
The bizarre behavior of people
afflicted with psychological
disorders was seen as the
work of the devil and witches.
STRENGTH AND
INTERVENTION
Cutting a hole into the skull of
the victim was practiced in
order to release the malevolent
spirits inside the individual.
It was made an assumption
that individuals possessed by
evil spirits were responsible for
the misfortunes experienced by
the people in the community
which then resulted to drastic
actions against the possessed.
Treatments included the
approach of exorcism in which
religious rituals were
performed in an effort to rid the
LIMITATIONS
Covers the entire
Supernatural Tradition
The supernatural model of
abnormal behavior has existed
since prehistory and is still with
us today but the belief that
heavenly bodies affect human
behavior still exist, although
there is still really no scientific
evidence to support it.
Religious authorities such as
the churches have strong
beliefs and support that these
popular superstitions such as
the powers of demons and
witches against influencing
psychological problems in an
individual exists. But no matter
how strong these beliefs are,
their treatments and

victim of the evil spirits.
Other approaches were
shaving the pattern of the
cross in the hair of the victim’s
head and even securing them
to a wall near the front of a
church to benefit from the
mass.
interventions still have their
limitations in a way that their
theories explaining association
of supernatural with
psychological problems still
have no strong basis and
proofs.

Stress and Melancholy An equally strong opinion that
emphasized the view that
insanity or abnormal behavior
was a natural phenomenon
caused by mental or emotional
stress and that it was curable.
Seeing as the cause of
possible psychological disorder
were of negative emotions and
stress, the common treatments
that were implemented and
practiced were rest, sleep, a
healthy and happy
environment.

Moon and the Stars Paracelsus rejected the
notions of possession by the
devil and witches. Suggesting
instead that the movements of
the moon and stars have
The cure for the conditions of
the abnormal behaviors set
upon this theory was the
concept of the administration of
confortativa that interferes with
 profound effects on the attractive and strong
psychological functioning. powers of the moon, as a
medicine known as a sedative.
Through that indicated remedy
insane people can be
completely restored so that
they will not be insane again.

The gravitational effects of the

moon on the bodily fluids might
be the possible cause of
mental disorders then inspiring
the word lunatic in the process,
which is derived from the Latin
word “luna” meaning “moon”
that is now often used as an
informal indication for an
individual suffering from a
psychological disorder.

Biological Tradition Biological tradition is a theory
by the concept of psychological
disorders associated with
anything physical that can
cause adverse effects on a
person’s mental health.
The development of new
treatments greatly increased
for the more understanding of
the biological contributions to
psychopathology.
Covers the entire
Biological Tradition
The biological aspects in
relation to psychology are quite

The biological theory includes
the factors of genetics,
prenatal damage, infections,
exposure to toxins, brain
defects or injuries, chemical
imbalances and substances
abuse.
Several professionals believe
that the main cause of mental
disorders is based upon the
biology of the brain and the
nervous system.
strong in a way that the
Such as interventions of concepts and assumptions
electric shock and brain presented have their own
surgery were often used and proofs such as vast studies
their effects and the effects of conducted and tested. Also
new drugs were discovered because their scientific studies
quite by accident. and experiments are
measurable, objective and can
be repeated to test for
The procedure insulin shock reliability and it increases the
therapy became known and possibility of being able to treat
was applied for kits great people with abnormal behavior
effects on curing the patients and being able to provide
by their mental health through explanations on the causes of
convulsions as side effects of behavior.
the therapy but it was later
abandoned because it is too But Biological tradition focuses
dangerous, often resulting to too much on the nature of
prolonged coma or death. humanity and it argues that
behavior is caused by
Following suggestions on the hormones, neurotransmitters
possible benefits of applying and genetics and it has
electric shock directly to the assumptions that disorders and
brain that is greatly modified then generalizes them to apply
today and is still applied for to anyone. It does not take into
treatment and is now called view that humans are unique.
electroconvulsive therapy.

Humoral A theory of both Hippocrates
and Galen that suggested that
normal brain functioning was
related to four bodily fluids.
The black bile for melancholy,
the blood for the sanguine, the
yellow bile for the choleric and
the phlegm for the phlegmatic.
That is used to classify set of
emotions and personalities.
Syphilis Behavioral and cognitive The discovery for the cure of
symptoms of what we know general paresis was
Drugs for effective psychotic
disorders were developed in a
systematic way that went from
herbs, opium as sedatives and
folk remedies to the discovery
of drugs such as Rauwolfia
Serpentine, Neuroleptics and
Benzodiazepines.
The concept of the Hippocratic
Corpus have suggested based
on its own assumptions and
beliefs that psychological
disorders could be treated like
any other disease for they
believed that disease resulted
from too much or too little of
one of the humors, which were
assumed to be related to
normal brain functioning.
 now as advanced syphilis, a
sexually transmitted caused by
a bacterial microorganism
entering the brain, including
delusions of persecution and
delusions of grandeur as well
as other bizarre behaviors but
through the passage of time
and because of further studies,
the condition then became
designed as a disease called
general paresis because it had
consistent symptoms and
consistent course that resulted
to death.
Psychological An approach that involves
Tradition assumptions about human
behavior and the way they
function and mind, embracing
all aspects of conscious and
unconscious experience as
well as thought.
discovered through the
contraction of malaria, injecting
patients with blood from other
patients ill with malaria. Many
recovered because the high
fever burned the syphilis
bacteria.
The approach of treatments Each perspective of psychology
based on the psychological has its own strengths and
tradition depends upon the weaknesses then bringing
many theories as an approach something into different
to use for therapy. understanding of human behavior.
For such reasons that made an
importance psychology must have
different perspectives to the
understanding and study of
human behavior then resulting to

It is an academic discipline and
a social science which seeks to
understand individuals and
groups by establishing general
principles and researching
specific cases.
Moral Therapy Refers to emotional or
psychological factors rather
than to a code of conduct,
including treating patients as
normally as possible.
Psychoanalytic Theory A theory that focuses on the
structure of the mind and the
role of unconscious processes
in determining behavior and of
personality organizations along
with the dynamics of
personality development.
the birth of many different theories
by many physicians, theorists and
psychologists in an attempt to
provide answers to the many
questions of people regarding
their curiosity of psychology in
general. These theories have their
own strengths and limitations
depending on the situation
Providing patients with many provided, because no matter how
opportunities for appropriate strong and accurate the theory is,
social and interpersonal there are other theories that exist
contact. and might contradict other
theories beliefs, assumptions and
Individual attention clearly explanations.
emphasized positive
consequence s for appropriate
interactions and behavior and
restraint and seclusion were
eliminated.
The therapy use for this theory
is the psychoanalysis founded
by Sigmund Freud, as an
approach to release repressed
emotions and experiences and
to make the unconscious,
conscious, catharsis or free
association.
Humanism A psychological perspective Humanistic psychologists look
that emphasizes the study of at human behavior not only
the whole person. through the eyes of the
observer, but through the eyes
Under this perspective are the of the person doing the
theories of: behaving.

 Self Actualization – As To give the individual a chance

the underlying to develop during the course of
assumption that all of us the therapy, unfettered by the
could reach our highest threats to the self.
potential in all areas of
functioning, if only we
had the freedom to And the process of
grow. empathizing as the systematic
understanding of the
 Person Centered individual’s particular view of
Therapy – As the the world
approach where the
therapist takes a
passive role, making as
few interpretations as
possible.
Lea Nina C. Velasquez

Abnormal Psychology

Professor Rhonadora Deala

Comparative Matrix