Have you heard of F-99? Read up! This new definition of 'abnormal psychology' could put you in an asylum! The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to the International Classification of Diseases, revision ten (ICD-10), Chapter Five, "Mental and Behavioral Disorders" as a universal descriptor of abnormal psychology. The description of mental and behavioral disorders presented in this chapter essentially define the abnormal everyman, the abnormal men and women of the world.
The WHO rightfully takes a global view on the individual. All people in the world are equal in the eyes of the WHO. At the outset, this is a troubling position. Abnormal psychology always appears in contrast to a cultural norm. From the WHO's perspective, the individual's abnormality must be measured against a universal norm, not a cultural one. A universal norm may indeed represent the behavior of a universal or global culture. As global government emerges on the back of a global economy, a global culture may very well ensue. This means that ICD-10 will become the standard used by global government to identify and treat the abnormal personality.
Since critical treatment of abnormal behavior may result in incarceration, such as in a hospital for the criminally insane, our personal freedom may be taken if our behavior fits into one of the categories of 'abnormality', as described in the ICD-10. You can see that it only makes good sense for us to safeguard our freedom and become informed of what the World Health Organization considers abnormal psychology. You may well be shocked to learn that ICD-10 has an 'unspecified' category: this means that virtually any behavior might qualify as abnormal psychology and require governmental intervention, correction, and monitoring.
Against the norms of a global culture, the ICD-10 identifies organic, physical, affective, schizophrenic, and neurotic disorders. It includes retardation, developmental disorders, behavioral syndromes, and childhood and adolescent emotional disorders. These are certainly categories of abnormal psychology and most people would not take issue with these. What most people would take issue with, are those people who treasure liberty and would see all governments limited in exercising yet more authority, is the ICD-10, Chapter 5 category, F99, the 'unspecified' category. While all the other categories of mental illness point to well known and specific mental disorders, category F99 identifies the behaviors described only as an "Unspecified mental disorder".
The problem is immediately apparent in the phrase. All behavior that is not in one of the other, specific mental disorder categories of the ICD-10 is unspecified behavior. For example, dissent is not found in any legitimate and specific category, but the behavior fits well into F99. Dissent may represent a minority of the populace, an abnormality. Religious rituals are another form of behavior that fits into F99. Will dissent and religious practice be seen as an abnormal psychology? Will it thus require corrective treatment?
The broad generality of F99 should make it unacceptable to all people of the world. An 'unspecified' mental disorder category may have a place in research psychology, but it does not belong in the canon of abnormal psychology. If your personal freedom is important to you, hopefully this brief introduction provides a heads-up on what's coming. - 30535
The WHO rightfully takes a global view on the individual. All people in the world are equal in the eyes of the WHO. At the outset, this is a troubling position. Abnormal psychology always appears in contrast to a cultural norm. From the WHO's perspective, the individual's abnormality must be measured against a universal norm, not a cultural one. A universal norm may indeed represent the behavior of a universal or global culture. As global government emerges on the back of a global economy, a global culture may very well ensue. This means that ICD-10 will become the standard used by global government to identify and treat the abnormal personality.
Since critical treatment of abnormal behavior may result in incarceration, such as in a hospital for the criminally insane, our personal freedom may be taken if our behavior fits into one of the categories of 'abnormality', as described in the ICD-10. You can see that it only makes good sense for us to safeguard our freedom and become informed of what the World Health Organization considers abnormal psychology. You may well be shocked to learn that ICD-10 has an 'unspecified' category: this means that virtually any behavior might qualify as abnormal psychology and require governmental intervention, correction, and monitoring.
Against the norms of a global culture, the ICD-10 identifies organic, physical, affective, schizophrenic, and neurotic disorders. It includes retardation, developmental disorders, behavioral syndromes, and childhood and adolescent emotional disorders. These are certainly categories of abnormal psychology and most people would not take issue with these. What most people would take issue with, are those people who treasure liberty and would see all governments limited in exercising yet more authority, is the ICD-10, Chapter 5 category, F99, the 'unspecified' category. While all the other categories of mental illness point to well known and specific mental disorders, category F99 identifies the behaviors described only as an "Unspecified mental disorder".
The problem is immediately apparent in the phrase. All behavior that is not in one of the other, specific mental disorder categories of the ICD-10 is unspecified behavior. For example, dissent is not found in any legitimate and specific category, but the behavior fits well into F99. Dissent may represent a minority of the populace, an abnormality. Religious rituals are another form of behavior that fits into F99. Will dissent and religious practice be seen as an abnormal psychology? Will it thus require corrective treatment?
The broad generality of F99 should make it unacceptable to all people of the world. An 'unspecified' mental disorder category may have a place in research psychology, but it does not belong in the canon of abnormal psychology. If your personal freedom is important to you, hopefully this brief introduction provides a heads-up on what's coming. - 30535
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