Abnormal Psychology in the Movie "Psycho (1960)" Essay

Introduction

Typically, we all go a little mad at some point in our life. However, it is essential to have an evaluation and assessment of the cause of mental distress. This ensures that a viable treatment plan can be put in place to ensure that a patient gains sanity. When delving into a fictitious character in a movie, one can easily establish abnormalities in the behaviour of a character. The film called "psycho" is a good representation of abnormal behaviour manifested through a film. An author called Robert Bloch wrote the film and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. The main character of the film is called Norman Bates who experiences some psychological abnormalities. He suffers from multiple mental issues like borderline personality disorder, anxiety, dissociative identity and antisocial personality disorder. This is evident through his heinous acts and abnormal behaviour against humanity as a result of his background. After his mother dies, Norman develops a different identity to adapt to the stressors in his immediate environment. Treatment for the disorder involves medication or hospitalization, talk therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy. Therefore, evaluating the film ensures that we understand different manifestations of abnormal psychology and its effects on how we interpret abnormal psychology and its accuracy.

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Analysis of Psycho

Robert Bloch wrote the movie called Psycho and Alfred Hitchcock produced it. The film is about a teenage woman who leaves her job after stealing forty thousand dollars to pay her debts. However, as she travels, she makes a stop at the Bates Motel, to rest before embarking on her journey (Kendrick). During her stay, she comes across the owner of the motel called Norman Bates. She decides to engage in a talk with him for the night and accidentally overhears an argument involving Norman and his mother. Norman is upset about the presence of the woman and struggles to obey the mother but still ensures that he is hospitable (Kendrick). However, he eventually kills the woman and the mother. Norma then becomes stressed as a result of the murders depicting different abnormal personalities.

Clinical assessment

Norman would be diagnosed with anxiety disorder as a result of a comprehensive evaluation done on him. At the same time, Norman would be diagnosed with identity disorder, borderline personality disease and antisocial personality disease. This shows that the patient was unintentionally unwilling to associate with individuals. Such disorders are likely to be experienced by patients who have been traumatized before and are currently depressed. After coming to terms with the diagnosis, one could find the explanation and cause of his disorders (Oltmann's et al.).As a result, the assessment will give a basic idea of the best treatment suitable for Norman's disorders. About that doctors authenticate that, special treatment should be reserved to such patients, and if possible they should have personal physicians (Durand and David). This will help in monitoring the patient and recording meaningful improvements.

Diagnosis of Norman's psychological abnormalities

A clinical history of Norman would enable doctors to understand his physical and mental challenges when performing his daily activities. It is evident that Norman Bates experiences deep anxiety as a result of his adverse worries and fear that interferes with his social aspect of life and how to relate with situations that require critical thinking. This is a known disorder that has been in existence since time memorial (Durand and David). These characters clearly show that Norman had a childhood problem, mainly when associating with his peers. He is often found alone, when not conversing with his mother he is busy sited in his room keenly staring at the roof. Though elderly, Norman still associates with his mother more and highly perceived to be Mama's boy.

Connections between abnormalities and environment

Cognitive scenarios tell a lot on the significance of environment to patients. Environment prominently shows how a patient will behave, especially those deemed to be traumatic. In some occasions when tensed, Norman psychologically activates his antisocial characters. As a result, he experiences a massive sense of neglects and disassociation.

Consequently, being convicted of murder, Norman displayed symptoms of the mature disorder that entailed not less than; aggressiveness, lack of remorse and concern for his actions despite killing the woman. This kind of disorder is as a result of what Norman has experienced in his lifetime. He does not seem to care about anything in life. Therefore, it can be summarized that he no longer has feelings for anyone.

Plausible Explanation

Generally, in addition to that, the conditions give Norman a possessive character. Norman just like a toddler needs constant attention and a sense of belonging. This emphasizes the reduction in self-esteem that Norman has struggled with since childhood. He does not believe in himself and needs assistance to confirm his confidence. As a result of this, Norman feels despised and lonely when his mother eventually settles in with another man. Norman constantly hates this man because he feels he no longer receives adequate attention from his mother as he used to (Durand and David). The new relationship breaks Norman apart and continues to deteriorate his health as a result of emotional discomfort. Therefore, he killed his mother and alleged new lover due to conditional jealousy. It is like a child who continually seeks attention from the mother, but when it seems unfruitful the child resort to endless crying and nagging. Norman depicts that character of an individual who gets what he wants when he wants it. Unfortunately, when he does not succeed, he resorts to lose everything and does not regret any of his actions.

Theoretical and research-based speculations

Norman is affected by the symptomatic character of agility. This entails lack of self-recognition and belief. Such symptoms make the patient uncontrollably distorted when emotionally disturbed. This resonated well with a particular scenario when he was possessed by closeness to his mother. Throughout the film, evident Norman once in a while dressed as his mother and made similar constant conversation as if he was talking to his mother (Kendrick). This ascertains that Norman's disorder has also been significantly attributed to the presence of his mother. The mother never exposed him regularly to the outside environment as a result; he possessed some characters of the mother. He often shifts mood swings, and as a result, the alleged spirit of the mother takes control in situations when he cannot handle the trauma or situations of maximum stress (Barlow and Mark). In addition to that, Norman's mother is also seen to contain elements of possession when taking care of his son. A scene in the movie shows Norman's mother humiliating some women who eventually succumbed to injuries from her attack. The mother believes she is the only woman guaranteed to associate with her son. Possession in extreme is characterized by violence of any kind that can cause fatal injuries to anyone.

Furthermore, the individual can also harm himself because of stimulated anger from emotional conflict that exists in his mind (Durand and David). In some extreme cases after all the violence, the aftermath always includes unconsciousness and epileptic-like symptoms from an individual. Cognitive approach has it that, with all the killings, Norman will find it difficult to remember any that took place because regularly he suffers memory lapse due to his disorders.

Practically, all Normans experienced is a chain of events that follow each other as a conveyor belt. Series of stimulation that is catalyzed by his emotions disorient his ability to think. As a result, he finds himself in an awkward situation. Concurrently, when the borderline triggers the emotional perception of fear it, therefore, hinders him from relating positively to his environment. Furthermore, this disallows him to associate therefore giving prominence to disassociation disorder.

Etiology of the disorder

The genesis of all this issue popped up after the demise of Norman's father. It was a trying moment when both mother and her son lost a mutual benefactor. Norman is the only child in the family, created a unifying factor to his mother. Norma found solace from her son in times of needs, and he was a pillar in every situation. On the other hand, Norman too saw his mother has the only being in his social trust. The enormous loneliness and vacuum left by the father reduced their external association thereby neglecting the outside world.

Typically, Norman's disorder is a series of identities existing in an individual. Norman has been through a lot as a result of being a loner. He is seen to struggle a lot to get company. At the same time, when he gets what he wants, he tends to be over possessive and exploitative. From the movie, he is depicted to protect his interest emotionally and positively to the extent of ready to lose it. His disorder gives him the ability to recreate an identity after losing it. For example, after killing his mother and the alleged lover, he can trigger the status of his mother to suit his emotional needs. As a result, the doctor can group the disorders of Norman in the form of character to deal with them one at a time.

Suitable treatment

Norman's disorder is a series of anxiety and stressful existence. Norman should visit the rehab with an intention correcting his behaviours. This entails both administering of drugs and periodic therapy and counselling. When anxious, Norman should be prescribed an anti-depressant to control his mind and emotions. The drug loosens the nerves and provides a sense of relaxation. At this point, his violence has been tamed partially controlled under the strict supervision of the doctor. In addition to that, being a combination of disorders, the doctor should incorporate the help of a trained psychologist who understands childhood prospects and sufferings. The psychologist would need to involve Norman in participatory activities to widen his brain capacity. The exposure will ensure that Norman relates more to the external environment and internalize practical aspect of life in his former world. Games such as Chess contribute a lot in positively stimulating the mind and in reasoning with life practically. This would help in eradicating anti-social disorder and dealing with the constant emergence of mood swings that interfere with his attitude.

Consequently, dissociative disorder and borderline disorder can be combated by the administering mood control drugs which are not cure but the temporary remedy to the patient. Physician's advice that continuous therapy with a combination of a positive attitude from the patient would enable self-recovery. Nevertheless, when dealing with borderline disorder, the patient should be quarantine first to tame violence and protect the other patients from sudden attacks.

Strengths and Weakness of the movie

The movie is a clear representation of the issues that mentally disturbed patients face on a daily basis. The movie delves into some of the causes of mental disorders and the dangers that can arise as a result of the disorder. However, the movie fails to show the possible treatments that a patient can be subject to for healing. The movie doesn't also show different forms of treatment that are available for the mental disorder.

Omissions and inaccuracies in the movie

In addition to that, the movie omits various therapies that can be used to prevent mental disorder. It only focuses on incarceration, and in most cases, this is not only the only solution. Mentally disturbed patients can be treated through therapy and allowed back to the societ...