Not so abnormal psychology: A pragmatic view of mental illness.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/14693-001 Not So Abnormal Psychology: A Pragmatic View of Mental Illness, by R. B. Miller Copyright © 2015 by the American Psychological Association. All rights reserved. Psychology is a hybrid subject. With its basic concepts and theories rooted in ancient religions and philosophy, its branches reaching into experimental biology, physiology, pharmacology, anthropology, sociology, and even biography, psychology’s theories and data are diverse, inconsistent, and at times contradictory. Attempts to produce an integrated comprehensive theory remain elusive. In its place we find an array of mini-theories tied to specific subareas of the field (e.g., cognitive, developmental, physiological, or social psychology). Although we remain intrigued, compelled to search for answers to the riddle of ourselves and others, we can often feel more than a bit overwhelmed by the task. Nowhere is this truer than in the subdiscipline of abnormal psychology. Its topics directly affect our quality of life both as individuals and as a society, sometimes even in life-and-death ways. Multiple professions draw on and in turn influence our view of abnormal psychology (e.g., psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, nursing, special education). Within and across