¶ … working definition of abnormality. Abnormality is defined as 'atypicality' or a deviation from the norm (McLeod 2008). Deviation may be viewed in a positive or negative light. In our culture, someone who has a high IQ is viewed as deviant in a positive manner, while someone who is deviant because he or she is bipolar is viewed as deviant in a negative manner. But some modes of deviancy, such as depression, are so common a large percentage of the population suffers from the condition (McLeod 2008). Other forms of abnormality, like seeing visions, are considered highly deviant today in a negative fashion, but were viewed in a positive light as a form of divine insight in ages past, and still are in some cultures.

Defining abnormality merely as violation of social norms can be a poor way to judge a patient, given that homosexuality was once classified as a mental disorder and women dissatisfied with their suburban lifestyles in the 1950s...

A state of being that causes distress to the individual is often said to be the best way to define clinical abnormality. However, this is not necessarily the best way to define the condition, either. While it may be an acceptable method of identifying depressed individuals, who are often dissatisfied with their current mental state, individuals suffering from mania or schizophrenia may believe themselves to be 'special' in a positive fashion. Some persons exhibiting certain types of personality disorders, such as schizoid personality disorder, may not feel as if there is something missing in their life because they feel no need to 'connect' with people, emotionally. However, in these instances, difficulties with basic functioning in society, such as maintaining adequate hygiene or obtaining and keeping a job, suggest that such conditions fall under the designation of abnormal mental disorders.
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