What are the criteria of abnormal behaviour? Explain with examples.

All of the following criteria need to be considered together in order to determine if a person displays abnormal behaviour.

Personal distress: Personal distress refers to subjective feeling of an individual in response to persons and events creating extreme discomfort. It includes feeling very low, depressed, facing problems like social withdrawal, e.g. A person feeling down and sad every day is considered abnormal.

Deviance: Behaviour against the set laws of the state or behaviours different than standard social and statistical patterns exhibited by most of the people, e.g. Deliberately engaging in behaviour which is harmful to self and others.

Failure to perform functions normally: Day-today functioning getting impaired, i.e. inability to fulfil appropriate and expected roles in family, social and work related situations, e.g. A person is not able to perform his daily chores and fulfil work commitments due to lethargy.