To quote Aristotle, “No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.” The continuous theory of psychopathology follows closely to said quotation, strongly emphasizing the notion that those who suffer from maladaptive disorders are just the same as normal, healthy people, safe for their underdevelopped coping abilities (Shenker, outline). This theory offers up a new take on an old beief, emphasizing the similarities between those diagnosed with a psychopathology and those who are not. Yet sadly, even through all the progress made in the field of abnormal psychology, the stigma of being diagnosed with a mental disorder still exists today, closely following the discontinuous theory of psychopathology. As American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley once said: “One who shows signs of mental aberration is, inevitably, perhaps, but cruelly, shut off from familiar, thoughtless intercourse, partly excommunicated; his isolation is unwittingly proclaimed to him on every countenance by curiosity, indifference, aversion, or pity, and in so far as he is human enough to need free and equal communication and feel the lack of it, he suffers pain and loss of a kind and degree which others can only faintly imagine, and for the most part ignore.” Those suffering from a maladaptive disorder hide in fear of being labeled a ‘maniac’ or a ‘crazy person’. The hiding leads to isolation, which leading to a devastating loneliness. It is through substance related disorders and fear disorders that one can truly understand the validity of the continuous theory of psychopathology.

To commence, substance abuse is a perfect example of continuous psychopathology. Substance abuse is defined as maladaptive ways of functioning, in which drugs are used to alter reality (426). Not only does substance abuse deal with drugs and other stimulants, but also involves alcoholism (426). Under the drug category, the two drugs that will be focused on are opioids and hallucinogens. Opioids are either natural or synthetic and react to a receptor in the brain, which alter “pain, pleasure, emotion and perception” (446). Morphine and heroine are the two most infamous of the opioids group (446). Heroine, which is derived from morphine, is one of the most deadly and addictive drugs circulating today. It is reportedly involved in “over 90% of all narcotic-addiction cases” today (446). Junkies have reported feeling intense pleasure, only comparable to that of sexual orgasm, yet, more powerful (446). Hallucinogens on the other hand, affect the central nervous system to alter consciousness (452). Auditory and visual perception takes a nosedive, as colors, sights and sounds become a melee of incomprehensible jargon (452). Perception of time and mood quickly change, making a person’s high feel endless (452-453). Having said that, one can comprehend why drugs such as heroine, are utilized to occupy the emptiness inside of an individual suffering from loneliness, anger, and/or pain (426). Substance abusers are in no ways ‘psychotic’ or ‘crazy’ as many people sometimes mistakenly label those suffering from maladaptive disorders (Shenker, notes). They are simply people who feel they have no other way of dealing with the tremendous burden life has to offer. Escapism has always been a popular way of coping with difficult and sometimes impossible-seeming situations. Drugs just seem to make the escape all the more accessible and possible for the average person. By offering up a high, euphoric sensation that disjoints reality, making personal problems seem like trivial matters, it is no wonder that substance abuse is what most people turn to when they feel as if they are losing control of their life (453).

Moreover, anxiety and fear disorders are more clear examples of continuous psychopathology. Anxiety is defined as, "a diffuse, vague, very unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension" (208). Excessive worrying is a classic symptom of anxiety, which can be coupled with "rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fainting, dizziness, sweating, sleeplessness, frequent urination, and tremors" (208). Fear plays a big part in anxiety (208). Though, the difference between someone who is fearful and someone suffering from anxiety is, those suffering from anxiety cannot exactly pinpoint the reasoning behind the fear (208). Negative thoughts usually take president over common sense and an illogical fret is brought on, concerning future events (208). This causes most people to experience feelings of uneasiness, which can intrude upon sleep and eating patterns (209). The body of a person going through anxiety becomes their worst enemy, as muscle spasm and tension headaches become more evident (209). Furthermore, panic attacks seem to be more evident in those experiencing generalized anxiety disorders (212). The symptoms of a panic attack and generalized anxiety attack are quite similar, except for the fact that panic attacks are exponentially more intense (212). Panic attacks are sudden rushes of powerful anxiety, cued by a particular person, place or object (212). These bursts of anxiety that are brought about can be defined as a phobia (212). Phobias are irrational fears of a person, place, or object (Shenker, notes). People with phobic disorders "know exactly what they are afraid of… However, their fears are out of proportion with reality" (215). Phobias are said to commence with a simple anxiety attack, yet that anxiety then becomes linked with surrounding people, places or objects (216). Levels of phobia vary from person to person; most are small and common: fears of spiders and snakes for instance (216). Though, some can be so vast that it renders a person incapable of normal, adaptive behavior, such as a person suffering from a strong case of agoraphobia, who cannot leave his/her house (Shenker, notes). According to Torgersen (1979), phobias can be divided into five categories (216). They are separation fears (crowds), social fears (strangers), animal fears (cats), nature fears (open water) and mutilation fears (blood) (216). 11% of the entire population is reported to have experienced a phobia during their lifetime (217-218). "For a person with a specific phobia, the degree of distress varies with the prevalence of the avoided situation" (218). This goes to say, if a person who suffers from a fear of mice he or she will only show the symptoms of the phobia if he or she comes into contact with a mouse (218). By decreasing the likeliness of coming of coming into contact with the stimulus of the phobia, one decreases the likeliness of experiencing the symptoms of the phobia (218). Now, one must ask oneself, is a person with a fear of getting bitten by a snake, or a person who fears flying really someone with a mental disorder? Although some people experience their fright to an irrational degree, who are we to tell them their fear of being hurt at night is unreasonable? Everyone, at one point in his or her life has feared something or someone. It is only normal to fear that which we do not know. Phobias are continuous, since a normal, functioning human would not be terrified to death of a common house cat. The fear of those who suffer from phobic disorders is slightly blown out of proportion compared to a person who does not suffer from such a disorder. It is through therapy that the stimuli is identified and resolved, thus making a person's fear level diminish to that or a more reasonable one (Shenker, notes).

As previously mentioned, phobias are an irrational fear and not an indication of a serious mental retardation. This notion can be linked with substance abuse, in the sense that using drugs is an uncontrollable urge to indulge in a harmful substance, but is not a diagnosed mental illness. These two common cases reflect the continuous theory of psychopathology. The people found in these circumstances are wired the same as any other average human being, simply with a dysfunction of the mind they cannot control.

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