Applying The Concepts Of Abnormal Psychology To “hurry Down Sunshine” By Michael Greenberg

Abnormal behavior is measured broadly into four categories within the psychological scope. These four categories are known as the four D’s, or dysfunction, distress, deviant, and dangerous. Therefore, each of these terms brings the behavior at hand into perspective to those of which who are in question. Dysfunction is defined as behavior and feelings that interfere with the person's ability to function in daily life. Distress can be explained as behaviors or feelings which are troubling or confusing or out of the ordinary. Deviant behavior can be interpreted as behavior that is different than societal norms. The last D is dangerous; dangerous behavior is defined as being harmful to an individual or those around them.

With these definitions in mind, Sally’s behavior falls into not just one, but all the categories laid out in the four D’s of abnormal psychology. It is worth noting that at first sight, her behavior seems strange; but not out of the norm when considering the context of her age. Exponentially events grow for her towards the direction of acute psychosis. In the chronology of abnormal events in Sally’s life, staying up all night and barely eating is the first occurrence of visible abnormality.

This event is coupled with Sally describing her writing which “comes to her”. At this point, her parents think this behavior is interesting, but not abnormal by any means. Her father rationalizes this behavior as being a hidden talent, suppressed by her early learning disabilities. Soon things tip out of the realm of rationality for the father when he finds her outside of a nearby café and is met with a furious and completely unsolicited question. Sally asks; “You don’t know anything about me. Do you, Father?”. This question catches him off guard where he then explains feeling “out of his depth with his daughter”. Sally’s behavior has encompassed multiple levels of abnormal and has become of serious interest to her parents. In an episode following these events, Sally kicks a trashcan hard enough to knock the lid off it and then proceeds to bite her lip in anger which draws blood. This event is soon proceeded by the insistence that Sally’s stepmother Pat; “will never love her as she would a biological child”. Sally is feeling hopeless. Some time passes, and Sally has a friend over named Cass and the ensuing event questions their perspective of their daughter. Cass and Sally go out that night and Sally is spewing words from her mouth inaudibly when Cass asked her; to explain herself. She bursts into anger; yelling “I’ll show you what the fuck I mean”, Sally then grabs passersby and shakes them; running out into the street certain to stop traffic.

This event is the most pivotal thus far and further discloses her deteriorating mental state to her parents. Sally has now displayed all four D’s. Danger, the most damaging of the four D’s was present that very night as well as the following morning when she tried to leave the house to go to the sunshine café; the father blocked her from leaving and was thrown to the floor and scratched in the face. With the recommendation of Arnold, a therapist who is familiar with her mental state, Sally is admitted to a nearby psych ward which took over her care.

Sally’s behavior has ascended the realm of abnormal behavior. She is so far and away abnormal that the shell of her past self seems a distant glimmer of normalcy. She has acute psychosis, which can only be mediated by chemical intervention. Caught between schizotypal actualization and mental disintegration she is forever lost in that small confining hell that is both her skull and her room. Her only comforts now are thoughts created within the confines of her mind; they will wander on aimlessly until she is no more. The cold comfort of death a distant optimism for the mentally ill, if only they knew it, one leap, one death leap to solve their torture.