Understanding: Abnormal Behavior

Dr. Aris explained that "abnormal" isn't a fixed point, but a spectrum. Leo’s behavior was (it strayed from social norms), distressing (it caused him pain), and dysfunctional (it stopped his life).

Leo was a man of clockwork precision. Every morning, he tied his left shoe with a double knot and his right with a single, convinced that this specific imbalance kept him from drifting off the sidewalk. To his neighbors in the quiet suburbs, Leo was "eccentric." To the clinical world, he was a living case study in . Understanding Abnormal Behavior

The high-pressure environment of his job exacerbated his need for order. distressing (it caused him pain)

The trouble started when the patterns began to own him rather than protect him. Understanding Abnormal Behavior