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Earlier in the B.C. Era, Greek and Roman philosophers made advances, along with physicians, in the area of mental illnesses. However, from 25 BC to 54 AD a major shift in the thinking took place. A more spiritual stance was taken. For example, it was believed that angry gods were inhabiting the bodies of the mentally ill. Exorcisms and burning of witches were used to force the evil out of the bodies.
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The most famous asylum, the Hospital of St.Mary of Bethlehem was created in London. Originally, it was created as a poorhouse. However, when attitudes toward the mentally ill shifted from humane and caring to inhumane, it was turned into an asylum for "lunatics" in 1403.
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The Salem witch trials are significant to the history of abnormal psychology because during the 14th and 15th centuries, many people with mental illnesses were simply considered to be witches. They were hunted and killed, without regard for their illnesses.
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Originally called mesmerism, Franz Mesmer developed what he believed was a cure for mental illness. It was called Hypnotism.
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Vincenzo Chiarugi increased the standards for hygeine, recreation, and work opportunities in his mental hospital in Florence and Italy. Also, Jean-Baptiste Pussin released the patients of the La Bicetre hospital from their shackles, and forbade his staff from beating them. This shows a shift in the attitudes toward the mentally ill.
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Phillipe Pinel led a movement to establish more human treatment for the mentally ill. He released the first mentally ill patients from confinement.
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The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason opened in what is now Philadelphia. This facility focused on treating only the mentally ill, and in a humane way.
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The American Psychological Association, now a vital organization in the Abnormal Psychology field, was formed. It initially had 42 members The APA later published the DSM's that are now used to diagnose mental illness.
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Pavlovs studies on classical conditioning are most often heard of as "Pavlov's Dogs." He used dogs to test his theories about classical conditioning.
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The Diagnostical and Statistican Manual of Mental Disorders was published by the American Psychiatric Association. Subsequently, 3 more updated versions of the DSM were published. The DSM is used to determine and diagnosis mental disorders around the world.
