Last Class…Types of Psychological disorders

Types of Psychological Disorders

Diagnosed during childhood

Cognitive disorders

Substance-related disorders

Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

Mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Types of Psychological Disorders

Somatoform disorders

Dissociative Disorders

Sexual and Gender-identity disorders

Eating disorders

Sleep disorders

Impulse control disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Main idea: Anxiety Disorders are marked by excessive fear, caution, and attempts to avoid anxiety.

According to the DSM-IV an anxiety disorder “includes disorders characterized by signs of anxiety, such as panic disorders and phobias.”

What is Anxiety?

Defined as: a vague, generalized apprehension or feeling that one is in danger

What is normal or not?

Affects 19 million Americans annually

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A feeling that one is in danger

Potentially blossom into full-fledged panic attacks, which may include choking sensations, chest pains, dizziness, trembling and hot flashes.

Reaction to vague or imagined dangers

Continuous experience

They may become so pre-occupied with their own internal problems that they neglect social relationships

The Physical Symptoms

Muscular tension

Inability to relax

Furrowed brow and strained face

Poor appetite, indigestion, frequent urination

Difficulty sleeping, tired

Why do people have anxiety?

Inherited

Environmental factors

Usually occurs after a major life change

Phobic Disorder

Phobia: an intense and irrational fear of a particular object or situation

Anxiety focused on a particular object

Examples of Phobias

Acrophobia: fear of itching or the insects that cause itching Acrophobia: fear of heights Agoraphobia: fear of open spaces Autophobia: fear of being alone Atelophobia: fear of imperfection Catagelophobia: fear of being ridiculed Felinophobia: fear of cats Heliophobia: fear of the sun Hemophobia: fear of blood Logizomechanophobia: fear of computers Verminopobia: fear of germs

Panic disorder

An extreme anxiety that manifests itself in the form of panic attacks

Panic is a feeling of sudden, helpless terror, such as overwhelming fright one might experience when cornered by a predator

Some symptoms differ between individuals

Symptoms

Sense of smothering, choking, or difficulty breathing

Faintness or dizziness

Nausea

Chest pains

Can last for an hour or more, but usually just a few minutes

Last Class… Anxiety DisordersGeneralized Anxiety Disorder

Phobic Disorders

Panic Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A person suffering from acute anxiety may think the same thoughts over and over

Obsession: uncontrollable pattern of thoughts

Compulsions: repeatedly perform coping behaviours

Both together = Obsessive- Compulsive disorder

OCD- Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSZNnz9SM4g

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

A person has experienced a traumatic event feels severe and long-lasting aftereffects

Common among veterans of military combat, survivors of acts of terrorism, natural disasters such as floods or tornadoes, other catastrophes such as plane crashes, and human aggression such as rape or assault

The event overwhelms a person’s sense of reality and ability to cope

May begin immediately after the event or develop later

Symptoms

Flashbacks

Recurring nightmares

Long-lasting