11- Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
How is the stress response beneficial to us?
It enables us to escape from potentially dangerous situations
By which system is the stress response primarily mediated?
The limbic system
What are the neural elements of the limbic system?
The hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex
How is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis involved in the stress response?
Limbic system acts on hypothalamus to secrete corticotropin releasing hormone, which makes the anterior pituitary secrete more ACTH which stimulate adrenal cortex to release more cortisol
What is anxiety?
A feeling of worry about something with an uncertain outcome
What are some symptoms of anxiety?
Palpitations, sweating, trembling, dry mouth, difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal distress, feeling dizzy
What are the 3 parts of the hippocampus?
Subiculum, hippocampus proper and dentate gyrus
What are the three stages that the body goes through during prolonged exposure to stressors?
Stage 1: the alarm reaction
Stage 2: resistance
Stage 3: exhaustion
What happens at stage one in of the general adaptation syndrome?
Release of adrenaline and cortisol and sympathetic activation
What happens at stage two of the general adaptation syndrome?
Effect of adrenaline starts to wear off but prolonged release of cortisol
What happens at stage three of the general adaptation syndrome?
Chronic side effects of prolonged cortisol secretion start to occur
What are the different classifications of anxiety disorders?
Social phobia, specific phobia, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD
What biological and psychological treatment is availed for anxiety?
Short term benzodiazepines, SSRIs and cognitive behavioural therapy
Between what ages do a third of OCD cases start?
10-15 years
In OCD what are obsessions?
Thoughts that persist and take over someone’s thinking despite their awareness the thoughts are without purpose. These thoughts are often unpleasant and cause anxiety
In OCD what are compulsions?
A motor act resulting from an obsession.
E..g an obsession with infectious diseases may cause someone to constantly wash their hands
What are features of the obsessions and compulsions in OCD?
- Originate in patients mind
- Repetitive and unpleasant
- Acknowledged as excessive
How is OCD treated?
High dose SSRIs +/- antipsychotics
Cognitive behavioural therapy
What are features of PTSD?
Occurs in six months of severely traumatic event
Repetitive, intrusive recollection or re-enactment of event in memories/dreams
Avoidance of stimuli that might arouse recollection of trauma
What treatment is available for PTSD?
Biological: SSRIs and horn term benzodiazepines
Psychological: CBT and EMDR therapy
