12 - 6 Flashcards
(41 cards)
Personality disorder
is a disorder characterized by a set of
inflexible, maladaptive behaviour patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society.
Though people with personality disorders frequently lead seemingly normal lives, just below the surface lies a set of inflexible, maladaptive personality traits that can make functioning a challenge
Antisocial personality disorder
(aka sociopathic personality)
is a disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others.
Can appear quite intelligent and likable (at least at first)
Antisocial
But upon closer examination turn out to
be manipulative and deceptive, lacking any guilt or anxiety about their wrongdoing.
Traits of Antisocial include
impulsivity and lack the ability to withstand frustration, extremely manipulative, excellent social skills (they can be charming, engaging, and highly persuasive).
What cause Antisocial
An inability to experience emotions appropriately to problems in family relationships.
Sociocultural factors (high proportion come from lower socioeconomic groups).
Borderline personality disorder
is a disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are.
Rely on relationships with others to define their identity, and as such rejections are devastating.
Traits of Borderline include
distrust of others and emotional volatility leading to impulsive and self-destructive behaviour
often feeling empty and alone.
Borderline people
may form intense, sudden, one-sided relationships, demanding the attention of another person and then feeling angry when they don’t receive it.
ex. stella
One reason for Borderline behaviour
is that they may have a background in which
others discounted or criticized their emotional reactions, and they may not have learned to regulate their emotions effectively.
TRUE - Leach
Narcissistic personality disorder
is a personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance.
Main attribute of the narcissistic personality is an inability to
experience empathy for other people (Those with the disorder expect special treatment from others, while at the same time disregarding others’ feelings).
Somatic Symptom Disorders
are psychological difficulties that take on a
physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause.
Even though an individual with a Somatic Symptom Disorders
reports physical symptoms, no biological cause exists, or if there is a medical problem, the person’s reaction is greatly exaggerated.
Illness anxiety disorder
a somatic symptom disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health.
Illness anxiety disorder people believe
everyday aches and pains are symptoms of a dreaded disease.
The “symptoms” are not faked; rather, they are misinterpreted as evidence of some serious illness—often in the face of inarguable medical evidence to the contrary.
Conversion disorders
Somatic Symptom Disorders
involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move an arm or leg.
The cause of such a physical disturbance is purely psychological.
Often begin suddenly (people wake up one morning blind or deaf, or they experience numbness that is restricted to a certain part of the body)
La belle indifference
people who experience conversion disorders frequently remain unconcerned about symptoms that most of us would expect to be highly anxiety-producing.
Glove anesthesia
A hand, may become entirely numb, while an area above the wrist, controlled by the same nerves, remains sensitive to touch (physiologically implausible, because of the nerves involved, suggesting a psychological
cause rather than from actual nerve damage).
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
is a disorder in which a person is plagued by unwanted thoughts, called obsessions, or feel that they must carry out actions, termed compulsions, against their will.
Obsessions
(OCD)
are persistent, unwanted thoughts or ideas that keep recurring.
Many people suffer from mild obsessions from time to time, but usually such thoughts persist only for a short period.
However, for people with serious obsessions, the thoughts persist for days or months and may consist of bizarre, troubling images.
Ex. Howard Hughes in his Movie Room
Compulsions
(OCD)
is an irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some act that seems strange and unreasonable.
Whatever the compulsive behaviour, people experience extreme anxiety if they cannot
carry it out, even if it is something they want to stop.
The acts involved may be relatively trivial (ex. repeatedly checking the stove to make sure all the burners are turned off), or more unusual (ex. continuously washing oneself).
For OCD poeple
little or no reduction in anxiety results from carrying out a compulsive ritual.
People with severe cases lead lives filled with unrelenting tension
Biological Causes in OCD people
research found differences in the brains of those with the disorder compared to those without it.
However, OCD is often effectively treated using behavioural interventions similar to the techniques used in treating phobias.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
is a disorder marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and a great deal of inappropriate activity (in the hyperactive subtype).
