Addiction, OCD, Eating Disorders Flashcards
Psychological factors that drive addiction out of control
Persistent state of distress
Social context becomes central to its development
Addiction
Complex mechanism involving repeated negative reinforcement, persistent state of stress, social context and direct action on neural circuits
Obsession
Unbidden, intrusive thought, image or urge that intrudes into consciousness
Attempts to dispel obsessions commonly lead to
Anxiety
What is ocd characterised by
Intrusive thoughts or images and compulsive behaviours
Reasons for compulsive behaviour
Relief of anxiety or tension
Examples of obsessions
Ego-dystonic thoughts
Repetitive, circular ruminations
May be bizzare or sound delusional
Unbidden and resisted (leads to anxiety)
How are compulsions different to psychosis
Insight is maintained
What are compulsions
Motor response to obsessional thoughts
- often ritualistic, stereotyped and precise
- start again if interrupted or doubted
Symptoms of eating disorders
Increased restriction of diet
Purging
Laxative abuse
Excessive exercise
Source of self worth in eating disorders
Their body
Bulimia nervosa and diet restriction
- eat when don’t stick to diet restrictions
- feelings of failure due to low self worth and anxiety
- drives them into a state of purge
- provides temporary relief (feel in control)
- leads them to eat again
- negative reinforcement cycle continues
Anorexia nervosa and diet restriction
- diet restriction gives a sense of control, safety and achievement
- weight loss adds to these feelings
- associate eating with failure, in safety and loss of control
- weight loss leads to brain starvation if excessive which lead to cognitive inflexibility which causes compulsions
What are eating disorders conceptualised as
Means of reducing intense distress associated with feeling everything’s out of control
