Anxiety Disorders

Question 1

symptoms of anxiety

Answer 1

• awareness of physical sensation
• awareness of being nervous or frightened
• effect on selectivity of attention

Question 2

psychoanalytic cause of anxiety

Answer 2

• freud: buildup of libido
• psychic conflict between unconscious wishes and superego
• goal of therapy: increase anxiety tolerance (adapt and cope)

Question 3

behavioral cause of anxiety

Answer 3

• conditioned response to a specific environmental stimulus

- seeing other people

Question 4

existential cause of anxiety

Answer 4

• anxiety as a response to a perceived void in existence and meaning

Question 5

biological cause of anxiety

Answer 5

• ans: sympathetic overdrive
• NE: increased noradrenergic function
• serotonin: stress = increase 5-ht turnover
• gaba
• hpa axis: stress = increased cortisol

Question 6

what is panic disorder

Answer 6

• acute intense attack of anxiety accompanied by feelings of impending doom
• discrete periods of intense fear
• common associated: agoraphobia

Question 7

what are panic attacks

Answer 7

• sudden period of intense fear or apprehension

- may last from minutes to hours

Question 8

symptoms of panic attacks

Answer 8

read

Question 9

course and prognosis of panic disorder

Answer 9

• late adolescence or early adulthood
• 30-40% are symptom free at long term follow up
• depression is comorbidity

Question 10

treatment for panic disorder

Answer 10

• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• benzodiazepines: rapid action
• duration of pharmacotherpay: 8-12 mos
• cognitive and behavior therapy + pharma = best results

Question 11

what is agoraphobia

Answer 11

• fear/anxiety for places from which escape might be difficult

Question 12

treatment for agoraphobia

Answer 12

• pharma: benzodiazepine, ssri

- psychotherapy: supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy

Question 13

what are specific phobia

Answer 13

• excessive fear of a specific object, circumstance, or situation
• try to avoid the stimulus
• lasting 6 mos
• causes distress/impaired function

Question 14

treatment for specific phobia

Answer 14

• behavior therapy
• insight oriented therapy
• exposure therapy
• hypnosis

Question 15

what is social anxiety disorder

Answer 15

• fear of social situations
• late childhood or early adolescence
• chronic
• tx: pharma and psychotherapy

Question 16

what is generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 16

• sustained or excessive anxiety and worry + motor tension or restlessness
• at least 6 mos

Question 17

treatment for generalized anxiety

Answer 17

• psychotherapy
• benzodiazepines, ssri, snri
• 6-12 mos or lifetime

Question 18

other anxiety disorders

Answer 18

• anxiety attributable to another medical condition
• substance induced anxiety disorder
• mixed anxiety-depressive disorder

Question 19

what is ocd

Answer 19

• impulse intrudes itself insistently and persistently

- anxious dread and compulsion to reduce the anxiety

Question 20

symptom patterns in ocd

Answer 20

• contamination!!
• pathological doubt
• intrusive thoughts
• symmetry
• other symptoms patterns

Question 21

read body dysmorphic, hoarding, and hair pulling disorder

Answer 21

ok

Question 22

what is excoriation

Answer 22

compulsive and repetitive picking of the skin that results in severe tissue damage and dermatologic intervention

Question 23

symptoms of ptsd and asd

Answer 23

read

asd: 3 days to 1 month (acute)
ptsd: exceeds one month (chronic)

Question 24

what is adjustment disorder

Answer 24

• emotional response to a stressful event
• emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to identifiable stressor occurring within 3 months of onset of stressor
• distress out of proportion
• significant impairment