Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Define anxiety
A diffuse, highly unpleasant, often vague sense of apprehension or foreboding, accompanied by changes in bodily responses and behaviour
Define pathological anxiety
More frequent, severe or persistent anxiety that the person is accustomed to or can tolerate
Define fear
An immediate alarm reaction to impending danger or pain
What are the problems with avoidance?
It may provide short term relief, but can also perpetuate the problem long term
How prevalent is GAD in the population?
Approx 4% of the population, women more likely
How does panic disorder relate to agoraphobia?
Individuals experience severe, expected (cued) or unexpected (cued) panic attacks, with or without agoraphobia
List the symptoms of panic attack
- shortness of breath
- heart palpitations
- heavy perspiration
- trembling or shaking
- weakness or dizziness
- feelings of choking
- chill or heat sensations
- numbness or tingling
- depersonalisation or derealisation
- fear of losing control, going crazy, or dying
Define agoraphobia
Involves avoidance of two or more situations that the person believes might induce a panic attack
What is a specific phobia?
Extreme and irrational fear of a specific object or situation. The fear is recognised as unreasonable
What are some causes of specific phobia?
- direct experience with feared stimulus
- vicarious experience
- information transmission
- evolutionary preparedness
What are the five types of specific phobia?
- blood injection injury
- situational
- natural environment
- animal
- other
List the causes of anxiety disorders
- biological
- psychological
- social
What are some examples of biological causes
- inherited polygenic traits
- inherent tendency to worry
- behavioural inhibition system
- fight-flight-freeze system
- neurotransmission of GABA, serotonin, noradrenaline and CRF
What are some examples of psychological causes
- attachment
- sense of control
- learning
Why is sense of control a cause of anxiety
Locus of control. Anxiety and perfectionism = onus to control our environment and excel in it
What are some examples of social causes
- stressful life events
- when life is variable
- putting pressure on yourself to achieve or excel
What is the prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder?
- approx 4% of the population
- women twice as likely
- onset in early adulthood
What is the prevalence of panic disorder?
Approximately 3.5% of the population
Average age for panic disorder
- early adult life
- age 25-29
What can be prognosis for panic disorder
- number of stressful life events
- depression
- associated with dependent personality disorder and avoidant personality disorder
Prevalence for specific phobia
12.5%
What are some characteristics of social anxiety?
- extreme and irrational shyness
- social performance situations
- significant impairment
- avoidance or distressed endurance
- generalised or specific subtype
What is the prevalence of social anxiety disorder?
- 12.% lifetime
- equal for males and females
- onset in adolescence
Examples of generalised biological vulnerability
HPA axis sensitivity, sensitivity to emotions
Examples of generalised psychological vulnerability
Anxiety as a broad personality trait - e.g. neuroticism, perfectionism
Example of specific psychological vulnerability
Client’s specific experience and how they have developed into pathways that have grown into anxiety for the client
Depersonalisation
Out of body experiences; feeling like an external observer to your own body
Derealisation
Feeling disconnected from the world in a dream like way
