Anxiety, OCD & Trauma/Stressor-Related Disorders:

Question 1

Anxiety Disorders

Answer 1

Pathological anxiety results from emotional reactions that have no external basis to warrant feeling threatened or responding to an external threat excessively. Anxiety may be a precursor to depression

Question 2

Separation Anxiety Disorder:

Answer 2

Developmentally Inappropriate and excessive fear/anxiety concerning separation (anticipating disaster, refusal to leave the house, repeated nightmares about separation) lasting at least 4 weeks in children or 6 months in adults.

Question 3

Specific Phobia

Answer 3

Marked fear/anxiety out of proportion about a specific object or situation. Patients exhibit Active Avoidance.

Question 4

Social Anxiety Disorder:

Answer 4

Marked fear or anxiety about social situations in which one is exposed to possible scrutiny by others. Cycle: Social Encounters are anticipated w/Apprehension and Self-Doubt. Social Encounter may result in Panic, Embarrassment and Humiliation. Feared encounters are avoided or suffered in silence. In children, this may present as freezing, clinging, shrinking or failing to speak in social situations.

Question 5

Panic Disorder

Answer 5

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes. Assoc. w/at least 4 of the following: Palpitations, Pounding Heart, Sweating, Trembling, Shaking, SOB, Feelings of Choking, Nausea, Dizziness, Light-Headedness, Chills, Heat Sensations, Paresthesias, Derealization, Depersonalization, Loss of Control, Fear of Dying. In addition, when not actively having panic attacks, patients worry about having them.

Question 6

Agoraphobia

Answer 6

Fear/Anxiety about at least 2 of the following: Using Public Transportation, Being in Open Spaces, Being in Enclosed Spaces, Standing in Line or Being in a Crowd, Being outside the Home Alone.

Question 7

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Answer 7

Excessive Anxiety/Worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months with at least 3 of the following: Restlessness, Easily Fatigued, Difficulty Concentrating, Irritability, Muscle Tension and Sleep Disturbance.

Question 8

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Answer 8

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges or images that are intrusive, unwarranted and cause anxiety or distress. Individuals sate the obsessions by performing a compulsion. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession in order to reduce anxiety or prevent a dreaded event. Typically obsessions or compulsions are time consuming (>1hr/day).

Question 9

Body Dysmorphic Disorder:

Answer 9

Preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance not observable or unpleasant to others. Patients develop repetitive behaviors like mirror checking, excessive grooming or reassurance seeking and constantly compare their appearance to others.

Question 10

Hoarding Disorder:

Answer 10

A persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions regardless of their actual value resulting in congesting and cluttering of living space.

Question 11

Excoriation Disorders:

Answer 11

Recurrent skin picking resulting in skin lesions despite repeated attempts to stop

Question 12

Trichotillomania

Answer 12

Recurrent pulling out of one’s hair, resulting in hair loss despite repeated attempts to stop

Question 13

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Answer 13

Consistent pattern of inhibited, Emotionally Withdrawn behavior toward Caregivers in which the child neither seeks or responds to comfort. Children exhibit minimal social and emotional responsiveness, limited positive affect and episodes of unexplained irritability, sadness or fearfulness during interactions with caregivers. Condition manifests before age 5.

Question 14

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder:

Answer 14

Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence results in recurrent, involuntary and intrusive distressing dreams, memories and flashbacks of the event. Patients exhibit at least 2 of the following: Dissociative Amnesia, Persistent/Exaggerated Negative beliefs about self/others or the world, feelings of detachment, inability to experience positive emotions and persistent negative emotional state. Patients also have altered arousal resulting in irritable behavior, verbal/physical outbursts, recklessness, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, problems concentrating and sleep disturbances. Generally lasts >1mo.

Question 15

Acute Stress Disorder

Answer 15

PTSD Sx lasting <1mo

Question 16

Adjustment Disorders (with depressed mood, anxiety, etc.):

Answer 16

Emotional Sx causing impairment following an identifiable psychosocial stressor lasting <6mos.