Anxiety (wk 6) Flashcards
“true” anxiety disorders vs “anxiety like” disorders
“True” anxiety disorders: * Panic disorder
* Agoraphobia
* Specific phobia
* Generalized anxiety disorder
“Anxiety-like” disorders (no longer strictly considered
as part of the anxiety disorder spectrum)
* Obsessive-compulsive disorder
* Post-traumatic stress disorder
how many people have had an anxiety disorder
17%
panic disorder criteria
need to have periods in between attacks where patient a) fears another attack or b) does maladaptive things to avoid another attack
- Need at least 1 month history of avoidance or fear of another panic attack
panic attacks need how many symptoms and give examples
4 of;
▪ Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
▪ Sweating
▪ Trembling or shaking
▪ Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
▪ Feelings of choking
▪ Chest pain or discomfort
▪ Nausea or abdominal distress
▪ Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint
▪ Chills or heat sensations
▪ Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
▪ Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
▪ Fear of losing control or “going crazy.”
▪ Fear of dying
GAD diagnostic criteria
▪ Excessive anxiety for more days than not for 6 months
▪ Individual has difficulty controlling the anxiety
how many symptoms for GAD
3-6 of
▪ Restlessness or feeling “keyed up” or on edge
▪ Being easily fatigued
▪ Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
▪ Irritability
▪ Muscle tension
▪ Sleep disturbance
- As with all psychiatric diagnoses, the anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms must:
▪ Cause clinically significant distress OR
▪ Impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of function
agoraphobia
fear of being out-of-doors or being in a crowd or being in a place where they can’t escape from or may suffer embarrassment
i.e. public stransport
how long for agorphobia
The fear or anxiety needs to be present for > 6 months and needs to cause significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functions
specific phobias
i.e. spider, blood, clown
fears of specific objects or situations that go beyond the true threat of the stimulus and cause avoidance and functional impairment
how long does specific phobia need to be present for
> 6 months
social anxiety disorder
▪ One is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others
▪ One is afraid that fearing he/she will act in a way that maybe humiliating or embarrassing
* e.g. public speaking, initiating or maintaining conversation, dating eating in public
▪ Out-of-proportion fear that they will be harshly judged by their interpersonal interactions
post traumatic stress disorder
men and women common causes
exposure to actual death, threatened death, physical or
sexual violence, serious injury
men- combat
women- abuse
First responders, healthcare personnel, law enforcement are a growing demographic affected by this disorder
symptom categories of PTSD
- intrusion symptoms
- avoidance behaviour
- cognitive and mood symptoms
- arousal and reactivity symptoms
▪ Intrusion symptoms
* Intrusive, distressing memories, flashbacks, dreams ▪ Avoidance behaviour
* Avoidance of situations or events that are associated with the inciting trauma
* Can also involve avoiding people, places, or conversations that arouse memories or feelings associated with the event
▪ Cognitive and mood symptoms
* Memory deficits, negative emotions, guilt, shame
* Detachment from others, loss of interest in people or activities
▪ Arousal and reactivity symptoms
* Difficulty sleeping, exaggerated startle responses
* Anger, irritability, increased risk-seeking behaviour
intrusion symptoms of PTSD
i.e. falshbacks
▪ Recurrent, involuntary distressing memories or dreams of a
traumatic event (they “intrude” on the sufferer’s mind)
▪ Dissociative reactions where the individual feels as if the event was occurring
* Known as a flashback – different than a memory
▪ Marked physiological reactions or distress at exposure to cues
that resemble the traumatic event
PTSD alterations in arousdal and reactivity examples
▪ Irritable behaviour or angry outbursts with little or no provocation
▪ Hypervigilance or exaggerated startle responses to everyday stimuli
▪ Sleep disturbances or difficulty concentrating
▪ Reckless or self-destructive behaviour
PTSD negative alterations in cognitions or mood
▪ Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic
event
▪ Negative beliefs about oneself or the world in general
* These could be linked to or independent from self-blame about the traumatic incident
▪ Persistent inability to experience positive emotions
▪ Diminished interest or participation in general day-to-day,
essential activities
▪ Detachment or estrangement from other people
how long must PTSD symptoms be present
> 1 month
impair life.
obsession and compulsion definition
- Obsession: intrusive and unwanted repetitive thoughts, urges, or impulses that lead to a marked increase in anxiety or distress
- Compulsion: repeated behaviors or mental acts that are done in response to obsessions, or in a rigid rule-bound way (i.e. ritual)
▪ Act may attempt to “suppress” the obsession
obsession examples
Fear of contamination
Pathological doubt (i.e. something was missed leading to catastrophic consequences)
Fear of causing harm to others
Need for symmetry or exactness
Superstitious obsessions (can include religious obsessions)
compulsion examples
Cleaning or washing rituals
Repetitive checking
Ordering, rearranging objects
Superstitious rituals (i.e. repeating things a certain number of times)
