Ch. 6 - Panic, Anxiety, Obsessions, and Their Disorders Flashcards
What are the commonly shared behavioral components of Anxiety Disorders?
1) avoidance (internal or external)
2) safety behaviors (rituals or trinkets for example)
what is avoidance?
maintaining fear through negative reinforcement (avoidance removes the discomfort —-> more avoidance)
What are safety behaviors?
having, for example, rituals or trinkets that usually become engrained with routine
What are safety behaviors?
behaviors that make an individual feel safe and have less discomfort
having, for example, rituals or trinkets that usually become engrained with routine
Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
1) behavioral therapy, specifically, exposure therapy
2) cognitive behavioral therapy
3) medication (anxiolytics and antidepressants)
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
involves cognitive restructuring + exposure
What do Anxiolytics do?
offer immediate relief
What do antidepressants do?
offer long-term, therapeutic effects
What is a Phobia?
A strong and persistent fear recognized as excessive or unreasonable
What triggers a phobia?
a specific object or situation
Avoidance of a trigger (phobias) is a ___________ characteristic.
Cardinal: Individuals will do everything in their power to escape certain situations or objects that are part of their phobia
5 Phobia Subtypes Identified in the DSM-5
1) Animal (includes insects)
2) natural environment
3) blood-injection-injury
4) situational
5) other
-choking, vomiting, “space”
What are the psychological causes of phobias?
1) Classical conditioning (learned fear)
- direct or observational
2) Operant conditioning (maintained fear or avoidance)
- positive reinforcement (relief; reassurance-seeking)
- negative reinforcement (avoidance —-> removal of distress)
3) Evolutionary preparedness (animal and natural environment are most common phobias)
Phobias come about in a ___________ process.
gradual
The most effective treatment for a phobia is __________ _________.
exposure therapy
For many types of fears, exposure therapy can be done in a __________, __________ session (______ ________).
single, long; few hours
cognitive restructuring has not added much to ________ ____________.
phobia treatment
__________ alone is ineffective alone to treat phobias and _______-__________ meds may interfere with exposure therapy.
medication; anxiety-meds
What is Social Anxiety (Social Phobia)?
A persistent fear of exposure to scrutiny and potential evaluation of others in one or more social situations (6 months or longer)
What are the subtypes of social anxiety?
1) performance (e.g. public speaking)
2) nonperformance (e.g. meeting new people)
What is a biological causal factor of social anxiety?
1) Temperament - behavioral inhibition
___________ ___________ has been found to predict Social Anxiety Disorder in middle childhood.
Behavioral inhibition
What is Panic Disorder? How is it characterized?
A reoccurrence of unexpected (“out of the blue”) panic attacks
Characterized by persistent worry (1+ month) about having more attacks and/or maladaptive change in behavior to avoid attacks
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Chronic or excessive worry about multiple events and activities
The DSM-5 says it has to occur more days than not for at least ____ months. Persistent worry must be accompanied by at least ___ of ___ symptoms, most of the time (in children, only ___ is required).
6; 3; 6; 1
6 Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
1) Edginess or restlessness
2) Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual
3) Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank
4) Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others)
5) Increased muscle aches or soreness
6) Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep.
What is worry?
A mental behavior that is likely a form of cognitive avoidance
3 Examples of cognitive avoidance?
-superstitious avoidance (feared outcomes less likely)
-avoidance of deeper emotional topics (distraction)
-coping and preparation (usually results in procrastination)